harmonic damper

[SirDan]

im attempting to change my timing chain. im trying to get my harmonic damper off. my chiltons manual just says to "take it off". what a shitty manual it doesent even tell me how to. anyway whats the best way to take this thing off? should i use a puller on it? any help is greatly appreciated. cant wait to fix this poor car.

 

[MtNemoMopar]

Yes, a bolt on puller is the only proper way. It should pull off fairly easily. Google "balancer puller". You should find a good picture.

 

[SirDan]

i used a puller just like that and i think it moved maybe 1/4 of and inch tops then the puller kept slipping off the bolt. i also bent the bolts that went into the balancer from the puller. maybe ill have better luck tommorow.

 

[BillGrissom]

I have never had trouble removing the dampener on my 60's Mopars. That includes a 225 slant, 273, and 383. I use a cheap Harbor Freight type puller. It looks like a large steering wheel puller, with 4 slots for connecting bolts.

However, you can screw up. On a 2.4L Voyager, I ended up swaging the crankshaft to the dampener. I was using a conical seat (on 3-arm puller). I should have inserted a rod to push against the bottom of the crank hole. When it wouldn't budge, I got the factory-type puller at Autozone, but that snapped off an ear on the dampener. I now have to snake the timing belt past the tiny gap to change since I'll never remove that dampener (yes, I tried heat). Moral - work slow and think.