If I had them I would use them.
The older ones as you stated don't have them so you probably will be fine but I like the added pressure spreading of these pieces.
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
'88 K5 - Running Down A Dream
- Thread starter jimmyleetn
- Start date
Ground up restoration of my '88 K5. The plan is to go through every inch of the truck and fix or replace pretty much everything that needs it. This will also be a full vert conversion and I plan to make the vehicle look more like a 73-75 than 88.
The older ones as you stated don't have them so you probably will be fine but I like the added pressure spreading of these pieces.
Oh I had every intention of using them. I stepped over them on the way out of the shop after finishing the torque series for the oil pan. Just plum forgot them. Getting it on there alone was a real pain (even with snap ups) which is why I don't want to undo all the work I did. If it leaks, well then I'll redo it.
If you used the new bolts that come with the gasket, they probably aren’t long enough for those spreaders.
Okay so new dilemma. Trying to install the harmonic balancer today and I can't get it to seat. Measured the inside of the old one and it was 1.241. This new one is 1.237. The snout of the crankshaft is 1.246 or so. I read you can put the harmonic balancer in the oven for a little while and it will fit. Any suggestions? And yes I have an installer tool and I will not hit it with a hammer. There is some minor gouging I discovered as well. I sanded most of it away. I already have the timing cover on so there is a little I can't reach. I lack about a quarter inch getting it to seat.
How’s the depth? Had to have the new one machined about 1/8” on a 302 I built a while back.
The depth of the harmonic balancer to the timing cover should be 5/8 of an inch at least that's what I measured on the old one. The best I've been able to get was 7/8. I went and swapped that balancer for another one. I think it's even worse. I've been able to get it about an inch and 1/8. Considering they're lifetime warranty I'm seriously thinking about throwing the joker in the oven.
I wouldn’t put one in an oven. Might damage the rubber damper. I’ve hit cranks with a can of keyboard duster and that’s shrunk them enough to make things fit.
If I use the oven I'm thinking 200ish degrees or something around standard operating temperature, a temp that the balancer will see when in use. I found a lot of examples of people doing this (Camaro and Mustang forums specifically). It gets that hot in the engine bay during a normal heat cycle or close to it. All those steel parts are heat sinks and get even hotter once you shut the engine down and coolant and air quit flowing.
I do like the keyboard cleaner idea though.
I took a break from the balancer until late afternoon. As you can see in the picture, it wasn't going well. I slathered the anti seize on the inside and the crank stub and bolt hole and heated up the just center sleeve of the balancer for 6 minutes with a propane torch. I chickened out at 6min because I thought it might get too hot for the seal in the cover once I installed it. Anyways, from there I got it most of the way until the balancer started to turn too. I held the balancer in place with a screw driver until I destroyed it and a nut driver until it got destroyed. I was within 1/8in of being seated. I tried the crank bolt since about 10 threads were catching. Pulled it right on with a 3/8 ratchet. What mess, but it's done now and I know what to if I run into this again. I should be able to fire it up tomorrow, I wholeheartedly expect it to leak somewhere. I worked too hard for it not to...
Motor's running the best it's ran since I've owned it. Still hesitates every now and then at first startup. I'm sure there's another sensor I need to replace. I haven't ran it through a true heat cycle but it does not leak currently (knock on wood). Full tune up and I cleaned all the pulleys that were doused in oil and grease and I replaced the power steering belt. Found some interesting things when I changed the spark plugs you'll see in the photo below. Those three prong plugs were in cylinders four and six. All the plugs were bad carbon fouled from running rich most likely. I'm wondering if changing the MAP sensor might be the next one on the list. I jacked it up and put the back axle on stands and threw it in drive today as well. A very audible rhythmic clicking/clunking sound coming from the tail housing end of the transfer case. Gears seem to be very quiet which is a plus. I wonder if that bearing needs some more ATF. It's a little low in the transfer case where I've had the drive shaft out a few times and it's leaked. It also leaks anyways. I'm gonna top it off and listen some more tomorrow but for all practical purposes, I'm about done for the summer other than waiting on new driveshafts.
