Tighten Harmonic Balancer Bolt

Notanexit92 · Post by **Notanexit92** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 1:27 pm

How do I tighten it to the Torque Specs when I cant keep it from moving? Is there any tips on how to keep it from rotating? This is an MPX underdrive pulley so there's nowhere I can wedge a screw driver or pry bar to keep it steady.

Thanks

sidepipe87 · Post by **sidepipe87** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 1:34 pm

impact wrench.

Post by **jonnymopar** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:58 pm

sidepipe87 wrote:impact wrench.

That's the way to do it. Once it's completely assembled and able to start, you can use the impact wrench to get the accessory belt aligned dead nuts just by using a few quick hits and starting the engine each time to verify the alignment.

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 2:55 am

If you don't have an impact wrench, you can make your own installer. Just get a 6" long bolt that's the same thread and size as the pulley bolt, then put a nut and some washers on the end. Thread it into the hole, then turn the nut while holding the bolt head with a socket wrench. I also put the car in gear and wedged a block of wood between the seat and brake pedal to keep the pulley from moving.

I used 4 or 5 washers, but I could only find one for the picture.

sidepipe87 · Post by **sidepipe87** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:22 pm

While we're at it... there's no such thing as installing it too far, correct? As in it bottoms out where it belongs and won't push the crank sprocket in too far.

Reinstalling mine I realized that the accessory belt is not lined up perfectly and the damper needs to go in a bit more. I'm guessing I can just put the impact on it and work it in a bit more without any harm.

FAC3L3SS · Post by **FAC3L3SS** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:24 pm

^ Valid question. Idk what difficulties lie ahead with re-installing, but I feel like it should bottom out, whether it's the bolt or pulley itself idk.

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:31 pm

Yep, just rip that puppy on there. The pulley will bottom out on the crank, so going too far is pretty slim

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:46 pm

Or have someone sit in the car with it in gear and hold the brakes. should work.

I think i put the car in gear, put the driver side tire on the ground, and used a bar on the studs of the passenger side tire and torqued it down.

Post by **jonnymopar** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:47 pm

I don't know about the 2.0, but I know for a fact that you can drive the crank sprocket flat against the oil pump on a 2.4 if you go crazy with the impact wrench. The cylinder head in my garage is off of a 2.4 that had exactly that done to it. Because one bolt was over-tightened, the following parts were junk:

Oil pump
Crank
#3 bearing
Pistons
Block (all 4 bores scored on one side from the pistons/rods being pulled toward the crank pulley after the #3 bearing eventually gave up)

sidepipe, when I installed mine, once everything was assembled, I scribed a mark on the bolt head and the pulley itself. That way, I could keep track of how far I was going with the impact wrench. It only needed about an extra half turn to line everything up nice, but again, with that mark, I was able to keep track of it. Give it a few quick impact hits, start it, check it, repeat as necessary.

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:48 pm

Interesting

That would have to be a hell of a lot of torque.

Post by **jonnymopar** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:53 pm

I might have even taken pics of it before I tossed it in the scrap heap. I'll have to look. One side of the thrust bearing was ground down to almost nothing.

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:43 pm

Possibly the damper end wasn't machined enough, so it pushed the timing sprocket into the oil pump. The 2.4 and 2.0 both use the same damper, IIRC. It should bottom out against the inside of the hub. Or the crank snout had been machined too far letting it go too far in.

If it is torqued to spec, it will bottom out.

Putting it in gear only works for MTX cars, BTW. ATX's will not hold due to the torque converter. There is no direct lock between engine and trans. You could pull the inspection cover, and hold against a flexplate bolt. It is how I did it with the ATX cars I owned in the past.

Threads are 12mm x 1.75 IIRC.