Main pulley is too far forward

I was under my jeep today and noticed a rather alarming development. The main pulley is too far forward, and that is causing the belt to come off.



I put a wrench on the big bolt in the middle of the pulley and it’s not loose. Any idea what’s going on.

That is the harmonic balancer. It is starting to severaly separate. Get it replaced ASAP.

yes, replace it.I had one come apart @70mph,not good.It took out the belt&both trannylines in the process.

While pulling the radiator isn't mandatory, it will certainly help. You'll need a harmonic balancer puller (fairly cheap) and an installer (which can be done with a 1/2"-20 bolt and a stack of washers, if you're cheap and careful.)

The "Sleeve" you're wondering about is a repair item for the front main seal - which you should replace while you're in there anyhow. In some cases, the seal lip actually wears a groove into the crankshaft surface, and a new seal will leak - that's what the sleeve is for. It is heated and slipped onto the crank, then allowed to cool - this provides a new sealing surface for the new seal. It isn't usually required, tho. Like I said, since the frfont mean seal replacement requires pulling the balancer, might as well do it while you're in there - adds about ten minutes to the job.

As I recall from recently looking into this (for a paying job...)
Balancer puller (which I have anyhow) - about $20 for the kit.
Balancer, OEMR (dealership) - about $60
Balancer installer (bolt & washers) - about $4
Front main seal - about $5

I forgot how long it took the last time I did it (which was a few years ago) and I didn't get the last job. Parts should still be fairly cheap.

5-90

[font=&quot]So do you need to have the special puller or will a gear puller get’er done? Anyone know of a write-up?[/font]

If you need a writeup, you'll want to get a factory manual or a Chilton's - sounds like you'll need a better writeup than I could do at the moment (being a little tired...)

You'll also need to get a harmonic damper puller - you won't be able to grab it with a gear puller. The damper has three threaded holes that you use to attach the damper puller - the puller itself is a crowfoot flange that pulls on the bolts, and that removes the damper. If you use a gear puller on the damper, you'll probably pull the ring off, and it may not grab the hub well enough to pull it.

The installer (bolt/washers, or special tool) is also critical - using a hammer can cause trouble.

For an unsalvageable damper, a slide hammer can be used with a crowfoot and the right size bolts.

A couple pointers -
Lubricate the crankshaft nose and the damper sealing surface with grease before installation - saves some strain and damage to the seal.
Watch you don't shear off the woodruff key when you run the damper down.
Run the damper down slowly so you don't tear the seal.
When you change the front main, you'll want to apply a lightl layer of RTV Black around the rim before you tap it into place (a small hammer is good here - the smaller the better. You're driving into a cast aluminum case.)
Make sure you use several washers when you are installing the damper, and a little grease between the washers makes this easier as well.

HTH

5-90

I made a puller with a drill and some flat/angle steel and bolts that fit the HB threads. With an auto transmission, it can be hard to break the bolt loose. I figured a way by resting a long wrench/break-over bar on the floor and bumping the starter. The engine rotational direction is ripe for doing this.

Tightening can be another thing but I used loc-tite and got it torqued correctly going the other way. I actually held the new HB with some of the puller bolts and a 2nd wrench while torqueing.

Other than that, like the others said about installing - oil the seal surface, don't hammer/pry on it (bring it to about 120-150 degrees in an oven and it may slide on?), torque it right, don't over tighten the accessory belt or you may be doing this again very soon. (as well as replacing alt, water pump, AC compressor, idler, etc. more frequently than needed)

Good luck, see you on the other side...