Damper Bolt Broken Off
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,926
Likes: 739
From: Youngstown Ohio
Originally Posted by madvette74
I had the same thing happen to me, after I installed the damper. I tried to weld a grade 8 bolt to the broken piece, and that snapped. I GRINDED the section flush where the bolt goes into the crank and left it like that, I didn't want to take the chance of not drilling strait. and having to remove the crank, seeing mines a stroker and balance is a bit more important.. so I quess the only way to do a cam swap will be to remove the crank..
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,926
Likes: 739
From: Youngstown Ohio
Problem Solved......(sort of)
In the pic of the damper, you are facing the broken bolt about an inch down in the center....the threads leading to it have been stripped. The damper is installed completely (I should have seen this before adding that "one more turn" that did me in). Even with a carbide bit it would take hours to drill this piece out. I decided to leave it in and re-tap new threads leading up to it (about 1/2"). I then installed a new shorter crank bolt leading to the old piece. The car is now running again and I hope to NEVER touch this damper again. Any further work, like cam or timing chain replacement,etc., will probably also include a new crank......
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Dover DE
Originally Posted by CA-Legal-Vette
I think that the balancer is supposed to be flush with the snout of the crankshaft. The picture above doesn't look flush to me.
It may sound crazy, but GM built a few hundred thousand 307s and not one of them had a bolt in the balancer. In fact, the crank never even had a tapped hole for a bolt.The bolt is just there to make you feel good, it's not going anywhere.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 88,393
Likes: 2
From: eville in
Originally Posted by Re and Cheryl
NOPE! The crank is usually recessed about an 1/8" or so. I saw this happen on a friends car a few years ago. To this day he is still running the balancer with no bolt. It may sound crazy, but GM built a few hundred thousand 307s and not one of them had a bolt in the balancer. In fact, the crank never even had a tapped hole for a bolt.
The bolt is just there to make you feel good, it's not going anywhere.
It may sound crazy, but GM built a few hundred thousand 307s and not one of them had a bolt in the balancer. In fact, the crank never even had a tapped hole for a bolt.The bolt is just there to make you feel good, it's not going anywhere.
with that
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,926
Likes: 739
From: Youngstown Ohio
Originally Posted by CA-Legal-Vette
I think that the balancer is supposed to be flush with the snout of the crankshaft. The picture above doesn't look flush to me.
