Write-Up: Removing the Crank Pulley/Harmonic Balancer

I got the crank bolt off (which wasn't too easy) and I can't get the pulley off. Chiltons says "The damper should pull off the crankshaft by hand."

Secondly, there's no way to mount a harmonic balancer puller or any puller anyway.

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1997 turtle

well I figured it out so here it is if anyone needs it in the future. Aaron.

need to get a standard harmonic balancer puller if you don't have it. (thankfully I had that) and three 1/4 bolts, ideally about 5 inches long.

99c for 6 at Menards

with the puller in place (you can use the washers that come with the puller), screw the 3 bolts in. You pretty much have to thread it so FYI - it's probly not gonna just screw right in without any effort.

There it is all ready to go. Ignore the white wires going through the balancer. That was the remnants of the first sorry attempt to get it off.
With this set up, it came off smooth with no problem at all.

This definitely cannot be done without a puller. The book is incorrect.

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1997 turtle

Thanx for the info, Codith!

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98riviera98 wrote:

I go out with my mom........

We had lots of problems getting that off doing my cam. frown

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Performance - S1X Cam, 105# Springs, Intense 3.3 MPS, FWI, SLP headers, SLP HF cat, Flowmaster 40 Series, Res Delete, 180* T stat, Autolite 104s, Custom PCM Tune

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PB 14.93 @ 95.39 2.32 60' ..before the cam

SpaceBar wrote:

We had lots of problems getting that off doing my cam. frown

it's a piece of cake if you are on a lift and have 6 foot cheater bar with a 1/2in drive or bigger hardened socket. really a piece of cake. (I didn't have a lift quiet

)

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1997 turtle

How do you get it back on?

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1.9RR's, SSAC, LQ4 maf and N*, Gen V-ported, L32 LIM ported and polished, L26 block, L67 heads, tune, E85, 65# injectors
Worthy quotes:

Rickw wrote:

What a dipshit, grow up.

deekster_caddy wrote:

LOL @ guessing Rick's age. Since we've gotten together a couple of times I won't guess wink

he'd probably hit me

98riviera98 wrote:

How do you get it back on?

slide it on by hand and make sure it's lined up and then just tighten it down with the crank bolt. Also need to have the flywheel braced so you can torque it down

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1997 turtle

turtleman wrote:

98riviera98 wrote:

How do you get it back on?

slide it on by hand and make sure it's lined up and then just tighten it down with the crank bolt. Also need to have the flywheel braced so you can torque it down

How did you brace the flywheel?

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1.9RR's, SSAC, LQ4 maf and N*, Gen V-ported, L32 LIM ported and polished, L26 block, L67 heads, tune, E85, 65# injectors
Worthy quotes:

Rickw wrote:

What a dipshit, grow up.

deekster_caddy wrote:

LOL @ guessing Rick's age. Since we've gotten together a couple of times I won't guess wink

he'd probably hit me

98riviera98 wrote:

turtleman wrote:

98riviera98 wrote:

How do you get it back on?

slide it on by hand and make sure it's lined up and then just tighten it down with the crank bolt. Also need to have the flywheel braced so you can torque it down

How did you brace the flywheel?

With the plastic inspection cover off, you can use a small to medium sized vice-grip and postion it against the side it will be bracing against when you start turning the crank. Make sure you've got it nice and tight and somewhat squarely. Bigger vice-grip is better because you can get all the way around the teeth of the flywheel to grip the flywheel and not the actual teeth.

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1997 turtle

As a note. Your pic of the 1/4 inch bolts show 1/4 -20 normal course thread bolts. Everything I have read (and also the 2 I have done) say the threads are fine 1/4- 28. Also, I picked up grade 8 bolts cause if you pull the threads out you are screwed bad. Very good pics and write up.

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96 SC Riviera

Technically speaking the proper thread of the bolts is M6 x 1.0. A 75mm or longer bolt is the proper length.

As for blocking the flywheel. There is a tool that most won't have. Another method of holding is a large screwdriver can be used on the teeth of the flywheel.

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97 Bonneville SSEi: .579" and .592" lift.

I just pulled another HB last Sat. The 1/4- 28 work perfect as mentioned on 3800.com posts. Also, I just clamp a vice grip on the flywheel/ ring gear and let it wenge against the trans housing. It has always worked and you can do it all alone. You will need a BF cheeter bar on the breaker bar to break the crank bolt loose. No 1/2" drive impact I have has ever broke loose the crank HB bolt.

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96 SC Riviera

Interesting. I've always had great success not blocking the flywheel and only using an impact. There were a couple of times it was close, but always worked out.

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97 Bonneville SSEi: .579" and .592" lift.

If you put a long breaker bar on the crank bolt, and lay the end of the breaker bar on the concrete, the starter motor will break the bolt loose. Been doing that for years with the Buick V8's. Works like a charm. You just have to position the breaker bar on the correct side of the engine so that the rotation of the engine loosens the bolt.

What makes a HB go bad? I mean, how do you know it's time to replace? I've a thread on this line about getting mine replanced, and a noise afterwards...but why would you replace a HB?????

Thanks guys!

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I love my 96~~~