[69hardtop]

Just curious, has anyone pulled their harmonic balancer (engine installed in car) off the crankshaft with the radiator still in place ? It looks like I can remove fan, belts and all pulleys and have enough access to get a puller in there without removing the radiator and having to open up the cooling system. If its a crazy thought tell me so…..l hate draining the rad and disconnecting my upper and lower hoses as I always seem to splash coolant all over and then I chase a phantom leak on the lower hose

64 GTO with a 1970 455 (one piece balancer with the 4 bolts that hold the retaining ring and lower pulley). Thx

[b-man]

No problem.

Stock balancers are a slip fit so you may not need to use a puller.

[mysticmissle]

Originally Posted by b-man

No problem.

Stock balancers are a slip fit so you may not need to use a puller.

this is one of my favorite Pontiac traits, right behind copious torque and being able to swap parts from almost any size engine onto another engine.

[steve25]

If you need to give it a starting assist just get the claws of two hammers behind it on opposite sides.

[sdbob]

What they said works. I've never had to use a puller. Hardest is the torque to remove and install bolt.

[lust4speed]

Fulcrum points are the tops of the bolt heads on either side and not somewhere on the aluminum timing cover or the project will grow quickly.

[Skip Fix]

I have a puller made from a steering wheel puller . A couple of my balancer are kind of tight.

[69hardtop]

Thx everyone for the good advice. I got it off easily this morning, it was stuck initially but a couple of good tugs and off it came…..maybe a little easier than i though as I managed to bump the radiator fins at the bottom of the rad as I pulled it forward (the downside to trying to save time and not removing radiator) 🙁

Getting the bolt off was a little challenge, to get the six point socket aligned where i could pull on breaker bar with my “cheater” extension. Once I got the geometry right it broke free pretty easy

Thx again for the good ideas

[sdbob]

Yes getting the right length extension is important. Keeping socket aligned.

[Ram Air IV Jack]

Originally Posted by 69hardtop

Thx everyone for the good advice. I got it off easily this morning, it was stuck initially but a couple of good tugs and off it came…..maybe a little easier than i though as I managed to bump the radiator fins at the bottom of the rad as I pulled it forward (the downside to trying to save time and not removing radiator) 🙁

Getting the bolt off was a little challenge, to get the six point socket aligned where i could pull on breaker bar with my “cheater” extension. Once I got the geometry right it broke free pretty easy

Thx again for the good ideas

Impacts spin those bolts right off!!

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by sdbob

Yes getting the right length extension is important. Keeping socket aligned.

Yep, I bought a 15/16" deep reach socket, works great, no extension needed for this one.

[elefantrider]

Am curious, how did you lock the crank to prevent it from turning?

[elefantrider]

Assuming it is an automatic car.....

[69hardtop]

Originally Posted by elefantrider

Assuming it is an automatic car.....

It’s a four speed…..locked it in gear, parking brake on and blocked both back tires

[Skip Fix]

I have the same breaker bar extension!

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by sdbob

What they said works. I've never had to use a puller. Hardest is the torque to remove and install bolt.

Years ago on my 62, I had a method of putting the breaker bar on the bolt and the bar handle wedged on the floor. Then (with the coil disconnected!) I would just tap the starter and it loosened right up (no joke). Since- on automatics, I pull down the TC cover and use the flexplate holes for a small bar to lock it in place.

[David Jones]

I have my 400 on an engine stand and recently pulled the heads. As I was looking at the shortblock it occurred to me that maybe I should have taken the harmonic balancer off at some earlier point. "what to do?" I found a suitable bolt to put in the crankshaft, so that it locked against the stand and loosened the bolt.

[elefantrider]

I have heard about people using vicegrips on flexplate also.

I have never had to do it on an automatic car, only 4speeds.

[Gary H]

Originally Posted by elefantrider

I have heard about people using vicegrips on flexplate also.

I have never had to do it on an automatic car, only 4speeds.

I actually use two sets of vice grips right beside each other on the flexplate when I'm tightening the harmonic balancer bolt back up.