balancer removal?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 80
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From: Port St. Lucie,Florida
balancer removal? Does anyone know the best way to remove the harmonic balancer from a '98 vette? It looks like the steering rack has to come out-can't even get a wrench on it. And I thought vettes would be easier than f-bodies. Thanks
The steering rack *must* come out first.
The manual tranny cars are slightly less work to remove because of the extra lines required by the auto tranny
In our shop the techs say it takes about 1.5 hours labor on the remove/install... but then again they've done it frequently...
I'm about to cam swap my Zo6 so I'll be finding out firsthand myself....
If you're changing the factory balancer anyway, (the notorious wobble) you might as well pay the $220 and get an underdriven aftermarket one. Gain 9 rwhp and save 4 lbs...
The manual tranny cars are slightly less work to remove because of the extra lines required by the auto tranny
In our shop the techs say it takes about 1.5 hours labor on the remove/install... but then again they've done it frequently...
I'm about to cam swap my Zo6 so I'll be finding out firsthand myself....
If you're changing the factory balancer anyway, (the notorious wobble) you might as well pay the $220 and get an underdriven aftermarket one. Gain 9 rwhp and save 4 lbs...
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
yep the rack has to come out. I always hit mine with a impact wrench with a 7/8" socket
check out www.ls1howto.com for more specific details
check out www.ls1howto.com for more specific details
[well it feels like it]. TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
All I do is heat up the head of the bolt with one of those propane torches and then use a 24" breaker bar with another 24" cheater bar. Comes off pretty easily with slow steady pressure. Put it back on the same way minus heat.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Port St. Lucie,Florida
Thanks for the replies. This is my fathers car and I said I'd fix it for him before really looking at it. GM wanted $2800 to replace the front cover,oil pan,balancer,etc. They said the balancer wore through everything, but it doesn't look that bad. It probably wobbled some damaging the cover in the process. Anyway,thanks again.
