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How to lock harmonic balancer #2704977
10/08/19 09:01 PM
10/08/19 09:01 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,482
Cold Spring, NY
1970GTX Offline OP
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Does anyone have any tricks to lock the harmonic balancer so the bolt can be torqued?

I don't want to buy a tool that will displace air in my toolbox for the next 10 years.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2704981
10/08/19 09:21 PM
10/08/19 09:21 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
Circle Track
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Use the piston TDC stop tool, its cheap


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: RapidRobert] #2704983
10/08/19 09:24 PM
10/08/19 09:24 PM
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Sniper Online content
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about three foot of 3/8" nylon rope fed into a spark plug hole will do it. Just don't put all the r0pe in or you'll be trying to figure out how to get it out.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2704987
10/08/19 09:35 PM
10/08/19 09:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,482
Cold Spring, NY
1970GTX Offline OP
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Two good options.

Thanks!

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2705010
10/08/19 10:40 PM
10/08/19 10:40 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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have the piston coming up on the compression stroke (so the valves will be closed) then feed in enough of the rope


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2705030
10/09/19 01:16 AM
10/09/19 01:16 AM
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Bend,OR USA
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Cab_Burge Offline
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I use my leak down tester to do what your doing on assembled motors, put air into the cylinder and turn the crank so it closes the valves and tighten up scope
If the oil pan is off and no heads on the motor I use a 1/2 inch drive extension with the big end in one of the balance holes in the crank and rotate it so it hold the extension against the oil pan rail and tighten scope
more than one way to get this job done work up

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 10/09/19 01:17 AM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: Cab_Burge] #2705051
10/09/19 07:56 AM
10/09/19 07:56 AM

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RWG75
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For breaking it loose I've always used one of the power steering brackets. Use one of the crank pulley bolt holes and one of the water pump bolt holes. Should work for tightening down as well. Generally what I do is crank it down as tight as I can until the motor starts turning then spin the motor around a least once. Fully assembled engine in car with the spark plugs in. Centrifugal force will do the rest after ya fire it up.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2705056
10/09/19 08:19 AM
10/09/19 08:19 AM
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Minn
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SportF Offline
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Put a wood wedge in the torque converter starter gear. Piston stop WILL nick the piston, get the timing wrong on the rope trick and you bend a valve.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: SportF] #2705133
10/09/19 11:19 AM
10/09/19 11:19 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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I glue a plastic vac cap on the end of the TDC stop to avoid nicking the piston (& I come up on the piston easy)


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: SportF] #2705293
10/09/19 08:33 PM
10/09/19 08:33 PM
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Sobieski Wi
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bee1971 Offline
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Per SportF

Torque Converter starter gear and wedge

Exactly what I did on my rebuild a few years ago

Last edited by bee1971; 10/09/19 08:34 PM.

1971 Dodge Charger Superbee
2011 Ram Sport 1500 Quad Cab Deep Water Blue Loaded
Siberian Huskies
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2705303
10/09/19 08:57 PM
10/09/19 08:57 PM
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Florida
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Why don't you make a spanner wrench? That's what I did. Been using it for years. Bolt it up to the harmonic balancer, have a friend hold it while you torque the bolt.
Or if the engine is in the car, bolt on the spanner wrench and rotate the harmonic balancer so the spanner wrench is against the k frame, then tighten the bolt to the proper foot pounds.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: GMP440] #2705443
10/10/19 09:30 AM
10/10/19 09:30 AM
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Ontario, Canada
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Stanton Offline
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Flat piece of steel - the thicker the better. Copy the holes from a crank pulley and drill the plate. Use a holesaw for the large hole. Weld a piece of flat bar to it as a handle. Bolt it to the balancer. Tighten your balance bolt.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: Stanton] #2705467
10/10/19 10:31 AM
10/10/19 10:31 AM
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Valencia, España
NachoRT74 Offline
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if engine is on car... remove the flywheel access plate and put a socket with maybe a cloth between bolt head and socket to hold it in place by some pressure on one of the bolts, spin it untill meet with block and that will stop it. It has worked for me


With a Charger born in Chrysler assembly plant in Valencia, Venezuela
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: NachoRT74] #2705479
10/10/19 11:00 AM
10/10/19 11:00 AM
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Tulsa OK
Bad340fish Offline
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Doesn't work for torquing but for removal use a breaker bar and push it against the frame, then bump starter.

I always just impact them tight.


68 Barracuda Formula S 340
87 "Chrysler" Conquest
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: Bad340fish] #2705666
10/10/19 07:20 PM
10/10/19 07:20 PM
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I always impact them off and on.
I wouldn't jamb the flywheel teeth. Too much of a risk of damaging one especaily with how crappy some parts are made these days.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 5thAve] #2705718
10/10/19 10:07 PM
10/10/19 10:07 PM
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Hamilton, Ontario Canada
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I would not use the piston stop on a big block. The angle is too shallow and close to dwell point.

Love the flat bar idea, 2 or 3 holes will absolutely hold things still. Especially in a shear. I'd aim for bolts 1 and 3 or 1, 2 and 3, 4 or 1 and 3. Just not 2 beside each other.

Or the flywheel teeth. I mean not blindly jambing something in there but a chunk of soft metal like aluminum will not hurt any teeth. I've done this many times with a large screwdriver or prybar. Just understand how to get it stuck so the load is square to a tooth.


69 Super Bee, 93 Mustang LX, 04 Allure Super
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: Sniper] #2705731
10/10/19 10:40 PM
10/10/19 10:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,482
Cold Spring, NY
1970GTX Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Sniper
about three foot of 3/8" nylon rope fed into a spark plug hole will do it. Just don't put all the r0pe in or you'll be trying to figure out how to get it out.


I ended up using the rope method, it worked perfect.

The intake was off, so I had an easy visual reference to make sure the valves were closed

Thank you Sniper, Robert and everyone else for your suggestions.

Last edited by 1970GTX; 10/12/19 09:25 PM.
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: Bad340fish] #2706063
10/11/19 10:46 PM
10/11/19 10:46 PM
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Dcuda69 Offline
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Originally Posted by Bad340fish
I always just impact them tight.


Yep. Been doing it for over 30 years without issue.

Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: 1970GTX] #2706070
10/11/19 11:12 PM
10/11/19 11:12 PM
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Tulsa OK
Bad340fish Offline
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Originally Posted by 1970GTX
Originally Posted by Sniper
about three foot of 3/8" nylon rope fed into a spark plug hole will do it. Just don't put all the r0pe in or you'll be trying to figure out how to get it out.


I ended up using the rope method, it worked perfect.

The intake was off, so I had an easy visual reference to make sure the valves were closed

Thank you Robert and everyone else for your suggestions.


While the rope method works and it is highly unlikely you would have a problem crap does happen. A drag week friend of mine used the rope method on a big block ford and somehow managed to get the rope knotted up in the cylinder. He had all kinds of hell getting it out and was very close to the point of having to take the motor apart! Unlikely but it does happen lol.


68 Barracuda Formula S 340
87 "Chrysler" Conquest
Re: How to lock harmonic balancer [Re: Bad340fish] #2706122
10/12/19 08:54 AM
10/12/19 08:54 AM
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Sniper Online content
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lol, I have been using the rope method for decades adn never had an issue, but I don't fool around with Ford's either. grin

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