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Is it safe to sandblast a harmonic balancer?

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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 01:35 PM
  #1  
Token's Avatar
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From: Toledo, OH
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: forged 357
Transmission: 700r4, 2200-2400 stall, vette servo
Axle/Gears: stock pegleg 2.73 drum (temp)
Is it safe to sandblast a harmonic balancer?

Just wondering, really... I plan on cleaning mine up quite a bit.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 01:47 PM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
i'd say so. but just think of how long it'll take you to get it really nice and clean, and perhaps painted, compared to a summit $59 one, that has engraved timing marks..... Same with the oil pan, I have no idea why I re-used mine
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 02:04 PM
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From: Toledo, OH
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: forged 357
Transmission: 700r4, 2200-2400 stall, vette servo
Axle/Gears: stock pegleg 2.73 drum (temp)
Originally Posted by Sonix
i'd say so. but just think of how long it'll take you to get it really nice and clean, and perhaps painted, compared to a summit $59 one, that has engraved timing marks..... Same with the oil pan, I have no idea why I re-used mine
I have access to a sandblaster


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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 02:26 PM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
wow that stuff is clean. pistons in your house? Mine were soaked in oil/grease to press fit the pins on, so they'd stink like crazy in the house...

well ok, but if it takes you a while to do it, then is it worth your time? My main beef was to be able to measure timing with only 10* visible on a stock balancer and tag. I didn't have a dialback timing light so I just bought the balancer you're looking at in your other thread.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 02:29 PM
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From: Toledo, OH
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: forged 357
Transmission: 700r4, 2200-2400 stall, vette servo
Axle/Gears: stock pegleg 2.73 drum (temp)
Yeah a 750 sqft apartment and I have a transmission and nearly a complete engine in my bedroom. You should see under my bed...


I cleaned everything in the parts washer before bringing it inside my house, so there's virtually no smell. The only smell you can faintly smell is spray paint from the transmission.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 07:57 PM
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From: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Car: '83 Z28, '07 Charger SRT8
Engine: 454ci, 6.1 Hemi
Transmission: TH350, A5
Axle/Gears: 2.73 posi, 3.06 posi
It will take all of 10 minutes to sandblast it properly and completely, and as a bonus, sandblasting also will NOT damage the rubber in the balancer. Sandblasting it would be the best way to clean it up. Just need to mask off the machined surface in the middle, where it slides onto the crank. You'll need to use duct tape, its the only stuff that holds up to sandblasting well.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 08:35 PM
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From: Arab, Alabama
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350 4BBL
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Originally Posted by Token
Yeah a 750 sqft apartment and I have a transmission and nearly a complete engine in my bedroom. You should see under my bed...
I cleaned everything in the parts washer before bringing it inside my house, so there's virtually no smell. The only smell you can faintly smell is spray paint from the transmission.
Good heavens! Has it been that long since I was young? I remember doing the SAME THING!!! 25 years ago
(something about the satisfaction of a V8 built in an apartment....)
Jeff Foxworthy: "Can you move this transmission, I need to take a shower".
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 08:42 PM
  #8  
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
750 sq-ft? What do you do with all the extra room? I've got 530. But then again, it has an attached 7 car garage.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 08:53 PM
  #9  
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From: Toledo, OH
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: forged 357
Transmission: 700r4, 2200-2400 stall, vette servo
Axle/Gears: stock pegleg 2.73 drum (temp)
LOL Aperion!!!!



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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 09:10 PM
  #10  
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From: Arab, Alabama
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350 4BBL
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Looks like it has already been sandblasted. I'd worry more about the hammer marks where it has obviously been pounded on the crank before.
(like the Cheezits box, brings back memories)
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 09:19 PM
  #11  
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
Ape, what, do you live in the front office of a garage?
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 09:29 PM
  #12  
Token's Avatar
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From: Toledo, OH
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: forged 357
Transmission: 700r4, 2200-2400 stall, vette servo
Axle/Gears: stock pegleg 2.73 drum (temp)
Originally Posted by Supervisor42
Looks like it has already been sandblasted. I'd worry more about the hammer marks where it has obviously been pounded on the crank before.
(like the Cheezits box, brings back memories)
I just did sandblast it in class today


And yes, it obviously has hammer marks. Are they "okay?"
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 09:30 PM
  #13  
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
No, this is my house. It's just a matter of priority. All you need in your living space is enough room to eat, sleep, bathe, eliminate and copulate. Anything else is unnecessary.
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Old Apr 11, 2006 | 05:38 AM
  #14  
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From: Arab, Alabama
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350 4BBL
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Originally Posted by Token
I just did sandblast it in class today

And yes, it obviously has hammer marks. Are they "okay?"
More than likely it is fine. If every balancer that was hammered on by shadetrees down here came apart, I would see them bouncing down the highway like tennis ***** every day on my drive to work. Much worse are the ones that were pulled off by the big 3-jawed gearpuller or hammered off by striking the outer ring. If there are ANY hammer marks on the backside, toss it. You don't plan to spin this engine above 6500 do ya? I have only seen one come apart during a burnout at the dragstrip at excessive RPM, but it was a nasty.
Power steering fluid and antifreeze everywhere. Everybody had to wait for "cleanup on aisle 2".
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