Help with Balancer

[Danimal]

HELP! I tried to replace then front seal on the engine this weekend. I’m not a newbee at this I’ve rebuilt many engines in the past. ( older pre LT1’s ) Why won’t the stupid balancer come off? OK it’s a two piece unit. I got that much. I took the balancer off easy enough, but the yoke or whatever you call it won’t move. I had torqued the whole drive line and tapped it with a hammer. No joy. Is this one of those deals “ you need the special GM only tool”

[FRMLAV8]

The easiest way to do it is with a "puller".

You can rent them from Autozone or other parts places.

Randy

[fastTa]

Re: Help with Balancer

Originally posted by Danimal
HELP! I tried to replace then front seal on the engine this weekend. I’m not a newbee at this I’ve rebuilt many engines in the past. ( older pre LT1’s ) Why won’t the stupid balancer come off? OK it’s a two piece unit. I got that much. I took the balancer off easy enough, but the yoke or whatever you call it won’t move. I had torqued the whole drive line and tapped it with a hammer. No joy. Is this one of those deals “ you need the special GM only tool”

Yikes! Don't use a hammer on the crankshaft hub. As stated above you will need a jaw type or even a standard SBC 3-bolt harmonic balncer puller to remove the hub from the crank snout. I used a standard SBC harmonic balancer puller on mine and it worked fine.

There is 1 bolt in the center of the hub that needs to be removed but before you do that there is one thing that will save you from alot of profanity and putting your fist through a wall:

The center opening of the crankshaft hub is only approx 3/8" in diameter and most of the centerbolt ends on the pullers are larger in diameter than that.

Back the bolt out about 90% of the way and leave it in place. This will give you something to push against with the puller center bolt head.

[Danimal]

Of course I was using a puller. The hammer was for tapping at the side to induce vibrations so it was slip out.

[Danimal]

And yes I took out the center bolt

[FRMLAV8]

I don't know then, I have always just used a puller.

Of course there is WD-40, or a torch to heat it up and see if it will come loose.

Randy

[Jeff_in_Atl]

A friend of mine had a 66 Mustang GT fastback with a 289 in it. He was trying to take off the balancer and could not get it off. I went down there with a 1/2 inch torque wrench and could not get it off. I went back hom, turned on the air compressor, let it pump up the tank, grabbed the 1/2 impact wrench and whealed it down there. It took it off in like a half a second. We were both a little stunned at how easy it made it look.

[fastTa]

It is on there very tight because there is no key even though the hub is keyed.

[Joe 1320]

Pay real strict attention to this part:

Back the bolt out about 90% of the way and leave it in place. This will give you something to push against with the puller center bolt head.


If you don't do that, the puller bolt bottoms out against the hub itself and you'll break the puller before the hub comes off. The center bolt is backed out about 90% and left in place. Use the puller and when you back the hub out to the bolt, remove the puller. The center bolt is now removed, and a slightly narrower and longer bolt is inserted in it's place. Don't worry that it doesn't thread in, that gives something for the puller to push against as the bolt bottoms out in the crank. Now reinstall the puller and the hub will slip right off.

That's the trick of the day.

[FireFinder20]

Originally posted by FRMLAV8
I don't know then, I have always just used a puller.

Of course there is WD-40, or a torch to heat it up and see if it will come loose.

Randy

I love these forums...look hard enough and somebody will have the same problem -- and a solution...I'll try that!

[Joe 1320]

Originally posted by FireFinder20
I love these forums...look hard enough and somebody will have the same problem -- and a solution...I'll try that!

Don't........ re-read my above post!

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

Try this...it may help.

http://www.go-fast.org/z28/damper.html

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Joe is trying to tell you that you are bottoming out against the hub itself and are not pushing against the crank. You need something to push against the crank that is the size of the 5/8 fine thread bolt that fits thru the hole in the hub.