Harmonic Balancer

[breadfan35]

Mine came loose while driving home yesterday. I've never replaced one before, can some one kinda give me a walk-through or overview of what's involved so I won't be surprised by anything? Is it just unbolt and bolt back? Any specific torque specs,special tools, or special situational knowledge I need to know about? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Stang8URMPRT]

You'll need an impact gun to get the balancer bolt out, unless you want to fight with a breaker bar with the car in gear and e brake on. You'll also need a balancer puller. You can get those from any parts store. take the crank pulley off... Take the bolt out of the middle.... install the pulley... Pull it off... put the new one on... start the balancer bolt... and you can draw it in nice with an impact gun. Air tools rule.

 

[breadfan35]

You'll need an impact gun to get the balancer bolt out, unless you want to fight with a breaker bar with the car in gear and e brake on. You'll also need a balancer puller. You can get those from any parts store. take the crank pulley off... Take the bolt out of the middle.... install the pulley... Pull it off... put the new one on... start the balancer bolt... and you can draw it in nice with an impact gun. Air tools rule.

Thanks for the info. I wish I had air tools.

 

[5spd GT]

Remove the fan, pulley belt, crank pulley (4 bolts). Put the car in 5th gear with the e-brake on and obtain a break-over bar with a 15/16th inch socket (you may need an extension depending one what size your socket is). Put it on the balancer bolt and start to turn it counterclockwise and it will break loose. If you can't break it loose that way put a hollow bar over the cheater-bar and break it loose. Remove the bolt and take off the big washer. Rethread the balancer bolt in about half way. You then will need a harmonic balancer puller (get one at your local parts store for rent like at Autozone or something). Use the instructions with it to help you. In short, the tool will screw onto your balancer and you use a long stud (on the tool) and put a socket on that stud to turn it against the crankshaft bolt. It will then start backing off the balancer and it will eventually be off. Remove the bolt. Then take your balancer (or a new one) and put some silicone on the keyway inside the balancer to help prevent an oil leak. The keyway aligns the balancer for proper alignment. It should slide on a ways enough so you can start the bolt in and then take your cheater bar (break-over bar) and put the socket on the bolt and start threading clockwise to push the balancer on all the way. Tighten the balancer bolt to 100ft. lbs (I like to apply a bit of loc-tite on the bolt to ensure it to not come loose). Once you have it on you can then reinstall your crank pulley, belt, fan, etc...and your done

Hope that helped...Good Luck!

 

[TheUser]

the absolute easiest way to get that balancer bolt loose is the following:

Take all of the stuff off as 5spd mentioned, get your socket, extention, etc, get a cheater bar that will fit over the rachet, but isn't too long. I actually use a piece of pipe that used to be a handle of a cheap mop or something lol. Anyway, put your pipe (about 15-18 inches long) over the rachet and turn it counterclockwise and rest the pipe against the ground. Get in the car, hold the brake and turn the key one bump. It easily brakes the bolt loose. I've done it so many times and it works like a charm

Now, I bought the balancer puller from autozone for like $15, although you can rent them for the same price and you get your money back when you return it; I just kept it. The one I got didn't have the proper sized bolts, so I had to find the proper size (I think 3/8). Remember to put the little cone end thing on the threaded rod that goes against your crank (Unless you feel like tapping your crank when you cross thread it).

It's not hard, but my first time I had to go back to autozone and have them explain to me how to use the stupid thing lol.