Harmonic balancer replacement job

[Roler]

Planning to replace my harmonic balancer due to the wobble that I found. Preventative maintenance. What should I do, while I'm out there, any other things to order? I read something about a seal.
Never done the job, but will need a pulley tool (might come in handy when other pulleys need replacing). Do I also need a tool to install the HB? Seen some different things on youtube.
I might also look into replacing my radiator at the same time because of leak, although I understand that it should also be do-able with the radiator left in.

Any advice for this job?

[ruffy01]

I recently replaced the timing case seal.
I pulled the radiator for more elbow room, the balancer came off easily enough with a puller. The timing case seal also removed easily with a $10 puller from Bursons, I was sceptical of the $10 Universal Seal Puller but it worked a treat
Replaced both the seal & balancer with a mallet (carefully) & have had no problems at all.
The seal was less than $20, I think, from Wooders.

[Hamsteh]

You'll need a harmonic balancer puller (not a 2/3 claw puller) and the radiator doesn't need removing. I didn't replace crank seal because its really not that hard to pull the balancer - if I need to do it in the future I'll just pull the HB again.

Getting the new HB on has a couple options, some people like to use the original bolt to pull it on - I wouldn't though, because those first few turns are only going to have very small amount of thread purchase and a lot of folks have pulled the threads out of the crank shaft... no thank you.

What I did is bought a longer bolt, a nut and a stack of body washers and kept adding a washer at a time so as to have 90% thread contact for each push (so its threaded almost the whole way in before contacting the washers). It's slower but not a huge deal - and I figure its worth it for the peace of mind.

Oh and as for cracking the crank bolt, a nice big breaker and something to stop the shaft turning is all it takes.

[Roler]

Thanks for the advice so far. To stop the shaft from turning, what did you use and how...you tubes are a bit vague about this, not mentioning that...

[anthonygubbin]

A mech did mine using a special crank nut breaker and a BFH. Was only a 40min job so not worth my time to mess around with it. IMHO I would replace the seal. Only say this because mine started leaking a month later so I paid to have the crank pully removed twice. But if you are doing it yourself everything Hamsteh said. I think I removed the thermo fan which gave the mech a little more room. I also removed the bash plate, probably why he did it in around 40mins.

Regards A

[Beefcake]

Beware the HB bolt can be very tight. I was attempting to do one on a Mazda Bravo last week and had to abort the mission until I get home from work as I couldn't crack the bolt. Not impressed considering the work I'd done to get that close. I am going to make a nut cracker to use with the hammer as even with a pipe on a breaker bar wasn't enough. I even got dodgy and tried the old crank the engine with breaker bar against chassis (I was desperate!) but still no go. Also found a good way to stop the engine turning is a bolt and piece of chain into a hole on the HB and other end shackled to a crossmember. Failing all this it will be de-gas aircon, remove radiator etc and use a rattle gun.

[Hamsteh]

I used a huge ass screwdriver in the flywheel teeth with my mate on a breaker at the HB, but it was hardly ideal... I've heard cylinder packing is easy but the idea scared me too much to try!