remove flywheel cover w/o removing crossover?

[johnny2can]

Dang! Why does almost every weekend project turn into more?

Need to replace harmonic balancer, which means I need to keep the engine from turning over while I torque. The only real answer I got to that was to "grab the flywheel with vise-grips", but...

I can't figure out how to get the flywheel cover off *without* removing the crossover. If I take off the crossover, I might as well get JK's crossover for all the parts I'll have to replace... which wouldn't *completely* break my heart, however...

Ideas?

p.s. the good news is that the local auto store sold me a new *pulley* thinkin' it was the *balancer* for $79! Of course, I have to order "another" balancer now... :rolleyes: :cool:

[rjwest]

????? flat bar stock, drill 2 hole to match
pully holes, 2 throw away bolts to hold it to damper, add bar etc for leverage.??????

[john8662]

Skip removing the flywheel cover, especially on a 4x4 model. You don't have to remove the flywheel cover to keep the engine from spinning over. What I do is take a 1/2" extension and insert it into one of the holes in the balancer and rotate the engine until I can jam the engine from turning. Like this (on a 6.2L) Click on the image for a bigger picture.


http://members.cox.net/acmdsl/www/truck/ipstudgears/01/256x192/P1010017-256.jpg (http://members.cox.net/acmdsl/www/truck/ipstudgears/01/800x600/P1010017-800.jpg)


You can also find a place on it where you can Jam it for torquing the bolt down. To get your extension out, just rotate the engine the other way with your socket on the bolt, since it will be plenty tight to rotate the engine w/o loosening the bolt one bit.

[johnny2can]

Thanks guys! I'll "git 'r done" this week then!

[trbankii]

With all the various posts about the harmonic balancer, I figure I should check mine out.

So, the first question is "how" to check it... Feel it? Look at it? What am I looking/feeling for?

Second question is getting at it. Despite the above photo, my understanding is that I don't have to open the engine up to check/replace the balancer... Correct?

Many thanks!