I just picked up an new harmonic balancer for my 1972 455. I used the puller to take off the old one, but when I went to put on the new one, I was able to push the balancer on by hand with not too much effort. I tried the old one I took off, and it was much tighter. Did the brainiacs up at the auto parts store give me the wrong one? It matches up pefectly to the old one....just looser. I put it on with some sealer, and torqued it down. I am going to let it sit over night and turn it over a few times to see it it leaks or wobbles or anything. But I already painted this damn thing, if it is the wrong one, I don't know if they would take it back, and it was well over $100.00. Any ideas, or suggestions?

 

The balancer should be a press fit. Take it back.

 

I double checked the Dorman part number and at least the box the new H.B. came in is the correct part number. What are the chances that the balancer was defective?

 

x2

 

Pro Race brand SFI balancers are slip fit. Olds 394 balancers were slip fit. I have polished the crank for almost 40 years to make the balancer a snug slip fit. The 160 ft lb on the retaining bolt holds it just fine and allows it to work as intended.

 

Actually, no. The reason for the light press is not to hold it on, it is to ensure that the crank vibrations are fully transmitted to the balancer. Any looseness leads to compliance, which partly negates the purpose of the balancer.

 

Alright what I am going to do is call and check with the Dorman tech support tomorrow and hopefully they will be able to tell me if this cheap, bottom of the line balancer is supposed to be slip fit or not. If not I will just take it back and return this one as defective. According to their site, this is quite the universal balancer for all different makes and models all the way from 1967-1995. If it is a cheap slip fit, I am ok with that, I don't really want to spend $200+ dollars on a better one. Out of curiosity, how much does it cost to have somebody "rebuild" my stocker?

 

I have had a couple of 455's both the balancers came off without a puller...put a new one on and it was not a press fit either..snug but went on with out too much trouble...Engine seems to run fine so far but I will keep an eye on it...I would have thought it would be a press fit also...

 

"You've polished the crank f/ almost 40 years" to make the balaancer a snug slip fit. Should you have set the polisher at a higher speed so it wouldn't have taken you so long? J/K. I'm sure that you meant something else or I'm somewhat lost in the mix, but I couldn't pass up saying something about it, as it sounded so funny. LOL. Sorry f/ getting off-topic.

 

Wisea$$ So it doesn't take 40 years, give an old(s) guy a break. With the balancer held by a 3/4" bolt at 160 ft lb, I figure it gets all the crank vibrations. So did Olds up to 1965.

 

The ATIs I've had, needed to be honed for a .0005-.0007 press fit.