Harmonic Balancer Problems
#1
02-22-2018, 03:51 PM
Harmonic Balancer Problems
]My name is Jim and I'm new to this forum,
I picked up a 1998 Town and Country 3.8. The problem is the harmonic balancer. Do I have the wrong one? Is the crank shaft shot? Has anyone had this problem and what is the fix. What can you tell from the pictures?
Any help will be appreciated
I picked up a 1998 Town and Country 3.8. The problem is the harmonic balancer. Do I have the wrong one? Is the crank shaft shot? Has anyone had this problem and what is the fix. What can you tell from the pictures?
Any help will be appreciated
#2
02-24-2018, 09:48 PM
I'm new, too and it's been years since I did one. Has the sleeve pulled out of the balancer? Are you sure you were pushing against the end of the crank with the puller? I doubt you've damaged the crankshaft, but getting that piece out will be tricky.
#4
02-26-2018, 09:18 PM
Update: I spent the day working on my town & country. I used shims to fill the gaps and was able to get the pully to stay on. I don’t trust the repair and am looking at 2 choices. Pull the crank and replace it. Or just weld the pully on to the end of the crank. The easy fix is welding. As long as I get it on plumb and don’t melt the seal the fix should work. The proper fix is to pull and replace the crankshaft. Can the crankshaft be pulled with the engine in the car? Seems to me that would be the easiest proper fix. Has anyone pulled a crank with the motor in the car. Thanks for any thoughts.
#5
02-27-2018, 04:31 AM
How about weld the wheel on and pull the whole thing of . The heat from the welding might help it to come of .
#6
02-27-2018, 12:03 PM
Here is a little history on the car. It belonged a friend of mine, 2 years ago he had the pulley fall off, took it to a shop for repair. Unfortunately he drove the car too long with a wobbly pulley and ground down the end of the crank. I bought the car for $100. There is 113K on the engine. It starts, its straight and everything seems in pretty good condition. It was his daily driver and maintenance was up to date at the time of the harmonic balancer fail. So the car has just been sitting for the last 2 years. Has anyone herd of welding the harmonic balancer on the crank? How hard is to pull the engine to replace the crank, or can the crank be replaced without pulling the engine. A new crank isn’t that expensive but I’m thinking its a lot of work. I want to get the car on the road. Is there another harmonic balancer with a smaller internal diameter that could be used on the crank end? I know if I weld the balancer on any failure will destroy the engine if anything else goes wrong with the front end of the motor. The issue isn’t getting the pulley off but keeping it on.
I appreciate the all the ideas and am looking for what direction to take.
Thanks Jim
I appreciate the all the ideas and am looking for what direction to take.
Thanks Jim
Last edited by Captbadjim; 02-27-2018 at 12:06 PM.
#7
02-28-2018, 04:51 AM
The rusty thing on the crankshaft is a pice of the balancer so if you weld the wheel back on the stud/sleve and pull the whole thing of you are good and mount a new/other one.
The balancer is sealing against the packring on the cover. The crankshaft is behind , the only thing of the crankshaft you can see is the thread to the center bolt.
The balancer is sealing against the packring on the cover. The crankshaft is behind , the only thing of the crankshaft you can see is the thread to the center bolt.
#10
02-28-2018, 05:50 AM
To answer your specific question of Crankshaft replacement, The motor or trans has to come out to unbolt the flex plate. Or better yet drop them out as a unit and then separate.
All the same you have a huge labor intensive job, as the pulley en cover has to come off also to drop the crank. I suggest with all the money you saved in the purchase of this van, to buy at least the HAYNES repair manual for it...You will find it handy for a LOT of things about this ride!
All the same you have a huge labor intensive job, as the pulley en cover has to come off also to drop the crank. I suggest with all the money you saved in the purchase of this van, to buy at least the HAYNES repair manual for it...You will find it handy for a LOT of things about this ride!