Harmonic Balancer HELP!

Discussion in ''Da Nailhead' started by scoopyg, Apr 14, 2019.

  1. scoopyg

    scoopyg Well-Known Member

    Hello folks,

    I bought a '63 Riviera about 6 weeks ago. Nice complete car, but it hasn't been on the road for 20 years. It took some doing, but I carefully got the car started and running briefly. Once running, the crank pulley and the balancer were as loose as could be, clanking around down there to beat the band.

    So, with almost no effort, I loosened the crank bolt and took the balancer off. It was damaged. The nose of the crank looks fine, no damage. The records with my car indicate that the balancer has been replaced twice, which is somewhat puzzling. I got a replacement balancer from James Kehr in PA, but other Buick guys have expressed concern that the replacement unit might not be right for my '63 Riv. Any thoughts?
     
  2. Julian

    Julian Well-Known Member

    Unless the pulley bolts are different I don't see a problem. They're all externally balanced unless your displacement or make is incorrect.
     
  3. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Before you spin it and see if it wins, place or shows, contact Russ or Matt Martin at http://centervilleautorepair.com to answer any questions.

    My concern would be that even thought the crank snout "looks OK" , running it with a loose harmonic balancer may have damaged the crank key or messed up the clearances and risk further damage if you only replace the balancer if you have other balance problems, you may damage more pressing on.

    As you stated, you have already shown history of something going on.
     
  4. gsgtx

    gsgtx Silver Level contributor

    i would bet they never tighten the bolt to 200 ft lbs. you really need an air gun and to use the air gun you need to remove the radiator, check the bolt over careful.
     
  5. OZGS455

    OZGS455 Oh what a wonderful day!

    How do you know you got 200 with an air rattle gun?
    When I did mine up I took it to the max on my wrench 130 I think,
    Then I got two foot of pipe and slipped it over a breaker bar and leaned on that some more and it tightened more...still guesswork
    Its had a thorough workout and hasnt come loose
     
  6. gsgtx

    gsgtx Silver Level contributor

    i dont know. but i tighten all could by hand then marked it with some paint. put the air gun on it and got more out of it. never had a problem with over 10 times of doing this , with the same and different engines. thinking the shop that put it on didnt know or bother to get it close. most engines only call for 80-135 Lbs
     
  7. nailheadnut

    nailheadnut Riviera addict

    "most engines" aren't nailheads. Anyone familiar with a nailhead knows that 220 is minimum for the crank bolt. Most of the jobbers (I know O'Reillys does) who lend tools will have a torque wrench that will go to 220 pounds. Don't hope that anything less will work.
     
  8. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    I have a 250 feet pounds TW, use a flywheel block to torque, and I try and use correct torque specs for everything when I can find it.

    I have been around planes trains and automobiles since the early 60s (and saw stuff much older than that in an earlier life), with the greatest damage done from improper torque and other failures that are resultant of the same mindset in preparation, installation, adjusting, servicing and maintenance.

    You may thing you do not have the time and money to do it "by the book or some anal methods and procedures the old guys are stuck on", but you will dig deep into your pocket or spend your future time doing it over.

    Yeah, some folks get lucky when they roll the dice and cut a corner or three, and then some end up in the wall in turn three after leading the last lap, or screw the pooch in the last 100 feet before the traps.

    Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...
     
    DasRottweiler likes this.
  9. OZGS455

    OZGS455 Oh what a wonderful day!

    Now you got me nervous,
    any guesstimate on what my method acheived?
    Is the 200 on dry or lubed thread?

    Ive driven the car pretty damn hard since and its still holding..
     
  10. doc

    doc Well-Known Member

    The thing to watch for about nailhead harmonic balancers is:
    the balance ring comes unvulcanised…
    the sleeve can crack down thru the keyway …
    and the bolt not being tightened enough to keep from coming loose....
    when the factory says 225# MINIMUM ,,,,, BELIEVE THEM.... if the bolt comes loose it will quickly ruin the crank nose.... and that is very expensive to repair... Tighten all you can with a air wrench and then get a breakover bar and a 4 ft. cheater pipe and tighten it up till it hums.... you aint gonna strip it....
     
    300sbb_overkill likes this.
  11. 66electrafied

    66electrafied Just tossing in my nickel's worth

    Good to see you back Doc, missed your sound advice here on this board!
     
  12. doc

    doc Well-Known Member

    Been lurking here all along.... I am good at lurking... but not good at twerking.... ;);)
     

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