Help!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
From: Big Rapids MI
Help!!!
Well I think I am in trouble. I am on vacation at Burt Lake in Michigan and the center bolt to my harmonic balancer on my 1970 came loose. I am 2 1/2 hours from home. I think the place where you screw the bolt in is stripped. I tried to put the bolt back in but it is acting as though it is stripped. I lost the original bolt one week ago on my maiden trip with my new vette and replaced it with a bolt from a 350 from a salvage yard. I thought all was fine until today when my wife went to go pick up a pizza and something did not sound right. I called the Chevy dealer and they said it is a discontinued part. What are my options the place where you put the bolt in is stripped? All help is appreciated. The car has the original 350 engine.
Thanks
Thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,920
Likes: 731
From: Youngstown Ohio
Usually the balancer won't come off, even without a bolt...it is press fitted and requires a puller (early small blocks did not even HAVE a bolt). But in a pinch, you can drill the hole and tap it for the next size larger bolt.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
From: Big Rapids MI
I just looked in my assembly manual and the bolt I got from the junk yard seems to be much longer than the illustration in the manual and the washer / spacer is huge compared to the one in the manual. It looks as thought the original calls for a washer and lock washer. The one from the junk yard only has the big honker of a washer. I tried to thread the washer from the junk yard and it seems to be grabbing thread with out the washer / spacer. So I think I am in luck. I really could use help in finding the correct bolt and washers....quick. Thanks so much!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
From: Port Clinton Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
The crank in the 327 that I built for my Nova wasn't tapped for a bolt. The balancer is pressed on. I beat the heck out of that car and it never came off. I think you will be fine.
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 19,341
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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Contact someone from the local NCRS Chapter up there and they will get you some advice/help in your area even if you are not an NCRS member. Good luck.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
If it's wobbling without a bolt you've got another issue that a bolt won't cure. As others have said a bolt isn't really necessary, I just installed mine and had to use a tool to press it on, they don't go easy. Is the balancer wobbling or is it the pulley bolted to the front of it that might be loose and giving the impression that the balancer is loose?
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,672
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
If it's wobbling without a bolt you've got another issue that a bolt won't cure. As others have said a bolt isn't really necessary, I just installed mine and had to use a tool to press it on, they don't go easy. Is the balancer wobbling or is it the pulley bolted to the front of it that might be loose and giving the impression that the balancer is loose?
There are three additional bolts around the inside of the pulley that attach it to the balancer. Check to see if these are tight. If they are and you have a wobble, your problem is bigger than a missing center bolt.
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Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
Please check the three bolts on the pulley as Cal-Legal said, look at the edge of the balancer nearest the timing cover to give you a reference point and see if it's really the balancer wobbling then look over at the pulley to see if it's wobbbling the same. The pulley is bolted to the middle solid portion of the balancer, the outer edge is bonded to the middle with rubber between. If the pulley is stable and the outer is wobbling the rubber between may have broken down, if only the pulley is wobbling then it's loose of mis installed, if they're both wobbling then it truely is loose and it may mean the end of the crank has been damaged. The balancers fit so tight they don't just fall off.
Maybe someone else here can give you some better ideas too.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Sounds to me as if you need a balancer in addition to getting the crank snout tapped.
Last edited by Easy Mike; Jun 22, 2007 at 01:20 PM.
