Well guys I am currently having to replace the opticrap on my 93. The car is sitting in the garage and is pretty much disassembled save one major part, THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY!!!!!! I have been fighting with it for at least an hour, and it refuses to budge. And to add insult to injury I can't get my pulley remover on it because of the front cross member. So, I am looking for any advice that my fellow members can give me. If you have changed them let me know how you got that blasted pulley off , because I am not looking forward to pulling the motor to put what is the equivalent of a distributor on my car. thanks for any help you can give
:banghead:

 

Several members have had to raise the engine to get the puller to work, I didn't have to, but my puller may had been smaller.

 

A small pully puller :thumbs:

 

In an old Corvette Fever article, they used a block of wood and a hammer to knock it off the hub from underneath and behind the motor. Of course they had the car on a lift at the time!

I'm getting ready to help a buddy do his 94 "Optispark" replacement :(

Mike, (STL94LT1) where can one borrow a "short puller" for the crank pulley in O'Fallon, Missouri :blueangel: :thumbs: For a fellow Wentzville GM autoworker ;)

Tom,
Route 66 Corvette Club

 

Tom, I used an Autozone loaner, balancer puller. If you guys have any problems let me know, I will stop by and help out.

I'll probably see you at the Fast Lane car show Monday.
MP

 

i just did this to my girlfriends 94 Formula (setup may differ from a LT1 Vette). used a Matco pulley removal tool. worked beautifully. i had to remove one of the fans for clearance though. i actually pulled the whole pulley/hub assembly out... but only just enough so i could slip the opti from the block. you dont need to remove it all the way, as ive heard putting it back in is a PITA.

BTW- the block of wood technique didnt even come close to working for me. a pulley tool is the only way to go

 

I had the same problem. Since I was changing the Opti, I didn't need to remove the balancer hub, just the balancer. So I loosened the balancer bolts, and used a brass rod and 4 pound mallet to tap balancer until it came off. They're usually rusted to the hub and stubborn. You'll want to turn the crank after a few whacks to loosen from all sides of the balancer. It took a considerable number of blows to get it to loosen. Also, if you're planning on reinstalling the same balancer, you should place the rod on the inboard portion of the balancer so you don't compromise the integrity of the rubber ring. Once the balancer was freed, I had to loosen the steering rack to make room for the balancer removal (I replaced my balancer). You might be able to get the Opti swapped out by just moving the balancer around between the hub and the steering rack. When you reinstall the balancer, I'd recommend some anti seize where the balancer and hub mate so it'll be easier next time. Finally, remember that if the engine has sat for a while and you've turned the engine over manually, you'll get some lifter noise (tapping) for a little bit the first time you run it (caused me some concern the first time it happened to me!).

 

Guys thanks for all the help. I called my dad,who is a mechanic, and he came and helped. He did have to make his own pulleys , but since he has a brother that is a machineist it worked out great. However the guys at the parts store sold me the wrong opti spak. The one I have must go on a camaro or something because it has a colar on the back, so my car is dead until I can pick one up next week. :mad :banghead:

 

The opti I pulled off my '94 vette engine had a "collar" on the back (or shaft for lack of a better word). This is unlike the newer style opti that has three depressed "lips" and is flush with the housing. Do you have a digi-cam that you could take a pic of your new opti with?

 

LT1_LT4 Balancer/Hub Removal

By following this procedure you will gain access and be able to change the three front timing cover seals (Water Pump, OptiSpark Drive, Front Crankshaft/Balancer)

Unlike its SBC predecessor, the LT1/LT4 Balancer is a two-piece assembly consisting of an (inner) hub, and (outer) balancer/pulley. Removal of the assembly can be frustrating if approached in the conventional way. By following the procedures below, you can safely and quickly remove the assembly with little or no problem.

You may want to consider using Rhino Ramps or jack stands to gain additional access space and elbow room underneath the front of the engine.

1. Drain the radiator by opening the drain valve on the lower right hand (passenger side)
2. Remove the serpentine belt
3. Remove the upper radiator hose
4. Remove the water pump. When removing the water pump, it is important to remember that the LT1/LT4 water pump is attached to the engine with 3 bolts on each side, vs. its predecessor, which only had 2 bolts on each side. The center bolt on the driver side is a challenge, but can be removed without removal of the power steering pump. When removing the water pump, take care to remove the pump drive coupler along with the pump and place it on the pump drive shaft for use when re-installing the pump.
5. Mark the coil wire and all plug wires at the OptiSpark cap for easy reference when re-installing the OptiSpark unit after balancer seal repairs have been completed.
6. NOTE: There is no need to separate the balancer pulley from the hub if you intend to pull the hub off anyway. The only time you need to separate the pulley from the hub is if you are simply changing the OptiSpark. There is a match mark that is cast into the balancer assembly that allows you to mate the two pieces together in the exact orientation that they come apart. If you intend to separate the balancer pulley from the hub, locate the marks and make note for re-assembly.
7. The balancer pulley is attached to the hub with three bolts. The bolts are 7/16” SAE standard, 14 threads per inch, ¾” length (not metric). Fully remove all three bolts, and if you intend to remove the unit as a complete assembly, jump to steps 9 thru 18. If you intend to separate the assembly, continue by rethreading one bolt by a couple of turns. It is now time to separate the pulley from the hub. Most pulleys have been found to be rusted in place and require considerable effort to separate from the hub. Spraying the inside of the pulley with penetrating oil helps. Do not strike the pulley with a hammer in your frustrated attempts to remove. The best method is to position yourself under the engine with a steel rod (or better yet a brass drift) and one healthy hammer. Position the rod/drift on the inside portion of the balancer when striking it with the hammer. This step requires more than a gentle tap. Try to position yourself so you can give a good solid hit at each rotation. Rotate the crankshaft 120 degrees after every couple of heavy hammer blows. Do not hit on the outer diameter of the pulley as damage can and will occur.


