Serious problem Removing the harmonic balancer

[ScottLawrence78]

I was wondering if anyone could help me. I was replacing my 05 ford explorer's v6 4.0 harmonic balancer. I got the center bolt out after reading about the trick with cranking the engine. I rented the puller from advance auto. I then notice the bolts wasnt long enough to hook on to the balancer to pull it off. So I made the biggest mistake I went to home depot and brought longer ones. They both broke off inside the balancer when I was trying to get it off. Is there any other way to get the balancer off? Or any suggestions of what I could do? I would really appricate it.

 

[ScottLawrence78]

Would this work to go on the outside of the balancer?
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-three-jaw-puller-40970.html

 

[Ronin8002]

worth a try. Just make sure you insert (but don't thread) a bolt in the center of the pulley for the puller center bolt to "push" on.

 

[ScottLawrence78]

Should i use the old center bolt?

 

[Ronin8002]

Better to use a slightly smaller one that will slide into the hole and not engage the threads.

 

[ScottLawrence78]

Should the head of the bolt be smaller to so it can go through the whole?

 

[Ronin8002]

No, just the body of the bolt itself. The whole point is for the bolt be long enough to reach the bottom of the hole in the crankshaft with some extra length left over. This allows you to use the tool to push on the head of the bolt so that the pulley slides right over the body of the bolt and off the crank. If you re-used the original bolt it might be long enough. Never tried it...and it might just spin around in the threads and get tightened down as you try and press of the pulley.