[gomowgto]

I'm wanting to remove the harmonic balancer on my 67 GTO 400 motor, and I just want to confirm that the bolt is not reverse threaded, and that it turns counter clockwise to loosen it. Thanks in advance.

[Sirrotica]

It's definitely a conventional right hand thread.

[gomowgto]

One other question, I want to loosen the harmonic balancer bolt by removing the dust cover on the bellhousing and using those 2 bolts to attach a peice of angle iron, then making a lock to fit the teeth on the flywheel gear. My question is, with that span across the bottom of the bellhousing bolted tight, when I loosen the harmonic balancer bolt, is there any risk that it will be too much force on the bellhousing and risk cracking it? I figure if it can handle the torque from the engine and drive train, it can handle 160 ft lbs to break that bolt loose. Removing the starter with ram air headers I a p.i.t.a. that I'm trying to avoid, but not at the risk of cracking my bellhousing. If

[Shiny]

Thanks for posting.

I'm also curious about this as my balancer is coming off soon.

I recall shoving some plastic rope into a spark plug hole to resist the piston. Is this stupid? It sounds easy and convenient..

If that's a bad idea, I'm also interested in good ones.

[77 TRASHCAN]

Tools are made to hold or turn a flex plate, or flywheel. Most parts stores have them. Ask for a flywheel turner or holder. The tool can some how be held or wedged into that area of the engine/transmission. You should have zero issues.
Beware that bolt is supposed to be torqued to 160 ft/lbs.
Takes a 15/16 socket.

[Sirrotica]

Take a pair of vise grips, and straddle the ring gear, pinch them onto the flywheel to lock the crank, you don't need to buy anything special to hold the flywheel. If you have a good impact wrench it will spin the bolt off without locking the flywheel. The bellhousing is plenty strong to withstand the force if you're going to do it manually without an impact wrench.

Over 50 years working on cars and trucks for a living, and paying attention to the old timers when I was younger, you find out the easiest ways to get the job done, and saving any time you can when you're working flat rate makes your paycheck larger, the quicker you get the car out of your stall.

[gomowgto]

I tried vise grips on the ring gear, but I never clamped the vise grips down. When I saw how little metal I was pinching and how close I was to the teeth, I was afraid of breaking a tooth, so I abandoned that idea, but if they did that, then wedged the vise grips against the side of the bellhousing by turning the balancer bolt to break it loose, then I'm sure my method will work.
I'll take a pic of mine and post it when I get it made and put on. I got it in my head, I just need to get out in the garage and make it.

[Shiny]

Here's a thread describing the rope thing along with several alternatives:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...rope+plug+hole

I love the tools that bolt to the balancer. I want one right now. Chances of O'Reilly's having it in their loan-a-tool: ZERO!

hmmm...

[Goatracer1]

Electric impact wrenches are inexpensive now. Buy one that's battery powered and you will wonder how you ever lived without it. I have a DeWalt and it takes the bolt out no problem. You can also keep it in the trunk incase of a flat tire.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by gomowgto

I tried vise grips on the ring gear, but I never clamped the vise grips down. When I saw how little metal I was pinching and how close I was to the teeth, I was afraid of breaking a tooth, so I abandoned that idea, but if they did that, then wedged the vise grips against the side of the bellhousing by turning the balancer bolt to break it loose, then I'm sure my method will work.
I'll take a pic of mine and post it when I get it made and put on. I got it in my head, I just need to get out in the garage and make it.

That was the idea, to take something most DIY's have in their tool box, clamp it to the flywheel (not the ring gear, as I said in my original post), and be done with it. BTW ring gears are hardened steel designed to be used to turn an engine over, you're not going to damage it easily. Every flywheel turner I have owned, or used, grips the ring gear teeth, they're very robust.

You do it however makes you happy, I was trying to save you some time, and effort. Maybe I wasn't as clear as I could have been, but the method I described is something I've been doing for decades, with zero damage. That method works for automatic flexplates, as well as standard shift flywheels.

[Murf]

Nobody has mentioned what I usually do , so I’m wondering if it’s a bad idea. I usually rig up my break over bar on the frame & hit the starter. It has always worked for me. Should I stop before I break something? ��

Of course, this requires that the car is all assembled & wired up.

Murf

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Murf

Nobody has mentioned what I usually do , so I’m wondering if it’s a bad idea. I usually rig up my break over bar on the frame & hit the starter. It has always worked for me. Should I stop before I break something? ��

Of course, this requires that the car is all assembled & wired up.

Murf

There is a little danger of tools and such flying out from under the car, but I have used that method a number of times with success. Especially on Honda and some other imports where that bots is super tight. They make a Pontiac balancer bolt look like child's play. I received a Dewalt cordless impact for a Christmas present this year. Never been a big fan of cordless tools......but this thing is EXTREMELY powerful. Makes my Snap-On air impact look like an embarrassing joke. I have already snapped off 2 14mm wheel studs that had been cross threaded at a tire store. Snapped them right off so I could replace the studs. It's a beast.

