Help with crank pulley

[Jokester]

I'm putting timing gears and chain on my Buick.  What's the trick to getting the balancer off of a 2001 Buick Lesabre 3800?  I got the big bolt out but the balancer isn't budging.  I don't see any threaded holes for conventional pullers.  I've put timing chains on Buicks before but don't remember having trouble getting the balencer off.  Those were earlier models though.

Any suggestions?

thx,

.bjb

[wayne petty]

this is the new style of harmonic balancer puller...

they work on a ton of new style cars..

i have not seen them at hf yet... some parts stores may have them...

probably napa... i did not get a chance to check yet...


if i've told you once.. i have told you a thousand times... don't exagerate

[Jokester]

Thanks Wayne, but no cigar.  That puller is for the late model V8s.  Mine is a 3.8 V6.  The hooks on that look too fat to fit the little holes in my balancer.

.bjb

[wayne petty]

https://gmspecialservicetools.spx.com/SearchTools.aspx


these are the two different ones i found on the link above

i have pulled a bunch of balancers off with the tripod tool above..


the hardest thing i have ever had to pull was cad crank hubs...  they only have 5/16 bolts in an offset pattern so you cannot get the puller on .. i usually end up with a long 10 ton bar puller hooked to the big bearing splitter off the shop press..

[Jokester]

I found a similar puller from Matco tools @ $53.00.  A friend accessed Alldata for me and found that the balancer has 1/4" threads (hard to believe it's not metric on a '01).  I dug out some 1/4-28 bolts and used my old everyday balancer puller.  Worked like a champ.

Thanks for the legwork Wayne.  You always seem to go the extra mile for everyone.

.bjb