I've not removed a harmonic balancer before, and am doing a cam swap. Is there an easy way to remove and install the balancer?


I've got a pulley puller, but don't think that will do the trick, at least not without possibly damaging the threads....

Please help.

 

buy a puller for removing it and buy and installing tool for getting it back on, or rent them. my puller set came with inserts to protect the threads, or you could use a bolt.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Be careful with the bolt!!!

I snapped my center crank bolt off in the snout of the crank when I tried to install my balancer with it! The bolt's still in there; my mechanic pounded my balancer on with a hammer, and welded it to the crank. (So far, so good, 1.5 years later. Yes, I got a new balancer before he did it!)

I think I have a better way; it seems to "copy" the correct installation tool. First, buy a lonnng "10.9 metric" or "Grade 8 SAE" strength bolt that has the same threads (and strength) as the center crankshaft pulley bolt. Then, you get a nut and large washer that fits the bolt. You run the nut all the way up the bolt, and put the washer onto the bolt. Then you put your balancer onto the crank.. it should slide on a little bit by hand. Then you put the bolt thru the balancer and thread it all the way into the crank. Then, you hold the bolt from moving with a wrench, and "loosen" the nut with another wrench. The nut will work it's way towards the crank, squeezing the balancer onto the crank:

II---o-||-----BBBBB------CCCCC

Where "II" is the bolt head, "o" is the nut, "||" is the large washer, "B" is the balancer, and "C" is the crank.

This way you don't snap the bolt in the crank. If anything, you'd snap the bolt at the nut you're turning, and then you can still (easily) unscrew the bolt from the crank. This seems to be how the installation tools work. I'll be trying this on that 2.8 I'm working on.

I think Summit (or JC Whitney) sells the Moroso installation tool for $26. The puller's cheap enough to buy for $15, maybe you could buy the puller & rent the installer. Or rent both. Nobody around me sold the installation tool- they all told me to use a hammer. I should've listened to save my crank! I'd rather have screwed up the $50 balancer by using the "incorrect" hammer method than screw up the crank...



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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Well, Ive put them On With Hammers Before, It seems to workout Fine, But I would only Do that if You dont have any other option.


Ive also used the Summit Blancer Installation/removal Tool, and it Mostly Works great.


But its also 100$


So here is what I did Last time, To install the Balancer.


Went Down to the local hardware store and bought a length of 1/2-13 Allthread. Grade 2 Worked Fine.

Put some anti seize on it, and thread It all the way into the crank. Then I pushed the Balancer On as Far as I could By hand, making sure the woodruff keys lined up with the slot.


then Get a Big 1/2-13 Nut, a 1/2 washer, a 1/2 fenderwasher, and I used a big ole 3/4 Bearing Plate.

Put some grease on that whole assembly, and thread it on, going in the order of Balancer-bearingplate-fenderwasher-washer-nut

Now slowly tighten the nut, it should push the blancer on no Problem.

total cost, less than 10$.

its better, IMO than the installation tools because it threads all the way into the crank, Lessening the chance of stripping out the crank thread ( wich I did with the summit tool )


also the grade 2 steel Is alot softer than the crank, So its less likely To strip.


Never try and use the bolt to push it on, Your just asking for trouble. Its there to keep it from flying off, Not to Install it.




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

I'll give the nut, bolt and washer technique. I've seen a harmonic balancer applied with a hammer before, but it didn't work......although the person attempting the task wasn't exactly "good" at what he was doing.

I just want to make sure that things go as smoothly as possible.

 

If you can afford it, buy an installation tool. Installing it will be the PIA, trust me. I had my engine out of the car and I still had trouble figuring out how to get it on. I called all the local auto stores and nobody even listed a installation tool. Eventually I put some oil on the crankshaft and hit it with a sledgehammer. But it still took a lot of force. It's going to be hard to hammer it on with the engine in the car since there's so little room to use a hammer.


Good luck..

 

where are you guys getting your install tool? mine is made by phewes, better known for oil cans and things like that. cost around 20-25 dollars. it's so simple and easy to use i can't see how anyone would have trouble with one.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

You can "rent" them at Kragen and AZ and PB... lots of times you get the puller and the pusher in one box as parts of the same tool set... can't beat the price

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Agreed ede, Its so Simple is painful.


But the Hammer method Is Fun )


" Yeah dude, I swear this will be okay... THWACK "

there is nothing PITA about this, if you have the Tool.

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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

well I have a 283 and the older engines dont have threads in the end of the crank so I had to tap it, Still didnt trust the threads to install the damper so I used a block of wood and a rubber hammer. I couldnt think of another way.. but I had the engine out of the car so it was pie..I always wonderd how they installed them on engines like the 283 and 327 they dont have threads in the crank snout.. Kevin

 

Prolly with a press of some Sort.

The Two Times I have used the Hammer Method, Both Motors are still Running fine...




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

Nobody around here had an installation tool for rent.. Pep Boys & them looked at me like I was talking about a tool that doesn't exist, real auto parts stores told me to use a hammer & block of wood.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Since we're on crank horror stories, I stripped my bolt. I thought the crank was stipped. Ended up putting in a Moroso bolt and it's been fine.
The first one had come loose on it's own (noticed my balancer) wobbling and when I went for the bolt, i was able to turn it with my hand!!!)

Steve

 

if anyone had ever removed the front rotors off a K5 Blazer or some other 4x4 truck you'll know what im talking about...you need this big *** funky socket to remove the spindle nut, the thing is like 2 1/2 inches in diameter at least..anyway i held that on the front of the balancer and then whacked it on with a hammer, worked well...thats also what i used to put the timing chain sprocket on the crank.

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350, Comp 262, Edelbrock Performer intake 600 cfm carb and exhaust, headers
-JVC, Eclipse, Pioneer, MTX, Phoenix Gold, Planet Audio

 

Yep, you can make an installer out of parts from the local hardware. I've done this a couple of times when my installer was out on loan.

Sometimes you can get away with the hammer method and sometimes you can't. It's possible to distort and ruin the rear main thrust bearing when you put the hammer to it. There are some things I just won't do and hammering on a damper is one of them.

I've seen both the puller and installer hanging on the rack as some of the bigger auto parts stores. Around $30 for the installer.

Jake

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1986 Corvette Coupe, 415 CID, Edelbrock 6073s, ZZ9

[This message has been edited by JakeJr (edited March 02, 2001).]

 

Another suggestion - right before you get ready to put it on the crank with whatever method you choose, heat up the damper as hot as you can get it and still be able to work with it. It'll go on a lot easier. Had a buddy who had to take his off his Mustang (ugh) to do something, and we heated his up in hot water (almost boiling) and it went back on fairly easy...

-Rich

 

Me too!

I went to Pep Boys and then to NAPA and neither even heard of an installer!

Then I went to O'Reilly's and saw it hanging on the wall. Go figure.

Jake

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1986 Corvette Coupe, 415 CID, Edelbrock 6073s, ZZ9

[This message has been edited by JakeJr (edited March 02, 2001).]

 

Hah, glad I wasn't alone in this "hunt" for the installer! You'd think they'd sell one right next to the universal pullers!

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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Well I got it back on with very little difficulty. I heated up the balancer so that I had to use hot pads to install it. Then I used a hammer with soft plastic ends and a weighted center to pound the thing on. It went on real easy except for the very last part, and it was only 1/8th of an inch or so, and I just torqued the bolt to 60ft pounds and it was on all of the way.

Thanks for the posts.