serious question

[tomslik]

so, i'm standing ther taking a wizz and i got to thinking, how was a sbc press-on (not bolt on) balancer installed at the facory?

[Harry]

What does taking a whiz have to do with balancers?
Holding your "crank" in your hand?
Anyway, they probably heated the part that goes on the crank and/or cooled the crank.
Maybe they have a special press that does it.

[tomslik]

What does taking a whiz have to do with balancers?
Holding your "crank" in your hand?

gotta think about something,don'tcha?

Anyway, they probably heated the part that goes on the crank and/or cooled the crank.



pretty tough to do on an assembled engine

Maybe they have a special press that does it.

how would it work?

[34ford]

from another site


From the factory they used a tool that mounted to the harmonic balancer and drove it on with a hammer. You probably can't find that tool, so everyone just uses wood to keep from damaging the balancer. Here is what the shop manual says, Engine Assembly 6-25, Step 10, "Position balancer on crankshaft so that key-way aligns with key in crankshaft and drive balancer onto shaft until it bottoms against crankshaft gear using puller screw J-1287 as a driver.

[tomslik]

seems funny to me that everybody says NOT to drive the balancer on that way, don't it?
no big deal IF the crank is drilled for a bolt but the early stuff wasn't.

i'm not looking for a tool, just curious how it was done at factory level...

[Mikej]

You must have had the really go to put all that thought into this...

[wayne petty]

as long as we are cranking.. and balancing...

one engine that you really Don't ever want to use a hammer to drive the balancer on is the chevy 4.3 V6...  it breaks the crank..  usually between the first main and the first rod throw...   i have run into 4 motors that had just had the damper off and the crank was broken in the same place..

so unless you are working on an early small journal chevy ...

buy.. borrow or rent a harmonic balancer installer tool....  most az stores have them in the loan a tool section behind the counter..

[tomslik]

wayne, i just want to know how it was done at the factory....
i do NOT know, that's why i'm asking


just figgured if there was ANYBODY that knew, it'd be here...


btw, i've never broke a crank tapping one on just far enough to start the bolt and then using the bolt the rest of the way...

[tomslik]

You must have had the really go to put all that thought into this...

nope, no longer than usual...

[Crosley.In.AZ]

i use a proper tool to push the  balancer on the crank snout.

Mayb GM used a machine press that held the back end of the crank as the balncer was pushed on?  

I've seen balancers at swap meets that the front had the snot beat out of it... imagine waht the thrust bearings look like

[tomslik]

i use a proper tool to push the  balancer on the crank snout.

Mayb GM used a machine press that held the back end of the crank as the balncer was pushed on?  

I've seen balancers at swap meets that the front had the snot beat out of it... imagine waht the thrust bearings look like

yeah, but if a crank ain't drilled and tapped like an old 265, how did the factory put it on?
especially with an assembled engine?

what WAS the proper tool?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

i use a proper tool to push the  balancer on the crank snout.

Mayb GM used a machine press that held the back end of the crank as the balncer was pushed on?  

I've seen balancers at swap meets that the front had the snot beat out of it... imagine waht the thrust bearings look like

yeah, but if a crank ain't drilled and tapped like an old 265, how did the factory put it on?
especially with an assembled engine?

what WAS the proper tool?

my comment was on the proper tool for threaded cranks.

A fellow at work just rebuilt the old 327 that was in his 1965 chev truck...  I asked him if the crank was drilled for a bolt. he said ; ''yes'' , since he had a balancer blow off the engine years ago. that is why the 327 came out and he put in a junk yard 305.

i am still thinking GM had a large device to hold the crank back side on an assembled engine while the balancer was pushed on.

[UGLY OLDS]

OK Kids ..Here Goes ...

Repair "procedures" for timing cover seal replacement .....

From a Genuine 1957 Chev shop manual:

 " Install 2 3/8-16 X 1 1/2" cap screws in the balancer to hold the the "Hub & Flywheel" portions together during installation...

Position the balancer on the crankshaft & line up the key in the crankshaft with the key slot in the balancer ,

Using  tool "#J-5590 drive the balancer onto the crankshaft,  
stop when the balancer is seated on the timing gear" ......
Remove the 3/8" cap screws from the balancer & install the lower crank pulley....

To give you some idea , tool # J-5590 is also listed as being an :
 "Standard transmission front bearing installer" ..( IE: A 8" long piece of pipe or tubing)

My 1959 Chev Shop manual shows basically the same thing without all the references to the "special" tools OR the 3/8" cap screws.. ..
It just says to use "A length of tubing"& drive on until the dampener hits the crankshaft gear.....
 ( Maybe the trans guy was using J-5590 at the time ?? )


  NOW .....1966 Gets REAL interesting ..( Again..A Genuine 1966 Chev Shop manual )

A lot of mechanics must have been "forgetting" the 3/8' Cap Screw thing or maybe didn't care??  

1966 shows a Torsional Dampener tool # J-22197 as the ONLY method to install the Dampener ..

 Special tool # J-22197 can best be described as a piece of plate that bolts to the front of the hub of the balancer & has 2 "Arms or Ears" that extend beyond the diameter of the Dampener ring ...

These Arms have "Lips" that extend behind the "Ring" portion of the balancer , (Think Gear Puller with big lips on the part that goes behind the gear), the arms have a provision for bolts that go in from the FRONT & are tightened until they reach the front of the balancer ring.. These bolts are tightened to keep the outer ring  from moving on the balancer hub.
 At that point a BFH is employed to "Drive the balancer into position until the hub bottoms on the crank gear" .....

 I scanned the photo from the '66 manual & forwarded it to Frank to be resized & attached ..( WELL beyond MY skill level..)   :oops:

 I hope this solves the riddle / ends the argument / completes the contest .....Most Importantly ...
WHAT DO I WIN   :?:  :?:        

'Scuze Me ...I gotta wizz........


Bob ..........

[enjenjo]

This what you want Bob?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

there is that ''J tool'' that tomslik is lookin for .

although , is that the way the assembly line did it?