05 4.0 balancer problem

[stockcarracer]

The harmonic balancer is shot. No big deal. The problem is I cannot get it off. I put my puller on it and started cranking on the bolt. It moved the balancer out about 3/8 of an inch. Then it stopped. I put one more pull on the wrench and one of the bolts pulled out with the threads. I will drill and tap tomorrow. Now here is the question. Has anyone had problems removing theirs? A ford guy told me that the key in the crank can pivot front to back and cause the balancer to freeze and not move. Any ideas?

 

[Ronin8002]

The harmonic balancer is shot. No big deal. The problem is I cannot get it off. I put my puller on it and started cranking on the bolt. It moved the balancer out about 3/8 of an inch. Then it stopped. I put one more pull on the wrench and one of the bolts pulled out with the threads. I will drill and tap tomorrow. Now here is the question. Has anyone had problems removing theirs? A ford guy told me that the key in the crank can pivot front to back and cause the balancer to freeze and not move. Any ideas?

Wow, never had that happen, even on my 91 when I pulled the original balancer on it. the ford guy's explanation kinda makes sense. I don't know how you'd get around that though, other than drilling, tapping and trying again.

When you do give it another shot though, maybe make the bolts go all the way thru the balancer and put nuts with washers on the backside to help spread out some of the force there instead of having it all in the threads?

 

[stockcarracer]

Kinda feel stupid on this one. The head on my puller that should have pushed against the crank was pushing against a keyed spacer of some sort. i cut the head off the crank bolt and then cut a slit in the end of it. I screwed it in with a screw driver a few turns. Then the puller pushed against the bolt. Came right off.

 

[Ronin8002]

Glad you got it figured out