Help.
How do get a puller on the balancer? Steering rack seems to be in the way. Any tips?

 

Heres a C/P of an email i had by Lars a few months back.


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I just did mine on my '85. Like Craig's, my balancer came apart for no apparant reason. When it was failing, the initial symptoms were that I couldn't get the timing set right on the car: the outer ring of the balancer had twisted on the rubber, so the timing couldn't be set. Eventually, the outer ring shifted itself backwards towards the t-chain cover, and it would rattle against the cover under hard acceleration and high rpm.

I replaced it with a stock GM unit that I got from the local dealer. It cost me $72.38. Couldn't afford the FluidDamper this time 'round. A few tricks to doing this:

1. Remove your MAF and TB inlet duct. It's right in the way, so get it our of there.

2. Remove the fluid fitting that goes into the top of the steering rack. Place a drip pan under it. This fitting gets in the way of your puller tool. You will loose most of your PS fluid, so buy a quart at Walmart before you start the job. Also, you're going to get fluid all over your balancer puller and tools, so have a few rags around for wiping your hands & tools.

3. Remove the bolts from the balancer pulley and the center bolt. You may need to tap the pulley with a hammer to break it loose after all the bolts are out.

4. Most harmonic balancer pullers are too long to be usable on a C4. I cut down the length of the puller center bolt so the puller would fit with the engine in the car.
Once customized like this, the job went easy.

5. To install the new balancer, polish up the inside of the balancer bore with some fine sandpaper and a Scotchbrite pad. Polish up any nicks or scratches on the crank snout, too. Then apply a coat of assembly lube to the balancer bore. This will keep it from seizing or galling up when you install it.

6. Don't use the balancer center bolt to draw the balancer onto the crank. Buy a grade 8 bolt that's about an inch longer so that you get good thread engagement for drawing the new balancer on (you want thread engagement in the crank equal to at least 1.5 times the bolt diameter. Anything less and you risk pulling the threads out of the crank).

If you use the short, stock bolt, you will risk pulling the threads out of the crank due to insufficient thread engagement. Lube up the bolt threads before you draw the balancer on so you don't gall or damage the crankshaft threads.

7. To keep the engine from turning over while tightening the puller during removal operations, jam a long screwdriver between 2 of the 3 puller attach bolts and let it wedge up against something solid. The job took me about an hour and 3 beers. Drop me a note if you need any further assistance

 

Thanks, just what I was looking for.

 

Finshed the R&R yesterday. Went just like Lars' writeup said. I was able to cut the puller center bolt short enough to not have to remove the power steering fluid line from the rack. The draw back is I didn't have enough room to put a socket on the puller bolt. I had to use an open end wrench. Took some time, but it was worth it.

After the new harmonic balancer was installed (get a longer bolt to pull it on, like Lars says), I checked the base timing. Yipes! I was at 18 deg BTDC (the old balancer had slipped prior to my last timing adjust) - no wonder it knocked at WOT. Adjusted it to 8 deg BTDC. Runs great, no knock, smooth idle.

A lesson learned. The balancer can slip without any other symptoms of a failure, and it appears to be a gradual slip. By the time it has deteriated enough to make noise it can be way off. I have 101k on the car, must have started going bad about the 95k mark.


[Modified by Mike263, 9:00 AM 10/1/2001]

 

I guess I got really lucky when I did my 85. The balancer puller shaft was perfectly centered in the steering rack line and I didn't have to disconnect anything.