Harmonic balancer question?

[steves66]

I bought a 426 Hemi style performance harmonic balancer for my stroker build from 440 Source and I can't even get it started on the crank. I measured the inside diameter on the balancer and it is 1.526" and the crank outside diameter is 1.532". I have read that some after market performance balancers are smaller and require hone to fit. Have any of you experienced this? Any guidance would be appreciated.

[firefighter3931]

Yep, that is often the case Steve. I've heard of guys throwing them in the oven for 1/2 hr at 250* to get them to expand. I went with the Summit SFI balancer on mine and it was a very tight fit. Do you have a balancer installation tool ?

Ron

[steves66]

I have a homemade one. I actually got the balancer started and it was so tight. I had more than 130 ft. lbs. of torque on the bolt I was using in the end of the crank to pull up the balancer. That's when I stopped and thought something was wrong and then measured. I was afraid of stripping the bolt or even worse the crank! I was thinking about maybe using a brake cylinder hone to try and make it go on easier.

[firefighter3931]

I was thinking about maybe using a brake cylinder hone to try and make it go on easier.

Yep, that'll work. If it's going on that hard you should hone it out. You want to be able to remove it, if you ever have to.

I made my own (installarion tool) as well.....out of threaded rod.

Ron

[steves66]

If I did get it on being that tight it would have never come off. I had it on about 1" before I decided to take it back off, and it just about didn't come off!
Thanks Ron.