Harmonic Balancer

[WorriedStranger]

Can't get the balancer to come off of my 88 B2.....any tricks or tips

 

[franklin2]

I assume you are using a puller made for this? I hate to admit this, but I had problems pulling the one on my 86. I had the puller and I was cranking on it hard. It would not come off. I then realized I hadn't pulled the thick washer off yet, no wonder it was stuck. Then that was a job in itself. The OD of that washer was very tight in the balancer. It's almost like they drove it in at the factory. I think I ended up sticking the bolt in little ways and beating on the side of the bolt to dislodge the washer. It finally came out.

When I put it back together, I had to actually grind a little bit off the OD of the washer so I could fit it back up in there. And after all that, and getting the truck back on the road, about 3-4 months later I noticed I had a leak up there. It looked almost like it was the timing cover seal. But it wasn't, the oil was coming out around the washer that holds the balancer in place. It seems oil will migrate down the keyway of the balancer, and slowly leak past the washer and bolt and then it gets slung around the front engine area. What I had to do was pull the balancer bolt and washer back out, clean it all up and smear some rtv on the washer, and stick the whole thing back together. That stopped the leak.

That may have been why the washer was originally so hard to get out. The factory may have had some sort of sealer in that area that made it stick in there.

 

[WorriedStranger]

Thank you. I didn't even think about that washer. After I took the front part of the pully off I just assumed it was read to be pulled. I have broken 2 bolts with the duck I can get one out and will be able to fix the rest later.