Technical *****HELP ****harmonic balancer / crankshaft

I have this 327 Chevy that has no threads in the end of the crank to help assist in the installation of the harmonic balancer. Does anyone have any idea how to get the harmonic balancer back onto the crank without using a hammer??? I took it off to change the camshaft.

 

block of wood and hammer, or drill and tap the crank snout, when ever i sent early sbc cranks out to get groundi had them drill and tap it. sounds crude but it is what it is.

 

You can heat the hub in oil hanging in a coffee can on a small electric heater and you should be able to "slide" it on by hand. We do many this way to this day even though we have all the correct tools to install them. The outer ring doesn't get all that hot but I would use some gloves. Should go right on!!

You don't have too many options available without the crank threads tapped??

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Of course you could drill & tap the crank snout but that's difficult in the vehicle.

 

Thanks Jeff !! I was thinking I was going to have to drill and tap it. Hammer might be bad on thrust bearings

 

That's what I said to the guy managing the the shucks that told me to hammer it and insisted thats how they did it and that he was a former GM master tech...

 

Motor is out. On engine stand.

 

Gary - what kind of oil do you heat the hub with. I understand your method. Thanks!
Dave

 

I've built many 283/327's in my life, and the machine shop owner told me to do the block of wood and a 4lb sledge hammer dance...always worked great.

 

You are supposed to heat them. It's in an early chevy service manual I have. Put mine in the oven on 250 for about 20 minutes or so. Crank was room temp.

 

Heat it up as they have said--tap it on-but I have put on several with the block of wood and hammer too. If it is on a stand you should be able to drill and tap it-have seen quite a few early ones come loose.

 

I would drill and tap since you have it out , a dampner coming loose/off is not a fun thing to have happen .

 

Thanks for the all the suggestions and help, I really appreciate it.

I'm wondering if I could attempt to just heat up the hub / snout with a rosebud tip and then slide it on? I don't have an oven or hot plate at my shop.

It was on pretty good when I pulled it off, somebody was running it in a Corvette the way it was. It's a Corvette block and heads.

Thanks again !!!!

 

HHR...it's no big deal to drill the crank..
I have done many...
The pic shows the center clearly..
Go buy a good 7/16" fine thread tap from fastenall..and a good quality bit from them also..
The drill motor needs to be a heavy duty SLOW speed ...like a 1/2" Milwaukee hole hang AKA wrist breaker..
Get a # 945 mister gasket bolt kit, it comes with the thick washer..
Drill it slow, use lube....no problem !

 

The center of the crank is not hard. You can easily drill and tap it, especially when the engine is on a stand. I think this is way preferable over driving it on with a hammer, although in my youth I remember doing it that way.

 

I'm going to drill it tomorrow. I have these aircraft drill bits that cut through anything like butter. I have a 7/16 tap, plenty of taps, i bought out a huge chest full of taps/dies from an old machinist guy.

I got these aircraft drill bits from an old aircraft surplus store. From what I know at Boeing, most bits get used a day or two and then chucked out for surplus. They are 8" long ++ but cut amazingly.

 

Wood block and a hammer and TAP-TAP-TAP. Nothing hard about that.

 

I wouldn't use a rosebud because the dampener is a 2 piece unit with rubber sandwiched between the two...just my 2 cents.