Removing Harmonic Balancer

[Franko]

I'm trying to remove the harmonic balance on a 68 Camaro 350 (engine is a 69), which is still in the car. I have a puller and got it to move about 1/4 inch. I can't get it to budge any further. Any ideas? Can I use a torch to heat up something or will something catch on fire?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[jvb6648]

Hi Franco

You can try hitting the puller screw with a hammer. That may be enough to pop the balancer and get it moving. Is it rusted or something weird like shear the key? I'd be careful with heat, you don't want to damage the rubber between the hub and outer part of the balancer.

Jim

[69Z28-RS]

Keep using the puller....  maybe the bolts you used on the puller are too long and it isn't giving you enough travel??...

[z28z11]

Assuming you're using a three bolt puller, and you have equal (level) tension on all three bolts, take it loose and reposition it. It could be pulling slightly off-center, causing it to bind on the key or the snout. I've seen some that take a pretty good pull to get 'em to pop free, especially if they've been together for 30-40 years. Probably has a good bit of corrosion build up as well. If you have an installer, you can always push it back in a little, squirt some PB Blaster around the snout, and try it again. Make sure your puller is straight on the crank snout - shim it with a thick washer if you need to (works for me).

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

Regards,
Steve

[Franko]

Thanks for all the advice. I got the harmonic balancer off. The crank did have some knicks on it that it might have been catching on. Also I think it may have pulled a little off center as suggested. I went back to Auto Value where I had rented the puller and rented installer (I got my money back when I returned them). I reinstalled the balancer and then the puller slid it off easy as pie. I think I'll buy them both because they are inexpensive. Thanks again for your help.

[z28z11]

I think I'll buy them both because they are inexpensive.

Glad you got it loose. Last one I removed (from a 350), took a lot of pressure to get it off, plus some dork had stripped one of the pulley mounting holes, and instead of Heli-Coiling it, actually bent a bolt to run into the hole to make up for the lost threads - what a Mongolian cluster some people will do to unsuspecting others.

Do yourself a favor, and buy the best installer (and remover) you can afford if you're going to buy them - I've been using mine for better than 30 years - Made-in-China stuff won't last IMO.

Regards,
Steve