Crank pulley / harmonic balancer has a slight wobble and oil leak - 84 fj60 (1 Viewer)

[Tighe]

Hi all,

I recently noticed a pretty sizable oil leak coming from the front of the engine, at the harmonic balancer, which also seems to have a little wobble to it. No noise associated with it and the wobble is not bad, but I'd like to take care of it. From everything I've read there seems to be no real fix other than replacing the entire unit. Before I go about doing this I wanted to make sure this was the best course of action. I assume there is some delamination occurring but will remove it for further inspection before ordering any replacement parts.

Can the HB be pulled with a standard puller? Anything special to be aware of during this process?

Thanks,

Tighe

 

[Spike Strip]

You're doing what needs to be done. I sprayed everything down with Kroil for a couple of days and it came off pretty easy.

To pull it, there are two threaded holes in the HB that you use to remove, if you put one of those 'hook' pullers on it, you'll bend it worse.... I forget what hole size but there are other posts on it. I *think* it's 8mm (or 10mm) x 1.25 or 1.5. Not sure. (I looked at another thread that said, 10mm x 1.5 ... )

The Power Bond replacements from O'Reilly are good, as well as still avail from Mr. T.

 

[Spike Strip]

Oh, btw, there's also a place in Oregon, I think (@Dynosoar or @doug720 I believe has posted ) that rebuilds your HB with a new elastomeric center, like the OE unit. Quite a savings over new OE.

 

[OSS]

There's a wee little detail that needs some attention before pulling the HB: The Lock Nut. If yours is already off, great. If not, I pity you.

 

[Tighe]

Thanks for the replies! Spike, is this the place you're referring to? I assume so as there look to be lots of happy customers here on Mud.

Dale Manufacturing - Salem OR

Haven't been able to track down a used OEM in good condition yet, so this may be the best bet yet. Even the Power Bond unit from O'Reilly is near $500 - yikes!

Really, thank a lot for the info.

 

[Spike Strip]

That's the place.

HB on rockauto about $360.

Or, Contact Mark at www.marksoffroad.net 818-9539230 - He might have a used OE unit.

@65swb45

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Those bolts will need to be 3 inches long. I pulled mine and struggled till I had to buy that length from the local Ace. Neither the birds foot puller I used or that one Spike shows (I purchased later) had the right length.
I had a unique difference experience pulling mine as it was tack welded in place (I cut free w/ a dremel) and then once I got it loose it had no key.
But I used a stretch of 5 foot pipe over the handle of my wrench that I literally hung on over the right fender. Came free quite easily. And I'm just a 125lb female...
@roadstr6 fixed his which actually came apart altogether too.
Depending on what you find there are other alternative means to fixing the issue.
Good luck!

 

[roadstr6]

Be aware that the leak and the wobble are probably two different issues. The front crank seal may be bad but the timing cover will need to come off in order to replace that seal. Pulling and re-sealing the timing cover and replacing the seal may not fix it either. The timing cover is bolted to what is essentially a plate that has a gasket behind it. If that gasket is leaking, you will spend a lot of time and effort getting to it. Depending on the severity of the leak, you may be better off leaving it alone.

The wobbly pulley does need to be addressed. What happens is that the rivets that hold the pulley onto the harmonic balancer lose their grip and the pulley starts to come loose. If you let it go too long, this will happen:

I believe that a large majority of these pulley failures are a result of overtightened belts. You should always run your belts just tight enough that they don't slip or squeal. Looser is better than tighter. Overtightening can cause all kinds of pulley and bearing failures in your accessories.

A good used HB/pulley from a 3FE (FJ62) will work, but the pulley is a bit smaller. The 3FE pulley is bolted together, not riveted, so it is probably more robust. You will likely need different belts to compensate for the size difference.

I fixed this horrific HB / pulley failure by knocking out what was left of the rivets, drilling / tapping the HB for bolts, installing bolts and nuts in the old rivet locations and tack welding the bolts and nuts to the HB. It balanced out fine and has not caused any problems since.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Glad you commented Dave. I couldn't remember which pulley was a decent swap; knew you would.
And that back plate can't come off w/o pulling the whole shaft. Def not something you want to do unless you pull the engine.

 

[Ashok]

Be aware that the leak and the wobble are probably two different issues. The front crank seal may be bad but the timing cover will need to come off in order to replace that seal. Pulling and re-sealing the timing cover and replacing the seal may not fix it either. The timing cover is bolted to what is essentially a plate that has a gasket behind it. If that gasket is leaking, you will spend a lot of time and effort getting to it. Depending on the severity of the leak, you may be better off leaving it alone.

The wobbly pulley does need to be addressed. What happens is that the rivets that hold the pulley onto the harmonic balancer lose their grip and the pulley starts to come loose. If you let it go too long, this will happen:

View attachment 1508108 View attachment 1508109 View attachment 1508110


I believe that a large majority of these pulley failures are a result of overtightened belts. You should always run your belts just tight enough that they don't slip or squeal. Looser is better than tighter. Overtightening can cause all kinds of pulley and bearing failures in your accessories.

A good used HB/pulley from a 3FE (FJ62) will work, but the pulley is a bit smaller. The 3FE pulley is bolted together, not riveted, so it is probably more robust. You will likely need different belts to compensate for the size difference.

I fixed this horrific HB / pulley failure by knocking out what was left of the rivets, drilling / tapping the HB for bolts, installing bolts and nuts in the old rivet locations and tack welding the bolts and nuts to the HB. It balanced out fine and has not caused any problems since.

 

[Ashok]

Hello folks,
I need a harmonic balancer for 1989 land cruiser fj60. Please email me. Ahluwalia_ashok@yahoo.com

 

[chriscwill07]

I know this is an older thread but I had trouble finding a decently priced crankshaft pulley w/ AC online for an 86 FJ60. Found one for $300 at shop.cruiserparts.net. It fits 75-87 cruisers with AC. Went ahead and found the big 46mm nut there also $15. I found a 46mm socket on Amazon. I figured I didn’t want to chance pulling it and then having to stop so I also ordered the crankshaft key “woodruff” from tpi4x4. Will probably replace all three anyways to battle the wear.

Crankshaft key link: FJ40 FJ60 FJ62 FJ80 CRANK PULLEY KEY, 1968-9207 - https://tpi4x4.com/product/fj40-fj60-fj62-fj80-crank-pulley-key-1968-9207/

Pulley Nut 46mm:
https://shop.cruiserparts.net/index...d=1344&zenid=088b28e34c402d0a90829e4196c397cd

Crankshaft pulley (harmonic balancer):
https://shop.cruiserparts.net/index...d=2378&zenid=088b28e34c402d0a90829e4196c397cd

 

[taoofbean]

That same pulley from cruiserparts.net in 2024 is now $715. Amazing. In 2006 it was $100. I wish my paycheck had grown the same over the years.

@roadstr6 I just wanted to comment with thanks to your note in the thread, I know it is a long time ago. My pulley had a similar catastrophic failure while driving and the two front pulleys were just tack welded in place through the original rivet holes by a previous person repairing it some years ago. I likely overtightened my new belts and that was enough to break the fragile tack welds while I was driving on the highway outside of Portland. Could have been a disaster, ended up being just an epic adventure getting the truck to the mechanic without overheating it.