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Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

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Old Dec 11, 2009 | 09:31 PM
  #1  
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Car: 84 camaro, 88 trans am, 98 camaro
Engine: Modded , stock, LSX modded
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4, t-56
Axle/Gears: 327, 308, 373
Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

So tonight i picked up a complete engine oil pan to TB even had exhaust manifolds. The guy that was loading didnt have the chain right and the engine fell to the ground about 3 feet the crank pulley and harmonic balancer hit the lags of the hoist. I was so pissed and upset i was just going to walk away but i ened up still paying and taking it home. Im worried about the crank etc. . . so what do you think?
part it out and junk the short block?
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Old Dec 11, 2009 | 09:43 PM
  #2  
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From: So. Ohio
Car: 88 Camaro
Engine: L98 350
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Dropping a complete pulled engine 3 feet on crank pulley/ harmonic balancer?

Cranks are pretty tough, and the balancer has a rubber mounted outer ring. Put another balancer on it and see if it turns without runout. Might be ok to run it.
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Old Dec 11, 2009 | 09:56 PM
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From: O'Fallon, MO
Car: 1991 Z28 convertible built 3/1/1990
Engine: Cammed 6.0L LSX
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: custom Ford 8.8", 4.10 gears
Re: Dropping a complete pulled engine 3 feet on crank pulley/ harmonic balancer?

The thing that would worry me is if the pulley hitting the ground possibly jarring some of the bearings out of whack. I don't know if it's possible or not, but it is surely something I would be paranoid about.
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Old Dec 11, 2009 | 10:19 PM
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From: Columbus Ohio
Car: 91 Z28,64ImpalaSS4094spd,67 Galaxy
Engine: Dart 415Profiler hd,cmprlrs,Hlly750
Transmission: Built 700R4, 3200 stall
Axle/Gears: 3:89 Moser 9"
Re: Dropping a complete pulled engine 3 feet on crank pulley/ harmonic balancer?

Yeah, I'd be worried bout the bearings, especially the front one. I would pull the pan and replace the mains front to rear, and the balancer...
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 01:37 AM
  #5  
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From: Minnesota
Car: 84 camaro, 88 trans am, 98 camaro
Engine: Modded , stock, LSX modded
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4, t-56
Axle/Gears: 327, 308, 373
Re: Dropping a complete pulled engine 3 feet on crank pulley/ harmonic balancer?

i was planning on taking the motor completely apart and rebuilding it.
when it fell it cracked the guys concert floor and broke the metal caster on the hoist, it came down hard as if someone was holding it with a fist and opened it DROP! . . . im worried that some how the crack is messed up, it took the biggest blow dead center on the balancer before the oil pan got crushed in some what.
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 04:01 AM
  #6  
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J91
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From: Columbus Ohio
Car: 91 Z28,64ImpalaSS4094spd,67 Galaxy
Engine: Dart 415Profiler hd,cmprlrs,Hlly750
Transmission: Built 700R4, 3200 stall
Axle/Gears: 3:89 Moser 9"
Re: Dropping a complete pulled engine 3 feet on crank pulley/ harmonic balancer?

Pull it apart, get the block and crank checked out...
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 11:18 AM
  #7  
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From: Minnesota
Car: 84 camaro, 88 trans am, 98 camaro
Engine: Modded , stock, LSX modded
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4, t-56
Axle/Gears: 327, 308, 373
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

by that time im better off scraping it
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 11:42 AM
  #8  
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From: Bertram (outside Austin), TX
Car: 87 GTA
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Dana M78 3.27 posi
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

I woulda told him to cut the price in half or walked....

You can bet the balancer is toast, or will be after being run & shaking. It'll just seperate a lot sooner than it should.

Some bearings coulda been damaged as well. Hard to say without opening it up & looking.
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 02:10 PM
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From: Minnesota
Car: 84 camaro, 88 trans am, 98 camaro
Engine: Modded , stock, LSX modded
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4, t-56
Axle/Gears: 327, 308, 373
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

yea i wish i did, but i gave him what he wanted, i was pretty upset and i didn't want to get in a argument with the guy. all probably pull the pulley and balancer off, and run the front of the noise in a few spots with a dial indicator see if it was bent etc. maybe im just overly worried but iv never dropped engines before nor have i seen a engine fall to the ground 3 feet except last night. i just don't know the survivability of a engine being drop like that, i guess thats the best way i can word it.
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 05:37 PM
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From: Pitman, NJ
Car: '89 IROC-Z
Engine: Canfield 195 headed 358ci
Transmission: TH350, Art Carr 9.5"
Axle/Gears: 3.92 Dana 44
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

Originally Posted by FueledSoul
yea i wish i did, but i gave him what he wanted, i was pretty upset and i didn't want to get in a argument with the guy. all probably pull the pulley and balancer off, and run the front of the noise in a few spots with a dial indicator see if it was bent etc. maybe im just overly worried but iv never dropped engines before nor have i seen a engine fall to the ground 3 feet except last night. i just don't know the survivability of a engine being drop like that, i guess thats the best way i can word it.
I'm sorry but that's just dumb... If the guy selling it caused damage to it right in front of your face and you still paid him full price that is just ridiculous.
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 08:18 PM
  #11  
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From: Minnesota
Car: 84 camaro, 88 trans am, 98 camaro
Engine: Modded , stock, LSX modded
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4, t-56
Axle/Gears: 327, 308, 373
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

yea, all still get money out of it regardless all i wanted was the block and bottom end its a gambile but whatever
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 08:40 PM
  #12  
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From: Madison, SD
Car: '82 Camaro
Engine: 383
Transmission: TKO 5 speed
Axle/Gears: 31 spline 9" with 4.56:1
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

If it's coming apart, everything should be hot tanked and magnafluxed anyway... There is a possiblity that the crank, a main cap, or other block structure is cracked...Look at some of the things that happen to an engine in a wreck!!!! For sure, I'd be checking everything very carefully before I spent a nickel on parts for it.!!!!!!!
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Old Dec 12, 2009 | 08:52 PM
  #13  
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Car: 92 T/A 'vert
Engine: Mild .040 over L98 4 bolt mains
Transmission: Mostly stock 700R4, 2600 Vigilante
Axle/Gears: LS1 3.42
Re: Dropping a complete engine 3 feet on its crank pulley / harmonic balancer?

i was just going to walk away
That's what I would have done.
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