Boy did I get a scare yesterday. When I pulled in the driveway what a noise came from the engine. But thanks to the wonderful information I have gotten from this forum I was pretty sure it was the Harmonic Dampner after giving the engine the once over. If I idled it up, the clanging went away. For the life of me, it sounded like a bad diesel engine.

So any suggestions about changing it? Special tools I should look to borrow from the auto parts store? Torque values? I know that I'll have to work through the wheel well. I have read here that there may be some problems in getting the bolt out because the engine wants to rotate, but with an impact wrench should this be a problem? Anybody know what size socket is needed?

Thanks

Clark Cotten

I've done both of mine in the last year. Impact would make it easier, but you can remove the dustcover off the flywheel, and jam a large something or other in there to keep it from turning to remove it.

Torque specifications are in Techinfo.

You'll have to get creative with the bolts for the puller. Most pullers don't have the right ones. My suggestion is to get the new balancer first, then go to the parts store and rent or buy the right puller and bolts/washers. Bear in mind that the threads are pretty fine for the 3 bolts you'll need, so make sure you have the puller installed firmly, but not over-tight. I had one strip out on me last July, and I barely got it off. My boss had to weld up a puller on the HB itself for the same reason.

The SE should be easier than the L67'*. You have more room to work with, and the balancer may come off easier.

Thanks for the advice. I try real hard to get pullers installed properly, but even then I seem to hold my breath until things start to move.

I really appreciate this forum.

don't do what I did the other day, and ram a long bolt into the crank bolt hole. Yikes, If that engine was supposed to be used, i'd have ruined a perfectly good crank!! (Different engine, and it was no good)

Well just a follow-up. Got it changed without any real trouble. The issue of the correct bolts did get me as the puller kit I "rented" did not have ones that fit. The correct bolt is a quarter inch with 28 tpi (1/4 - 2 and I couldn't even find those in the length I needed. I ended up making my own out of some all thread rod, nuts and some washers. It worked fine. The bolt holding the Balancer on is 24 mm.

Balancer pulling bolts needed to be standard? Odd..I wonder if they are close enough to the metric equivalent or if they are actually standard.

Anyone else have experience on size/pitch of bolts they use?

The balancer bolts are not standard. They are M6x1. 1/4-28 is close, but you had a serious chance of stripping the balancer that way. You're lucky.

Bill...you are sure this applies to all or at least most years?

Should be from 87 and newer. 92 and newer for sure. Trust me. I checked the threads with 1/4" and M6 at work on my old balancer from the 95.