Harmonic Balance Install - Key falls out - Help please (1 Viewer)

[Freemason Ralph]

1996 Land Cruiser - 4 hours of trying to put the harmonic balancer back on the cam and the little half circle lock key keeps popping out of groove in cam shaft.

What is the secret?? I have to be on the 50th attempt - I am soooooo frustrated. I have the key slot positioned on the very top.

I get it all lined up - I even get it so the catches in the groove and is in the slot on the HB and the balancer does not wiggle but key eventually pops out and I have to find it and start over -

because of the seal I can't see when it pops out.

On my third camshaft seal as I have torn 2 of them taking them on and off to find the key after it falls out.

I am tempted to superglue it in but I don't think it is the right decision.

 

[Kernal]

Sent a pm, but this is how I did mine:

bump the starter to get the keyway to the 12 O'clock position or close.
Mark the Harmonic balancer (chalk or paint line) up the backside and over the top in line with the key slot (so you can line up the key slot of the balancer with the key on the crank without wiggling).

Don't pull the Harmonic balancer out once you have it in place, but be sure it is all the way back. One person many years ago trapped the key between the balancer and the gear the balancer presses up against, but didn't know that happened, so when he tightened the 30mm bolt the balancer fractured.

Do not use a giant glop of grease on the crank nose or the balancer hole
as it may push/pull the key out of the keyway (I did that on my first try).

Have one of those telescoping magnet thingies handy if the key gets pushed in sideways.

 

[Freemason Ralph]

Thank you - I marked mine with a line and once I think I am on the key I try to turn the balancer by hand if it doesn't move I know I am on and then I lightly tap. It keeps popping out and turning sideways.

I did put grease in the slot to make is slide better - never thought that it might be what's causing the key to push out - I will try it.

Does the key need to be tapped into the crank divet or just set in?

 

[BILT4ME]

Thank you - I marked mine with a line and once I think I am on the key I try to turn the balancer by hand if it doesn't move I know I am on and then I lightly tap. It keeps popping out and turning sideways.

I did put grease in the slot to make is slide better - never thought that it might be what's causing the key to push out - I will try it.

Does the key need to be tapped into the crank divet or just set in?

The key and the HB should be installed DRY on the shaft. The OUTSIDE of the HB where it contacts the seal can have grease on it.

What's happening is the key is getting hydraulically pushed out due to the grease below it.

Remove all the parts, clean the hole in the crankshaft (not CAMshaft), clean off the key and the ID of the HB. Have the keyway at the 12:00 position, and reinstall all. If the key NEEDS to be tapped into the hole, then do it. GENTLY. do not DRIVE it into the hole.

 

[Tools R Us]

The key should fit tightly in the crank groove. If not, putting a couple of center punch hits in the area of the key that goes in the crank groove, will often make it stay in place.

 

[Freemason Ralph]

VICTORY

took about 5 more attempts but victory!

Cleaned it of all grease -
Used a light coat of wd40 on the groove on the HB
Tapped key in with a small flat head and then as it got close I watched - had to hold crank gasket out of way - key started to move so I tapped it with screw driver again and it slid in - could not believe it.

One tip - take a roll of paper towels or something and unroll about 8 sheets and lay it like a blanket just below the Crank it acted as a catch all so I didn't have to keep looking for key on floor.

To tighten the Harmonic balancer bolt - can't I put car in gear and block the tires and then torque the bolt?

 

[PeterTheBeater]

Take a deep/long 14mil socket and put it on the rorque converter bolt, thru the access plug on the transmission housing. You can torque the crank bolt easier

 

[ZackR]

VICTORY


To tighten the Harmonic balancer bolt - can't I put car in gear and block the tires and then torque the bolt?

This would possibly work with a manual transmission (still might be too much slop) however the 14mm deep socket method is known to work with the automatic. There is a plastic inspection cover you remove and it will make sense once you are in there.

 

[BILT4ME]

Just make sure your REMOVE the socket BEFORE you try to start it!

Someone else here forgot about it and ended up removing his transmission and replacing the rear crank seal retainer, as it broke it and wrecked his torque converter.

 

[brianh699]

You could pick up one of these, he is mud member.

1FZ-FE Crank Holding Tool

Crank golding tool for the 1fz-fe engine in a Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser

www.otramm.com