This is topic harmonic balancer question... in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://californiafords.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=011880

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
I have to replace my harmonic balancer/damper....is it as simple as removing the four bolts for the pulley and the big crank nut and exchanging the dampers?
i can't find anything in my chiltons book, so i thought i'd ask my other help-manual
thanks guys.
drew
 

---

Posted by carajo (Member # 4426) on :
 
your have to use a puller/installer to remove and install a balancer.
 

---

Posted by Jdub07 (Member # 2728) on :
 
If you have an electric fan you'll need to remove that too in order for the puller to get in and be able to extend when pulling. You might have to remove or move the radiator too but I don't think I had to do that when replacing mine, just the electric fan.

The center bolt will be difficult to loosen! No really its a tight mother f'r.
 

---

Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 
after you take the center bolt out, there's a little washer in there. Remove that before you use the puller or you WILL break the puller.


uhh, no I never broke one
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
okay, so i rented the puller/installer.
i don't have an electric fan(yet) so i removed the shroud and the fan and the belt, is the crank pulley attached to the balancer, meaning do i use the remover tool before or after removing the crank pulley?
thanks guys
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by blind:
after you take the center bolt out, there's a little washer in there. Remove that before you use the puller or you WILL break the puller.


uhh, no I never broke one

---

so the main bolt comes out before the balancer? man, i can't find it anywhere in the Chiltons
 

---

Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 
pulley comes off before the balancer, 4 bolts
 

---

Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by shiftylx:

quote:

---

Originally posted by blind:
after you take the center bolt out, there's a little washer in there. Remove that before you use the puller or you WILL break the puller.


uhh, no I never broke one

---

so the main bolt comes out before the balancer? man, i can't find it anywhere in the Chiltons

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by blind:

quote:

---

Originally posted by shiftylx:

quote:

---

Originally posted by blind:
after you take the center bolt out, there's a little washer in there. Remove that before you use the puller or you WILL break the puller.


uhh, no I never broke one

---

so the main bolt comes out before the balancer? man, i can't find it anywhere in the Chiltons

---

yea its like a 3/4" or something, I use it all the time to rotate the engine without it being on, meaning its TIGHT.

you'll want to set the car into 4th gear (1:1) and block the wheels when you go to break that bolt loose, or lay a long wrench against the frame rail and bump the starter, that works also

---

Breaking the bolt loose with a breaker bar and a long pipe for leverage under the frame rail works THE BEST. Like blind said, it is on there tight but doing it the above mentioned way and then bumping the starter quickly works great. Pulley off, balancer bolt/washer off, remove the balancer and your good. Pretty easy removal/install so I am surprised chiltons doesn't have it in the book???
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
okay, the only problem(!) i'm having is that i can't loosen the crank pulley bolts without the rotating assembly turning, even with the tires chocked and the tranny in 4th....is this normal? i wan to just try to muscle it off, but i don't know if i'm gonna hurt something.
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
okay, so the pulley's off and the crank bolt is loosened....but the puller tool only has three holes on one side and the courth one on the onther end of the tool, and the bolts only come three to a size in the kit, is there more than one kit, because i only saw one on the list....thanks for the help
 

---

Posted by Quick 88LX (Member # 1950) on :
 
I bought a pulley installer/remover from jegs and I got the same thing. 3 elongated holes on one side and one on the opposite side. The tool comes with various size bolts to pull on the balancer and if you use the correct ones that the directions say to use (I forget which at this moment) then you will be able to pull it off. What I had to do was put each bolt in loosly so I could rotate and wiggle the tool until all 4 bolts were in. IT WILL WORK! And after I got the tool on, it pulled the balancer off smoothly without damaging anything and without being jimmy rigged or whatever. The tool is a universal Ford piece and that is why it is a pain in the butt to figure out. But It will work man. I have done this at LEAST 4 times.
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
but there aren't 4 of the same size bolts in the kit, just about 4 sets of three bolts each...can i just put three in there and take it off?
 

