Timing Chain Inspection and Replacement

[Tynan918]

Is the fan, water pump, and harmonic balancer the only things I remove to get to the timing chain cover ?

 

[Tynan918]

Yea I know lol

 

[Ribbedroof]

If the threads on your crank are stripped I think you have a bigger problem to worry about. The bolt holding the balancer has to be torqued to 60-65 lbs. If its stripped how will you do that ? You dont want that balancer to work its way loose and fly off while your doing 55MPH. That would suck.

There was no bolt used for a lot of years on SBC production. While not ideal to run no bolt, it's not the end of the world. You don't want to know how people used to install them before cranks were tapped.....

The interference fit is supposed to keep it on, the bolt is the belt in the suspenders and belt layout.

 

[Tynan918]

If the threads on your crank are stripped I think you have a bigger problem to worry about. The bolt holding the balancer has to be torqued to 60-65 lbs. If its stripped how will you do that ? You dont want that balancer to work its way loose and fly off while your doing 55MPH. That would suck.

That's what I was saying before...

There wasn't even a bolt in it when I bought the car... Didn't notice it until a month or two later... I had been driving on the highway at 70-90mph by that time...

When I seen there wasn't a bolt, I bought one to install it but it wouldn't never tighten down, just slipped, so I tightened it the best I could and ran with it...🤷🏾‍♂...been like that since...August/September 2021...

 

[mikester]

There was no bolt used for a lot of years on SBC production. While not ideal to run no bolt, it's not the end of the world. You don't want to know how people used to install them before cranks were tapped.....

The interference fit is supposed to keep it on, the bolt is the belt in the suspenders and belt layout.

Never saw or worked on one without a bolt. What years had that setup ? I will say a guy I know had his balancer fly off his SB in a pretty nasty Nova.

 

[Tynan918]

You don't want to know how people used to install them before cranks were tapped.....

How ? By hammering it ?

I read plenty off times that is a no no...

 

[Ribbedroof]

Never saw or worked on one without a bolt. What years had that setup ? I will say a guy I know had his balancer fly off his SB in a pretty nasty Nova.

I'd have to do some digging to verify years, but pretty sure no small journal SBC ever had one. No 283 or 327 I ever had used one...it may have gone on past that as well

 

[Ribbedroof]

How ? By hammering it ?

I read plenty off times that is a no no...

Seen it many times back in the stone age.

Preferred method was on a stand, with the crank blocked to prevent end play / movement, and a dead-blow hammer with a dense piece of wood and ONLY on the center hub, not the inertia ring.

But, most just whacked it on with whatever they had while it was in the car. Hard on thrust bearing surfaces.

 

[Tynan918]

Well bad news...

The damn tip is stuck on the skinny bolt that goes into the fatter bolt of the balancer installation kit.

I don't own a vice, vice grips don't grip the tip (slides as I turn the skinny bolt to take it off), sat my car tires down on it and it didn't grip it enough, just rolled out from underneath the tire...

Anybody got any ideas ?

I don't have a torch to heat and expand it to get it off, but can I use an oven to heat it up ?

If so, how much temp and how long ?

 

[Tynan918]

"Research has shown that steel can expand anywhere from .006 to .007% in heat of 100 degrees. This isn’t just an inconvenience – it can represent a major safety concern."

So about 250-350°F for about 30 minutes should expand/swell the tip to get it off...

 

[mikester]

Im guessing the threads are galled ? Did you put any grease or anti sieze on the threads before you screwed it in ?