I just got my crank back from the machine shop (after being balanced), its a Scat 4.25 piece. The shop sent it back with the harmonic balancer already on. Anyway, we tried to remove the balancer to install the crank, and it split the puller! It wont budge more than an 1/8th of an inch, then CRACK!, :mad: and no more puller. Anyone have any ideas WHY this may be? graemlins/clonk.gif
-Jason

Is the washer still on it?

Originally posted by 68SS454:
I just got my crank back from the machine shop (after being balanced), its a Scat 4.25 piece. The shop sent it back with the harmonic balancer already on. Anyway, we tried to remove the balancer to install the crank, and it split the puller! It wont budge more than an 1/8th of an inch, then CRACK!, :mad: and no more puller. Anyone have any ideas WHY this may be? graemlins/clonk.gif
-Jason =
I've never had one that would not come off if it went on, at least with a quality puller but have had some that were a complete bitch. graemlins/angry.gif
Go back to your friendly machinist & ask him to get it off.
If he didn't check the fit it could have too much press.
Also could have galled when it went on if it was too tight or not lubed good before installing.

I feel he should have taken it off so you could assemble the engine unless of course you beat him up so bad on price,,,,, :D

Anyway, I always measure the crank & damper with aftermarket stuff to be sure it doesn't have to much interference fit before installing.

Nope didnt even haggle with him on price. :D We're going to take it to the machine shop tomarrow. The puller wasnt exactly a "high quality" piece, but it should have done the job graemlins/angry.gif Oh well, we will see tomarrow. :(

was it a good quality puller? I have had cheap ones that broke or stripped, it pays to have a decent puller

As the others have asked, is it a good damper removal tool? Also, if it has 2 fingers instead of 3 they usually don't stay "square with the world" and will tend to bind instead of pull the damper straight off.

Originally posted by Pony Hunter:
Is the washer still on it? LOL!

Do not use a puller with fingers that grip around the perimeter. It can easily damage the outer ring or separate it from the inner hub.

Always use a puller that bolts to the bolt pattern that the lower crank pulley attaches to. These are the stringest and also pull nice and straight.

It was the kind that bolts to the front of the balancer. It broke the little flat piece on the nose of the puller clean in half :mad:

Originally posted by 10secBu:
Do not use a puller with fingers that grip around the perimeter. It can easily damage the outer ring or separate it from the inner hub.

Always use a puller that bolts to the bolt pattern that the lower crank pulley attaches to. These are the stringest and also pull nice and straight. Oops, you're right! I even have the type of damper puller that attaches to the front of the damper, sorry, I had a stupid attack.
graemlins/clonk.gif

Well the machine shop pulled it off today.. They told me it was merely very, VERY tight. They have a special tool they're going to let me use to install it graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Does this special tool contain the letters B, F, and H?

My balancer puller split that stupid little piece the very first time I used it. graemlins/angry.gif And that was on a balancer that wasn't even very tight.

So nowadays, I just take a bolt that's the same threads as the balancer bolt, snug it gently into the hole, and put the round end of the puller screw on the bolt head; that way I don't damage the crank snout.

Usually a "special tool" for installing a balancer, looks alot like a piece of threaded rod about 5" long, a nut, and a handful of thick washers. Some of the really nice ones have a thrust bearing under the nut, so that the nut doesn't scrape directly against the washers.

They can be a real problem. Years ago I made a puller out of a piece of 1 1/4 in steel with a 1in acme thread stud as the pusher. I don't use it very often but it has never failed me.