Hello I will start with the beginning. I have a 1997 Buick Lesabre custom

I tried starting my car one morning and it would crank and turn over but not catch and run. I was told to replace my cam shaft sensor and crankshaft sensor. I replaced both sensors and had a learning experience of pulling the harmonic balancer. I however did not know that I had to line up the key when I replace the harmonic balancer and it broke. I now know that I will have to use a punch to remove the last of the key but with what do I replace the key with the new one from Buick parts dept. does not look like the right one and the man told me that the harmonic balancer has been improved and the new key does not fit the old one.

can anyone tell me what the old key looks like?

Thanks everyone and

GOD Bless you and you families

A key is only a square piece of metal, probably 1" to 2" long. Half of the cross section interfaces with a slot in the crankshaft pulley, the other half in the crankshaft. Get the width of the key from the old one, or from the width of the slot in the pulley, and use the length of the slot in the pulley for the length of the key. Knowing the width and length of the key, you should be able to obtain one through any auto store, or industrial supply store. They come in standard sizes.

Lowe'* has a selection of Woodruff keys.

I have a couple spares laying around. Bigger issue I see is you may have to pull the timing cover to install it. The crank gear of the timing set sits on this same key.

Bill, do you think he could just add to replace the portion of the key that broke? I don't see an issue with having a split key, part under the timing gear and part under the balancer.