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removing harmonic balancer 420A

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indians32

Probationary Member
20
0
Feb 24, 2009
Fort Wright, Kentucky
i need tips on how to remove my harmonic balancer(crankshaft pully)

i tried using a hb puller, not luck. tried breaking it off, by beating the living piss out of it with an air hammer as well as a regular hammer, still no luck. should i try heating it? any other suggestions would be great. i have a new one already so i dont care if i destroy it or not just need it off so i can drive again

or if you know any other way to get to a water pump on a 1999 eclipse 420a let me know.
 
Yes heat it, but be careful. Someone will probably freak and say NO HEAT. Theres a front main seal right on it that can fail if it gets super hot. Dont get it glowing red but heat will help.
 
I wouldn't heat it due to the rubber insulator ring in the balancer. At work I usually take the crank bolt out, shoot some GOOD* penetrating oil in the keyway slot, then tap around the outside of the balancer with mallet to loosen things up. This works every time for me.




*Not WD-40. Try PB Blaster, BG In-Force, and there are a few others that I don't have access to. OEM Toyota Rust Penetrant is also VERY good but expensive.
 
You rented a Chrysler Harmonic Balencer Puller from Autozone. 60 bucks holding fee and you get it all back when you return it.

Good luck getting it off with or with out heat. We used some mapp gas and heated the pulley up until we thought it was hot enough. then we weged a nice thick bar into one of the 3 holes in the pulley and wedged it between the pulley and the frame. we put the other side on a jack stand so it wouldnt move on us. then we wedged a small socket into the crank bolt hole (not recommended if you DONT plan on replacing the crank, or block, but i replaced the block) and we put the long rod into the hole and into the crank puller and tightened it up like hell. it slowly came off, after several tries and several reheats of the pulley. once it came off we told it what we thought of it. IT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THE ENGINE REBUILD
 
I wouldn't heat it due to the rubber insulator ring in the balancer. At work I usually take the crank bolt out, shoot some GOOD* penetrating oil in the keyway slot, then tap around the outside of the balancer with mallet to loosen things up. This works every time for me.




*Not WD-40. Try PB Blaster, BG In-Force, and there are a few others that I don't have access to. OEM Toyota Rust Penetrant is also VERY good but expensive.

Lol, yep this is what we do at Lexus too.
Might want to take off those four bolts(420a?) that hold it on too...that'd help.
 
DO NOT HEAT THAT! it is more then one piece. and it will destroy/weaken your part. not to mention that ALL your most important pieces of you motor to make it operate are right there!! that piece is held togaether by a real tiny ammout of sealant/rubber etc. take some PB blaster or WD-40 and soak them for alittle be pacient. aso take a screw driver and put it on the bolt head and give them a few taps to maybe loosen some dirt/grime

put some muscle in it will ya:hellyeah:
 
The 420a harmonic balancer is an interference fit to the crank snout, with one bolt to keep it in place.

Just rent the "Chrysler Harmonic Balancer Puller" from autozone or wherever, and use that. Do not use a conventional 3 jaw puller. The Chrysler puller will work without the risk of heat. Penetrating sprays will do nothing to help here, interference fit and all. Extremely simple job with the proper tool.

Post 420a specific questions in the 420a Bolt-On Section to avoid the mess of inaccurate replies in the future.
 
Since you keep saying 420a, im assuming there is a different way/method/tool for 4g63? if so can you help me out? thanks.

For the 4g63 you can simply remove the 4 bolts and give the pulley a gentle whop with a mallet.
 
Yup on the 4g63 the pulley will fall off after removing the four bolts. The the 420a ALWAYS use a proper puller, or on any car with an interference fit dampner. I have a cheap puller I got at harbor freight and it works great! You have to remember the puller saves possible damage to things like the crankshaft thrust bearing, oil seal, crankshaft sensor, etc. Goodluck, and I just returned a valve spring compressor to Advanced auto parts, their rental service is great, its free if you remember to return the tool with-in three months.
 
Yea, a special, three claw puller to go through the slots on the pulley itself, then the center push bolt in the middle..

Like a glorified steering wheel puller ...

Yea, the 4G37's and 63's - even with three bolts out and you have already began to loosen the 4th one, it seems that the pulley wants to fall in your hands..
 
The pulley on my 1g was stuck every time I attempted to remove it, but it fell off with a tap. Different environments and conditions I suppose, though. YMMV.
 
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