Hi all,

As part of the ongoing work repairing / resealing various things on my engine I wanted to replace the timing chain / cover / oil pan seals. This of course necessitates pulling the balancer off the crank, and through some research and trial & error I hit upon a good tool combo for the job.

Since the space is limited in my '89 coupe, I tried a couple of different options looking for a way to pull the balancer while still clearing the frame crossmember and the power steering rack hydraulic lines. I hit upon this combination of the old-style OEM (brand) harmonic balancer spider, and the newer ARES 71002 puller tool. The shorter main screw (pusher bolt) of the ARES puller happens to fit the spider threads of the OEM puller, and off we go...





Using this method, none of the steering lines need to be disconnected, and also there is no need for a thrust washer / bolt to protect the nose of the crankshaft. The ARES tool comes with a set of various length pushrods that fit inside the nose of the crankshaft bolt hole and the recess in the main screw itself, so the tool never touches the front of the crank threads nor the nose of the crank. The pushrod just fits into the center of the threads and pushes back against the rear of the bolt hole area.

Hope this is useful for others doing this job in the future. It was a time saver for me.

AJ

 

Was you able to get it back on without undoing the steering lines?

 

Yes, using a suitable balancer install tool it went in just fine using the same ARES center screw from above - which is just short enough to clear the power steering lines.

 

How did you get the crankshaft pulley off? I need to change my 85's balancer.

 

ajp01 thanks for documenting this combo of tools for pulling the balancer. I just today did the balancer on my 86, and copied your tool selection - it worked perfect.

 

You are welcome man -