My crank bolt came out and my pulley came off. I bought a new crank bolt, but I'm not sure if I need a key for the slot in the pulley. My manual says nothing about a key where it tells how to install the pulley, and the directions that came with the bolt don't say anything either. Do I need a key? If so, is that a dealer only item?

 

Buying from the dealer is best. You will get correct size. Torque the bolt around 130 ft lbs

 

You need a key. They're real easy to lose when you take the pulley off. Look around for yours, it should be under the car somewhere.

Edit: Oh now I see it came off while the engine was running. In that case it's possible the hole in the pulley is chewed up, and you'll need a new pulley. Hopefully the end of the crank is not badly damaged.

 

Apparently the bolt came off somewhere on the road and so did the alternator belt(battery light came on). When I got home and turned the car off, the pulley came rolling out from under the car. The pulley looks okay. I believe I found the key or at least a piece of it. How big is it? What I found is about a half inch long and its a little twisted on the corners, so I'm sure I'll need a new one.