Engine Assembly: Harmonic Balancer

My original damper was otherwise in good shape but I did notice a small groove where the front seal had ridden on it. Tom Monroes book mentions that you could buy a small sleeve that is installed over the seal surface. Luckily US-Parts had them in stock so I went and bought one. The box contained some glue/sealer that was first spread on the damper and then the sleeve itself was carefully tapped in.

The groove most likely had not been large enough to leak but I don't want to take any chances. Now I could install the damper. First I spread some lube on the seal surface and inside the bore.

And it was time to put the damper in. I pushed it as far as I could by hand and then put the crank bolt in to finish the deal. Quite soon the crank started turning with the bolt so I had to prevent that. I used a small pry bar that I placed between the counterweight and the block.

Now I could torque the bolt to 75 ft-lbs and the damper installation was done.

Disassembling The Engine Part 1

With the course laid in, it was time to tear down the engine. First I drained the coolant and removed the radiator. This gave me enough room to get the fan out. Then I disconnected the alternator wires, unbolted it and lifted it out. Now I could get to the water pump and remove it.

The harmonic balancer was a bit more tricky to get out. I removed the three bolts that hold the pulley to the damper and then had to get the large crank bolt out. It is so tight that you need to prevent the engine from turning. I did that by adding two of the flywheel bolts to the back of the crank, placed my jack handle between them and turned the engine until the handle touched the exhaust. Now the crank would not turn and I could get the bolt out.

Finally I needed a puller to get the damper out. My friend had one so I borrowed it. He had made it by welding two pieces of iron together and drilling four holes to it. Simple but effective and I soon had the balancer out.

DIY harmonic balancer puller

Now the road was clear for the timing chain cover. I unbolted the fuel pump from it and then removed the cover itself.

The timing chain itself can be pulled out by just removing the fuel pump eccentric and then wiggling the gears until they come free. The chain had quite a lot of play so it's definitely time to replace it.

Before continuing to drop the crank, I removed the oil pump and then cleaned the parts a bit to see what new stuff I needed. Luckily most were in pretty good condition. The chain cover was almost like new. No rust, just a lot of dirt. I'll clean it, paint it and put it back.

The water pump was also really good. So good that I suspect that it has been replaced at some point. No rust inside or out and no play in the shaft. No need to replace it either.

Finally I checked the damper and again found nothing wrong with it. The rubber seemed good so it can be reused after some more cleaning.

So only the oil pump, timing chain and bearings need to be replaced. Unless I find more surprises...

Old and new oil pumps

New Federal Mogul timing chain