---

Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 
you could always grab whichever is the right size, run to hardware store and get 3 more
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
i could do that, but i'm just trying to figure out if this is the right kit for this shit, since i'm paying per day for it, i don't wan to have the wrong one, and i mean, if it's a kit, shouldn't it come with the right amount of bolts?

[ August 29, 2005, 10:59 PM: Message edited by: shiftylx ]
 

---

Posted by Quick 88LX (Member # 1950) on :
 
If I remember correctly, that is how it comes. Even the picture in my haynes manual shows a 3 hole/1 hole opposite sided tool. I don't know man, mine worked great and didn't hurt anything. I spin the motor to 5800rpm whenever I get the chance and I have no vibrations etc... I am still running the stock balancer as well. Just give it a shot and you will be suprised. The balancer is just really snug on the crank snout so the tool simpoly pulls on that sucker until it is loose enough to be removed by hand.
 

---

Posted by Hungry Hippo (Member # 537) on :
 
only 2 of the bolts are used if i remember right, then again, hippos dont have the best memory
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
allright, i got the damn balancer off, now i have to wait for the big brown truck to show up with the new one, and then figure out how to install the new one!
the page that had the instructions in english is ripped out of this rental, and i don't know spanish that well!
 

---

Posted by rickm237 (Member # 5323) on :
 
do you have to do all this when you install a cam and chain?? is this part of the process taking off the timing chain cover??


Good luck drew
 

---

Posted by 87 Saleen (Member # 1549) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rickm237:
do you have to do all this when you install a cam and chain?? is this part of the process taking off the timing chain cover??


Good luck drew

---

yaa.

I put my balancer slowly back on with an impact gun. Then I read in a magazine that this is incorrect and shouldn't be done like that. Anyone have any insight on this?
 

---

Posted by shiftylx (Member # 2670) on :
 
it's all done and put back together, thanks guys for the help

quick question though, in the installation instructions i got from summit, it suggests placing the balancer in boiling hot water for 15 minutes to "soften it up and make installation much, much easier"
now, with two 'much's in there, i don't know how important it is, but is it just in case you don't have an installer tool?
 

---

Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 
I think that heating it would only help if you wanted to knock it into place with a mallet or something.

since you had the tool it goes a lot easier
 

---

Posted by a50sn95 (Member # 527) on :
 
The balancer should be an interference fit. The purpose of heating the balancer is to get the ID of the bore to expand slightly to make installation easier. FWIW, using a mallet is very likely to damage the balancer, AND is not really something you can do with the engine in the car. There simply isn't enough room.
Further, I've heard some replacement balancers are so TIGHT that they need to go to the machine shop to have the bore opened up a bit. Seems like Romac is one brand that experiences this.
Also, the pullers are fine to use just 2 bolts, as long as they are opposite each other. Some early Ford balancers ('69-70 351W, for one...) had only 3 bolts, and using 2 wasn't possible as it would bind up. This is likely why your kit came with sets of 3 bolts.
I know this is too late ot help you, but maybe someone who follows later can find it...
Dennis
 

---

Posted by rickm237 (Member # 5323) on :
 
do you just use the puller tool to install the balancer back on also?? I just installed a new cam and havent gotten to the point where i have the put the balancer back on yet, should i boil the balancer then go to press it on or what??
 

---

Posted by a50sn95 (Member # 527) on :
 
No, it cannot push the balancer back on. There is a seperate tool for this:
Picture
Some people (me included) use the stock crank bolt to press the balancer back on. If you do this, you run the risk of pulling the threads out of the crank. This would be VERY bad. It's up to you, is it worth the risk?
 

---

Posted by stangnut (Member # 5937) on :
 
i can't beleive that this is a issue.git a different puller that line's up correctly even if there just two bolt's opposed from each other it'll work.
 

---