Replacing Harmonic Balancer On 1974 Blazer with SBC 350

[Chief Brody]

The reason I ask is that I bought a new clean bolt and put loctite on it. I hand tightened the bolt (crankshaft harmonic balancer bolt) and then tightened with a ratchet until it started to turn the engine. I got the torque wrench and spent the next hour and a half trying to figure out how to stop the engine from turning so I could torque it to the click.

 

[TJ1978]

Worth the $ balancer installer tool

 

[Chief Brody]

I have one.

 

[Wes Harden]

Yeah it probably set before you you where ready to finial torque. pull it out wire brush it, loctite on the end threads only need 4 or 5 threads.
If you can blow out the crank threads before installing bolt again. iirc is 60 foot pd

 

[Chief Brody]

I put a line of blue all the way down the bolt...hope it comes out

 

[Wes Harden]

it will, if it doesn't move right away hit the bolt with a heat gun for a minute or two then whined it out

 

[diesel4me]

Just think --no SBC had a balancer bolt in the crank until 1967 or so,till then,they were just a "press fit" ,and they rarely ever came off..blue locktite on the bolt seems overkill,tighten it and don't worry about it..

 

[Chief Brody]

Just think --no SBC had a balancer bolt in the crank until 1967 or so,till then,they were just a "press fit" ,and they rarely ever came off..blue locktite on the bolt seems overkill,tighten it and don't worry about it..

I am very tempted to just go with it. I was able to get it torqued to spec. I can check it periodically and retighten to spec if necessary.

I don't have a heat gun, and the way this thing has been going I don't want to have a broken off crankshaft bolt.

 

[mrk5]

I've been using new ARP balancer bolts which have your lubricate the threads and washer for installation.

 

[Chief Brody]

I think Pulley alignment is going to be my next check. The crank pulley and the waterpump pulleys absolutely align. I am not as sure about the power steering pump and the AC. They look a little off to me

 

[diesel4me]

I am very tempted to just go with it. I was able to get it torqued to spec. I can check it periodically and retighten to spec if necessary.

I don't have a heat gun, and the way this thing has been going I don't want to have a broken off crankshaft bolt.

I remember buying an '86 305 from a friend's van to put in my '79 C-10 "Bonanza" and when I went to take off the balancer to replace the timing chain & gears (and the oil pump & screen,after I noticed the plastic cam gear teeth were gone!),before installing it,the balancer bolt came out without me applying any torque,the threads in the crank were wiped out bad!..the bolt refused to tighten ,and I didn't dare try using a longer one than stock (some deeper threads were still intact)..

I ended up just tapping the crank with a 1/2"x13 tap and used a grade 5 1/2" course thread bolt I had the right length instead ,with no lock tite ,I just tightened it till the engine wanted to turn over,then gave the ratchet a whack with a hammer to "torque" it...it never gave me any trouble and I drove it a lot in the years afterwards..my older brother told me how the older engines never even had the cranks drilled for a bolt..!..
I never lost any sleep over it..