Harmonic Balancer/Crank Pulley Rotted Out

[NEKExplorer]

I haven't ever come across anybody posting this problem, but hopefully someone can suggest a successful strategy.

Engine is a 98 5VZ with 119k on it I got from a junkyard. The engine is on a stand in my barn, not in a vehicle, so fairly easy to get at things.

While trying to remove the harmonic balancer (also called crankshaft pulley) I was using a harmonic balancer tool to prevent turning the engine backwards and a breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt in order to remove said bolt.

I felt a good pop and I thought I had the bolt broken but instead it turns out that the inner part of the pulley that the harmonic balancer tool sets into snapped, as if the center of the pulley rotted right out. It spins freely, and I can do so with my fingers. Now I have no way to prevent the crankshaft from rotating while I attempt to remove the crankshaft bolt.


WTF do I do now?

Thanks.

 

[Malcolm99]

If the centre inner section of the harmonic balancer is spinning on the crank you must have sheared half of the woodruff key or key way on the crank, let's hope the woodruff key snapped as it is meant to and didn't damage the crank or you'll need a new crankshaft or engine. To find out since its on a stand, try locking up the opposite end of the crank somehow (maybe 2 bolts and a bar supported that reaches the ground) and put a heavy duty impact on the crank bolt to see if it will come off, some engine builders will advise against using impacts on cranks and cams but it doesn't sound like you have much choice.. I'm surprised the inner section would spin with the bolt tightened?, it shouldn't spin if the crank bolt is tight so this is an odd situation or I'm not understanding. I've seen the outter section separate from the rubber, but not what you have described.

 

[NEKExplorer]

Well, maybe this will clarify, I don't know but thanks for the help.

I can put a socket on the crankbolt and turn the crank no problem. The outer section of the pulley turns as it should with the crank bolt rotation. The problem is that the part where the harmonic balancer slips in just spins freely now so you can't use the tool to stablize the pulley/crank and remove the bolt.


Does that make things clearer or worse?

 

[Malcolm99]

You where pretty clear, I just find it surprising, there is only an inner section, rubber and outter section on the harmonic balancer, and I thought if the bolt was tight it would be very difficult to spin the inner section on the crank and snap the woodruff key if the bolt was tight. But your saying it spins freely by hand and the crank bolt is tight, so I'm confused/surprised ( I'm easily confused) But again, if that's the case remove the flex plate and use the threaded holes in the crank with longer bolts and lock it up with a bar and hit it with an impact.

 

[brillo_76]

I agree with malcom here. Since the crankshaft pulley brok and the engine is out. Use the flexplate bolts to make a tool to hold the rear of the engine secure while you get an impact on the bolt and spin it out.


I had to replace 2 harmonic balancers [ 2 different engines] because the thread stripped out trying to pull them off with a puller.

Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk