So I was working on installing my 350 into my camaro today and I had a friend helping me. Somehow he managed to tip the lifting apparatus over and dropped my engine first onto the car where it then fell to the ground. The harmonic damper split right down the keyway. I'm thinking to use the one off my 305 unless someone tells me they aren't interchangeable, but I think they're bother internal balance and I dont car about the timing mark so I think it'll be fine. My big concern is that the crank snout will be bent. Is there anyway I can check if it is or do I have to install the new damper and spin the engine up and look for a wobble?

I highly doubt your harmonic balancer is interchangable from a 305. I was reading your cam selection article and then I read this and you dropped your motor lol! Damn dude.

Lol, I thought I'd ask anyways. Rather use it than buy a new one if i don't have to. And I didn't drop it, my friend did.

Thas what they all say. Hahaha.

The balancer is interchangeable between the 305 and 350. If you hurt it bad enough to split the balancer, you've almost certainly bent the crank.

This is what I'd be worried about.

Maybe see if it still turns over smoothly with the plugs out?

If you have a dial gauge you could measure the runout. Should be < .001" I would think.

That's what I would do. I also bet it's bent. It can be surprising how unstable an engine hoist can get once all that weight is in the air. I've come close to losing a motor once or twice.

Thanks guys. I can spin the engine over even with the plugs installed, I'll have to hook up a dial guage and check the runout. I hadn't thought to do that to check. If it is bent, I suppose then it's an entire tear down to replace the crank?

Don't forget to replace your friend too!

Lol, yes, that's next on my list.

Doesn't have to be. Flip the motor upside down. Can do this on the garage floor, just put a large piece of clean corrugated cardboard down first (from a big box).

Pull the pan.

Unbolt a rod, remove cap, push piston to top side of engine.

Repeat for other 7 rods. Can rotate engine to get to all rods.

Try to keep rod caps in order and facing the proper direction. Even though during reassembly this will be checked. It is easier if they are already in order.

Un-bolt the mains, set caps aside in order and facing the proper direction.

Lift crank out.

Place new crank in.

Bolt mains down.

Lift a rod/piston one at a time and bolt to crank. Can use short pieces of 3/8" fuel hose over the rod bolts. This will prevent nicking the crank.

DOUBLE CHECK THE TORQUE ON EVERY ROD AND MAIN CAP.

Install pan gasket, install pan. Install damper (I like to leave the pulleys off so they don't get bent on install).

Install engine.

Notes:

Check/verify journal size for bearing clearance and proper crankshaft.

If the original rotating assembly was balanced, take the new crank with the balance data (don't give them the original card, only a copy of it) to the balancer. Have crank balanced.

RBob.

Thanks alot for the list, but all that is what I meant by tear down. I didn't mean pull the heads and everything else. I'm all about doing the most with the least amount of unneccessary work.