I need to remove my harmonic balancer to give it a new coat of paint. No biggie, my puller will take it right off. My problem is, how can I get the thing back on with the engine still in the car? The balancer does not have a bolt retainer in the crank snout and I've always replaced it (with the engine on an engine stand) by whacking the balancer (not the outer rim!) with a rubber mallet. Well, with the motor in the car that method won't exactly work. Maybe if the crank snout is threaded, I've no idea if it is, I can use a large bolt and some large washers to get it back in place. Any other suggestions?

Something quick, easy and effective would be best of course!

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NCOA member #220
ACES member #1670
Team Chevelle #998
Rich's 1965 Malibu SS Restoration Project Progress Page (http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/flats/8627/)
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Two things heat it with a torch use oven mits to handel it http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif Or soak it in hot water thease two things has always help me http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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Don Pell 66 396 Beaumont.
Once bitten twice shy.
Don Pell 66 396Beaumont.
Once bitten twice shy

The crank snout should be threaded. Don't you have a bolt in there holding the balancer on? I used a tool that threads into the crank snout and has a large bearing and nut that is used to press the balancer on. This is nice because you can make sure it goes on all the way and it is sure to go on straight.

Check out the tool here:
http://www.cranecams.com/master/toolmisc.htm

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Greg
'68 El Camino w/SB stroker
Best E.T. - 11.9 @ 114
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[This message has been edited by kazuaki (edited 03-28-2001).]

I had a 327 in a Impala years ago w/o threads in the crank and had to remove the radiator to make room to swing the mallet. A little heat and WD40 will also make it a little easier.

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Dennis Jones TC Member#940 72 Malibu Project

kazuaki: No, early 327's do not have a bolt holding the balancer on, it is just press fit and that's it.

I'll have to try the hot water trick, at least to get it on much of the way and finish it off with some soft whacks with a rubber mallet.


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NCOA member #220
ACES member #1670
Team Chevelle #998
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Rich-L79:
I would put some anti-seize on the crank shaft, then try to put it on. When I put my new balancer on my 454 with the anti-seize, it slid right on with little pressure.
I have the threaded crank though which is much easier than hammering it on.

Rich,

Isn't there any way you could do a paint touch-up without removing the balancer? Maybe tape and mask everything up and then just paint it from underneath? Paint a little at a time and bump the engine over to rotate the balancer to the next area to be painted. I would think this would be easier and have far less chance of damaging something than what you're proposing. Just my 2 cents.

Duane,

Putting anti-seize on a crank snout is a definite no-no when the only thing holding the balancer on is friction!! Different story when you have a bolt & washer to hold it on, but that's not the case with the earlier engines.


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Bill Pritchard
69 SS396 Convertible
"Doing my part to help the disadvantaged - My Chevelle was for sale by a blatant liar. Didn't trust him, so I hired a blind man to inspect it before I bought it."

[This message has been edited by Bill Pritchard (edited 03-29-2001).]

Sorry, I misread his post. I thought he said he had a bolt in the crank.

Sorry, I mis read his post. i thought it said he did have a bolt in the end of the crank.

Damn double posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by DUANE OCHS (edited 03-29-2001).]

Could you make a makeshift press by using the bolt holes on the front of the block by the fuel pump and he oppsite side, you know the one that leaks oil. Maybe get a think peice of aluminum stock, dril holes that are spaced right for the front bolt holes, get a few different length bolts because the holes are shallow???
Heat to will help the situation, maybe leave the garage door open over night to help the crank shrink some more to.

Painting it on the engine would be rather unsatisfying and I also need to touch up the front of the block and the water pump anyway. The large 8-inch balancer on the L79 blocks a good portion of the underside of the water pump so pulling the balancer kills two birds with one stone.

A very generous TC member is going to loan me his balancer installation tool which should solve the problem altogether! I hope the tool will clear the radiator though!

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NCOA member #220
ACES member #1670
Team Chevelle #998
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[This message has been edited by Rich-L79 (edited 03-29-2001).]

Rich,

Not sure if this trick will work with your situation but it might be worth investigating the possibility. What we have done in manufacturing applications is freeze one part and heat the other. Freezing contracts the metal and heating expands. In yor case freeze the shaft and heat the balancer (as recommended above).

You are probably thinking, "How am I going to feeze the shaft? We used dry ice. Can you pack dry ice around the shaft?? In a manufacturing setting we would take fragile interference fit parts and heat one and freeze the other (actually put dry ice in alchohol and soaked the parts) and the two parts would then slide together and when both came back to room temperature....walla the two parts were tight.

Not sure if you can make it work but it I thought it would be worth mentioning. Remember... heat one as high as you can as the more heat the more thermal expansion and freeze the other as cold as possible for maximum contraction. Simple physics

Mytmouse

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67 SS396 350HP 4 sp 3:55 Posi Butternut Yellow w/Black Vinyl (http://www.pascale.org/Muscle_Cars/Mytmouse/mytmouse.html)
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Mytmouse A.K.A. Robert Stacho
ACES Member # 04359

Yup Rob, did the heat thing on the speedo gear for my M20. Instead of trying to beat it on, and because I don't have the proper tool, I just popped that tasty little metal biscut into the toaster oven, dialed it up to about 450, and let it cook until well done.

It slid right into place with no effort. just held it there for a few minutes until it cooled and shrunk.

Won't be able to heat the balancer that much though because of the rubber ring AND because of the chain cover seal....

Dan

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Awww, fer cyrin out loud, there's that IMPALA guy again.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ss3964spd?d&.flabel=fld1&.src=ph

Wow Rich L-79, Im suprised you still have the press on situation knowing that those early 283 and 327 balancers were prone to walk off the crank.I had mine (65 327/300) drilled and tapped for a bolt during the rebuild.Show judges will not take points off for that modification, and definitely gives you some peace of mind. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Well, with 140k on the clock and plenty of 7000rpm blasts in that time I've never had a problem with the balancer. The press on fit is plenty tight if you get it on as far is it is supposed to go. I wonder how many balancer blow-outs occur because they aren't pressed on far enough?

I'll be adding the bolt if I can figure out a way anyway. The pulley on the front of the balancer will cause me to be a little creative on how I do it. The bolt would have to put pressure on the pulley first and while everything is quite flat at that spot, I want to make sure a bolt there would not distort the pulley in any way.

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ACES member #1670
Team Chevelle #998
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