NOTE: It has been said that an easier way to separate the pulley from the hub is to loosen the 3 bolts by 1 turn each, then start the motor for a few seconds. I assume that this is with the serpentine belt still in place. It does make sense that the harmonics associated with this step will loosen the pulley. What have you got to lose by trying this step? I say go for it!

8. After successfully separating the pulley from the hub, it is now time to unbolt and remove the OptiSpark module. As with the water pump, a coupler drives the OptiSpark module and care should be taken to remove the drive shaft and place with the OptiSpark module for use when re-installing the unit. When the time comes to re-install the OptiSpark unit on the engine, you should pay close attention to the Notice below

Notice
Contrary to what all the books say, in some cases, the OptiSpark drive coupler can/will go on in more than one position. When the coupler is correctly installed, the OptiSpark unit will slide in place and rest firmly against the timing cover without forcing it into position. The drive spline in the rear of the OptiSpark is keyed. Pay close attention to the key, and match it up with the corresponding slot on the drive coupler.

9. Finally, it is now time to remove the hub. The center bolt that holds the hub on the crankshaft snout is 7/16” fine thread (not metric). I have found that I can generally break the center bolt loose by placing a 6 sided socket on the bolt, with a ½” breaker bar attached. By striking the breaker bar with that healthy hammer you just used in step #7, you can break the torque on the bolt.
10. Fully remove the bolt, remove the washer from the bolt, then re-install the bolt by 3 full turns.
11. Re-read step #10. If you skip this step, you are a screwed pooch.
12. The “General” was thinking when he installed the power steering rack hydraulic lines as he has installed a loop in the lines that allow the use of a balancer puller without interference of the puller jack screw. Check it out, you will be glad that he did this.
13. Use a standard balancer puller that requires the use of 3 puller bolts that fit into 3 slots on the crab portion. Make sure that you use a tip on the jack screw end that is a flat rotating plate, not a sharp point, because you will eventually place the jack screw end directly on the head of the center bolt of the hub and you don’t want to damage it.
14. Next, select three new (or used) 7/16” bolts that are of sufficient length to slip thru the puller and fully thread into the hub where you previously removed the 3 bolts in step #7. If you do not have 3 – 7/16” bolts that are the proper length, you can use bolts that are slightly smaller than the tapped holes so you can slip them completely thru the hub. Make sure that the bolts are of sufficient length so that you can insert them completely thru the puller assembly and the hub, with a flat washer on each end, and a nut on the backside.
15. Rotate the entire hub assembly until the (^) mark is at the 12:00 position before removing the hub. When re-installing the hub, make sure that you install it back in the same orientation. This is a balance mark, and although it really won’t make too much difference if you fail to do this, it is there for a purpose, so try to do the right thing here.
16. Position the puller onto the front of the hub, with the jack end of the jackscrew slid thru the power steering line loop, and attach as mentioned above.
17. You are now ready to slowly remove the hub from the crankshaft snout. The crank may start to turn as you apply force. Placing a 2x4 against the puller and left wheel "A" frame will stop the rotation. If you have access to a micrometer (click style) torque wrench you will find that it will take about 70 - 85 foot pounds of torque before you will see the hub start to move. As you continue to turn the jackscrew in a clockwise rotation, the hub will slide off the crankshaft. Keep doing this until you feel the hub come loose, or until you back it out against the shoulder of the center bolt. It may be beneficial to purchase a 3" x 7/16 grade 8 fine thread bolt and continued the removal with that. Without the 3" bolt you might not be able to get the hub all the way off.
Plan to use the 3” x 7/16” bolt when re-installing the hub back on the crankshaft after your repairs are complete. Just slide the washer over the bolt, start the bolt in the crankshaft, and mechanically pull the balancer back onto the crankshaft snout.

18. You have successfully removed the balancer hub. Now, time to R&R that front seal assembly.
19. I find it easiest to remove the front seal with a seal puller tool that you can buy at the auto parts store. It is designed to roll the seal out with leverage.
20. Prior to re-installing the new seal, I recommend placing a small bead of sealer around the outer circumference of the seal prior to tapping it in. I use a ball peen hammer to get it started, then a large socket over the crankshaft snout to drive it in. Don’t forget to check the hub shaft for excessive wear, and if so, buy a speedy sleeve to slip over it.

NOTE: I am looking for feedback from those who use this procedure in improving the steps above, and adding a section for re-installing the balancer hub. Please e-mail me at PurpleC4@qwest.net with your feedback.
:seeya Purp

 

My digital camera is in Argentena with my brothers gf, so I can't post a pic.

 

Thanks "Purp", you cleared a lot up! :hurray:
Great writing! :thumbs: