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Please help me understand what I need to know about the harmonic balancer for my 5.0L. Top is balancer off my 1986 5.0L. The keyway appears to be at 30° BTDC and 0° seems to line up about perfectly with the pully bolt holes.
The photo below is the balancer off of a 1988 5.0L. It looks as if it is different. It looks like it has drifted about 1.5° from where the'86 is.
Questions, do these drift? Are they a wear item? Should my low HP engine build get a new one?
It's not necessarily the accuracy I'm concerned with. Last night, my younger brother tells me the balancer on his late 80s Thunderbird became separated. For a new one, I would probably try to hunt down a NOS. I hear the can be had for a price.
However, if my '86 balancer is not likely to fall apart, I would just use it.
The crank key way lines up with the timing marks on the timing set. The position of TDC or "0" will align with the timing pointer, so the two should not be aligned with each other.
I just found out that none of the big three auto parts stores locally have a harmonic balancer install tool for rent.
Can I expect satisfactory results by using the mounting bolt to pull the balancer onto the crank?
I've never used a tool, just the bolt. Only time you might want to use the tool is with the old timing covers that didn't have the dowels to center the cover to align the front seal over the crank snout.
I ended up using the tool. One distinct advantage is there is no inclination for the the crank to turn.
The local O'Reilly's had one. It was just out when I checked online the evening prior. The bearing in the kit felt like it was full of sand so I washed it out with WD40. Clean as a whistle, the ball bearings fell out. One went to the floor. Five minutes to find it. Got the ***** back in, greased with Maxima bearing lube, then peened over the edge of the bearing so the ***** could not fall out again.
I put a shmear of RTV on the inside of the balancer near the spot it transitions to the smaller, press fit diameter. Also a dab in the balancer keyway. The brand new balancer went right on and it was apparent that the bolt would have worked as easily. Put some anti-seize on the bolt and torqued to spec with a 24" pipe wrench as backup. Painted the TDC mark yellow, the 10° BTDC mark white.
Great idea to put bright paint lines on the timing marks.
A word of caution regarding anti-seize, it reduces friction quite a bit so fasteners will end up much tighter when torqued to spec with it.
In this case it's probably not an issue, though. For head bolts or con rod nuts, it would be.
Great idea to put bright paint lines on the timing marks.
A word of caution regarding anti-seize, it reduces friction quite a bit so fasteners will end up much tighter when torqued to spec with it.
In this case it's probably not an issue, though. For head bolts or con rod nuts, it would be.
Depending on which manual you are looking at. One says one thing, one says something else. I have the old 302 rebuild guide and the Hayse Manual. Neither is great. The old rebuild guide author uses anti seize on the balancer bolt. Of course, we use 30w oil on rod, main and longer head bolts. Sealer only on the shorter head bolts.
I'm pretty sure the factory shop manual says to use a small amount of engine oil on head bolts, conrod nuts etc. before torquing.
ARP insists on using its own miracle goop and gives torque values when using that specific lube.