Lolz_cats
Uga duga
Great to hear you have it running again!
Well... I still can't drive it. I've been pilfering around with it off and on since my last post. Had my wife listen to the tcase and diff with it up on jack stands (she has hearing like a dang bat haha). We determined the u-joint I didn't replace is about to grenade. Since new driveshafts are on the way soon I'm just sitting and waiting. Also put almost a full court of ATF in the tcase, it leaked some when I was doing all the drivetrain work. Decided to chase my rich fuel problem I noticed on the plugs. I had already changed the temperature sensor last fall so I may have actually already fixed it but I figured no more than the other sensors cost I'd go ahead and replace them. Found a monster exhaust leak by the O2 sensor so now I get to replace the manifolds mostly because I'm too lazy to fix the busted stud and because when you price studs, bolts, and gaskets it really costs about the same as an entire manifold with everything included. I should have just left things alone lol. Also found a bad plug for the MAP sensor so I replaced it and the pigtail as well. Been trying to find the right air filter while I'm at it too. Apparently, this is not the original breather. The one from the parts store wasn't even close to fitting.
With this mod I bet I'm good for 50 more HPs... Ok probably not, but at least now it can breath. The factory duct work is gone so it was sucking air through the tiny slot for the duct. Also, this is not a 1988 breather. I had to special order my WIX filter. Took four trips to the parts store for a freaking air filter. Anyways, I'm getting a little stir crazy waiting on driveshafts. My exhaust manifolds should be in soon so I can get that taken care of. I just want to drive it. This is my last week before I have to start teaching again so my free time is about dwindle down.
If it could break, it broke today. My wife and daughter are out of town for the weekend and I got a confirmation that my drive shafts were going to arrive Sunday. My thoughts were, I can get this truck ready to go down the road before they get home Monday night. Since I'm at work now, I don't have the time I had during the summer to work on this thing. But then, as it always goes everything went sideways. The driver's exhaust manifold I was going to install upon further inspection was busted. (See photo) The soonest I can get another one is Monday but most likely Tuesday. That pretty much killed me. I had just finished torquing the passenger side one. Can't run the truck without exhaust. Well, I guess you could but we won't find out. From there I decided to get as much ready as I could for when the exhaust manifold and drive shafts show up, and then I get notification that the drive shafts are now delayed as well. To make things more interesting, I went to take the front drive shaft off and realized I had two bad bolts. One bolt was stretched, I've never seen one stretch that way. It's the photo with the pencil pointing at the bolt, you'll notice it has finer threads towards the tip and coarser threads towards the head, not sure how that made it past QC. The other as you can see in the photo was completely destroyed upon removal but I know I did not cross thread it. Fortunately, I was able to get a tap in there and clean it back out but what a mess. I'm also still trying to figure out exactly how to fix the chip in the tail housing of the tcase. I'm open to suggestions, I'm not sure that RTV is the answer. I'm thinking about JB welding it but I really really do not like using JB weld. I feel like it's a cheap fix and usually the wrong way to fix things.
My t-case had a chip in that exact spot that the PO tried to weld up. It leaked. Not much. About a drop after driving. You could try that.
I'd have to TIG it though since the 208 is cast aluminum right? Regrettably, I haven't learned how to TIG.
Correct. And that is where the seal rests so it’s gotta be flat and smooth on the inside otherwise it’ll leak like mine.
You know, this gives me a real good reason to go the SYE route. If the drive shafts weren't arriving Monday I would do it, but I don't want to have to wait another month and a half to drive it. You may have noticed that I posted in the parts wanted forum about looking for a NP241. My NP208 is leaking from pretty much every location that they can leak from so I'm going to have to pull it eventually anyways.
A better way in this case is jb weld
That would work to.
