Harmonic Ballancer Puller

Time to install a new harmonic balncer. I went on Ebay and saw 5 different kinds of pullers from ones that looked like the Jaws of Life @ $70.00 to the duckfoot variety @$10.00-$15.00. Which do I need. I don't mind spending the money on a more expensive model but don't want to end up with something that does not work. Thanks in advance.

I've used the duckfoot type, one from the Autozone loan a tool program and one i purchased from Harbor Freight. Both worked fine. blaise

That is the answer I was hoping for except that none of the Autozone or Pepboys type of stores around here loan out tools. That's what I get for living in an area where the cost of living is though the roof.

I've got the 'duck foot' type that is a combo harmonic balancer/steering wheeler puller. I've used it for both. Works fine.

w_howey said:

I've got the 'duck foot' type that is a combo harmonic balancer/steering wheeler puller. I've used it for both. Works fine.

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x2, I think I paid $7.99 for it as well.

I did mine yesterday with a duckfoot style I bought at harbour frieght for ten bucks.

And, in the haynes book it says "do NOT use jaw type pullers on the vibration dampener"

Yep - you don't want to pull on the outer ring, or it is likely to separate on you (and you'll still have the hub in place.)

The duckfoot should work neatly. It uses screws to grab the pully hub (the holes are threaded 5/16"-18, as I recall,) and then a central "ram" screw to putt the thing off.

INSTALLATION - get a 1/2"-20 screw and a stack of washers. Grease the washers lightly, set the damper in place (mind the keyway!) and slowly turn the screw.

You can use the hardened washer to bear against the face of the damper hub without incident, and when you get close, go ahead and use the OEM screw to finish.

DO NOT HAMMER THE DAMPER ON!!! Great way to wreck the part...

5-90

So of those of you that have replaced the damper, what kind of mileage did it go go out at? I'm looking at 150K. And to be 100% sure it is in fact the damper, I've read people talk about the rubber coming out from somewhere but as far as I can tell I have to pull the thing off to tell anyway. If I'm going to all that trouble I might as well replace it. Right? I'm going out now to see if there is wobble while it is running while holding a pencil up to it. Thanks again.

150-200K miles. There's a little variation - I think the earliest I had to replace an AMC242HD was about 160K, and the latest being about 220K. You're just about "in the zone" for wanting replacement.

Granted, you'd replace it earlier if you had a front main leak - and it's a good idea to replace the front main seal while you're in there anyhow (since it costs about five bucks, and you'd have to pull the HD to replace it anyhow. It's like doing a rear main for an oil sump gasket leak - you're there anyhow, and it only takes another five minutes or so.)

Do not "buzz on" the HD with the screw - I forgot to mention that as well. And, be sure to lubricate the HD snout (I use either "red moly" grease or engine assembly lube) and seal lip before you put it in - keeps you from scuffing the seal and doing the job again...

5-90

OK,... now I'm unsure of what's going on. The balancer seems to be solid holding a pencil to it as it spins,..... just a miniscule bit of skippping. Nothing is leaking from the water pump, a screwdriver held against the alternator with my ear at the other side, power steering pump and AC condensor as well did not reveal any exceptional sounds. Yet I hear a sound like bearings are being chewed to death in their races. The engine otherwise purrs like a kitten and you wouldn't think anything is wrong. Any suggestions?

The usual test for a failing HD is to see if the inertia ring (the outer bit) is still flush at the face with the hub (the inner bit.) It's supposed to be able to move just a bit when operating - that's what the 1/4" thick rubber ring is for..

Generally, when the elastomer ring fails, the inertia ring "walks" off the hub - either forward (throwing the belt) or backwards (into the timing cover.) Make sense?

So, if the hub and inertia ring are not flush at the face anymore, the elastomer is starting to fail.

Alternate failure mode - sometimes, the rubber itself "squidges" out from between the hub and inertia ring. It can be trimmed as a short-term fix, but the HD should also be replaced then. I usually take protrusion of more than 1/8" as a sign of needing replacement - a slight "beading" of the elastomer at the face of the damper is normal after a while, and a consequence of the HD doing what it's made to do.

5-90

You're always the guy with the dead on answers. Now that I understand better what you're talking about. There is absolutley nothing wrong with the dampener. The inner and outer surfaces are flush and there couldn't be more than 1/16" of rubber sticking out between them. Can a waterpump make that kind of noise prior to failure without leaking? I replaced it at around 107k so it could be at the end of its life. I hope to g-d its not an internal engine part.

Could be. I'd take the belt off and start spinning pullys by hand. Hell, it might even be an ilder pully that wants a $5 bearing!

When you hand-turn the pullys, be sure to put some "side load" on them to simulate belt tension. Don't just spin them with your fingers - pull sideways on them while you turn them. Even if you don't hear the bearing going, you'll feel it.

5-90

Wouldn't that be sweet. I can't get to it for the next day or so but I'll give it a try. Thanks again.