[gomowgto]

Tried the vise grips, they just popped off. The second time they got wedged between the flywheel and the bellhousing
My homemade lock worked perfect and it only took me about 30 minutes and scrap 1 1/4" angle iron I had. I'll try an post pics of it.

[ftwmlp]

Originally Posted by gomowgto

Tried the vise grips, they just popped off. The second time they got wedged between the flywheel and the bellhousing
My homemade lock worked perfect and it only took me about 30 minutes and scrap 1 1/4" angle iron I had. I'll try an post pics of it.

This is a very similar "tool" I hacked up to do the job on my 66 389, worked as hoped.

[lust4speed]

An old Pontiac mechanic taught me about using the breaker bar and frame trick to loosen the crank bolt and it has never let me down. Sounds somewhat scary but really mundane in practice as long as you kill the power to the ignition. When putting things back together it's the Vice Grips on the flexplate/flywheel and that also has always worked. Just need to immediately remove the Vice Grips so you don't try and start the car.

You can get really fancy and waste a bunch of time but simple works good.

[rohrt]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Take a pair of vise grips, and straddle the ring gear, pinch them onto the flywheel to lock the crank, you don't need to buy anything special to hold the flywheel. If you have a good impact wrench it will spin the bolt off without locking the flywheel. The bellhousing is plenty strong to withstand the force if you're going to do it manually without an impact wrench.

Over 50 years working on cars and trucks for a living, and paying attention to the old timers when I was younger, you find out the easiest ways to get the job done, and saving any time you can when you're working flat rate makes your paycheck larger, the quicker you get the car out of your stall.

I have been doing this for years now, with no issue what so ever.

I would guess I got this idea from you. Just wanted to say thanks.

[Goatracer1]

One of the other techs where I was working tried the breaker bar and starter trick. It slipped off the bolt injured him and damaged the customer's car. It's not something I could recommend. I made a bracket that bolted to 2 of the pulley bolt holes on the balancer and wedged against either the floor or a frame rail to hold the crank from turning.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by rohrt

I have been doing this for years now, with no issue what so ever.

I would guess I got this idea from you. Just wanted to say thanks.

You're quite welcome, good to know most people can execute this time saving procedure easily, and without fabricating new specialty tools. I'm not sure why the OP couldn't make it work, but 've been doing it since the late 70s when necessity made me think of what I had on hand, that would work when loosening a balancer bolt.

I also have used the same procedure to turn the engine over from the bottom to take out torque convertor bolts, and then when replacing them, and tightening them.

I realize some people use either a flywheel tool, or a long flat bladed screwdriver. A fellow mechanic, and friend of mine, that I worked with in a buick dealership was using a screwdriver. He was using a large flat bladed screwdriver to remove flexplate to torque convertor bolts, and was using the tip of the screwdriver into the flexplate teeth to turn the engine over, by pulling it towards himself. The car was on a lift, and he was standing under it. The screwdriver slipped off, and hit him in the mouth, knocking at least one tooth out, and cutting the inside of his mouth. It was a freak accident, but taught me not to try that same trick when turning an engine over while removing torque convertor bolts.

The trouble with working flat rate as a mechanic, is trying to save time on every operation, because it affects your paycheck. Sometimes mechanics choose speed, over safety, because we're always trying to beat the clock. I can use the vise grips just as quickly as he was using the screwdriver, and save a trip to the dentist. Unfortunately, we sometimes learn, from others misfortune.

My father was a mechanic for most of his adult life, I got a ton of labor saving tips from him, as well as other older guys in the profession. I learned a lot from those older guys over the years, and now that I'm the older guy, (I turn 70 tomorrow). I need to pass on the things I've learned, that can help others. I'm always glad to pass on tips to members on this board.

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by Goatracer1

One of the other techs where I was working tried the breaker bar and starter trick. It slipped off the bolt injured him and damaged the customer's car. It's not something I could recommend. I made a bracket that bolted to 2 of the pulley bolt holes on the balancer and wedged against either the floor or a frame rail to hold the crank from turning.

Timing was good for me on this thread. I'm replacing my damper and while clever and expedient, I thought a breaker bar and starter was too risky. I am not a fan of large steel objects shooting across the garage.

Wanting to avoid crawling under the car, I liked the tools that bolted to the damper so I went at it simple and lazy. I drilled one hole in a 3-ft. light angle and had no issue removing the big bolt by leveraging against the flange on the damper with only one bolt in the balancer. I'm optimistic it will hold fine when I install.

[MidnightAuto]

The battery powered impact guns these days are incredible. No more high whining air