How do you install a harmonic balancer on a crank?
Drill and tap it for a 7/16″ find thread. Then “pull” the balancer on with a longer bolt then install a harmonic balancer bolt to make sure stays put. Before I had the knowledge and/or tools to drill and tap the crank, I used a bottle jack and a long 4X4 post between two posts in the garage to press a harmoic balancer on.
How do you remove a harmonic balancer bolt?
Remove the harmonic balancer bolt by using the strap wrench to hold the balancer still. Hold it still while loosening the bolt with a socket and ratchet handle or breaker bar. It will be very tight, so pull hard.
Can a torque wrench be used on a harmonic balancer?
The bolt is commonly tightened until it cannot be tightened anymore. Proper installation requires that the 350’s harmonic balancer’s bolt be tightened to only 60 pound-feet of torque to avoid damaging the balancer, the crankshaft, or both. Therefore, only a torque wrench should be used to tighten the bolt to the proper torque setting.
What is the purpose of a harmonic balancer?
The purpose of a harmonic balancer is to dampen the harmonic vibrations that all engines produce. On many engines, the harmonic balancer is integrated into the crank pulley. They do not fail often, but excess engine vibrations and misaligned timing marks are among the symptoms of a bad or failing crankshaft harmonic balancer.
Drill and tap it for a 7/16″ find thread. Then “pull” the balancer on with a longer bolt then install a harmonic balancer bolt to make sure stays put. Before I had the knowledge and/or tools to drill and tap the crank, I used a bottle jack and a long 4X4 post between two posts in the garage to press a harmoic balancer on.
The bolt is commonly tightened until it cannot be tightened anymore. Proper installation requires that the 350’s harmonic balancer’s bolt be tightened to only 60 pound-feet of torque to avoid damaging the balancer, the crankshaft, or both. Therefore, only a torque wrench should be used to tighten the bolt to the proper torque setting.
Do you need threaded crank snouts for harmonic balance?
You have to have a 0.0005″ interference fit for the balancer to have any effect, and simply for it to stay on! Like Marv said, most early SBC did not have threaded crank snouts, but those balancers were pressed on at the factory.
When to say Goodby to a harmonic balancer?
I have NEVER hammered a harmonic balancer on. It creates a dangerous situation by possibly separating the outer ring from the rubber bond between it and the center hub. When the outer ring comes off (usually when the engine is at peak rpms) say goodby to anything in its path. The BFH routine is a method of last resort.