Tips to loosening a Harmonic Balancer Bolt
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 59
Likes: 4
From: Azusa, California
Tips to loosening a Harmonic Balancer Bolt Taking the harmonic balancer of my 2005 LS2.
doing an A&A kit and it requires that the balancer and crank be pinned. So while I’m here I’m replacing the balancer with a new Summit Racing C2501. I’ve used a 1/2 drive breaker bar with no luck, afraid the breaker bar was going to snap it flexed so much. Then I borrowed a Makita Impact Gun with 740 Ft Lbs of torque (So Makita claims) an went to town with no luck. Any suggestions on how to loosen this bolt?
doing an A&A kit and it requires that the balancer and crank be pinned. So while I’m here I’m replacing the balancer with a new Summit Racing C2501. I’ve used a 1/2 drive breaker bar with no luck, afraid the breaker bar was going to snap it flexed so much. Then I borrowed a Makita Impact Gun with 740 Ft Lbs of torque (So Makita claims) an went to town with no luck. Any suggestions on how to loosen this bolt?
Taking the harmonic balancer of my 2005 LS2.
doing an A&A kit and it requires that the balancer and crank be pinned. So while I’m here I’m replacing the balancer with a new Summit Racing C2501. I’ve used a 1/2 drive breaker bar with no luck, afraid the breaker bar was going to snap it flexed so much. Then I borrowed a Makita Impact Gun with 740 Ft Lbs of torque (So Makita claims) an went to town with no luck. Any suggestions on how to loosen this bolt?
doing an A&A kit and it requires that the balancer and crank be pinned. So while I’m here I’m replacing the balancer with a new Summit Racing C2501. I’ve used a 1/2 drive breaker bar with no luck, afraid the breaker bar was going to snap it flexed so much. Then I borrowed a Makita Impact Gun with 740 Ft Lbs of torque (So Makita claims) an went to town with no luck. Any suggestions on how to loosen this bolt?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 59
Likes: 4
From: Azusa, California
A drive down to Home Depot and a $25 investment into a propane torch and a couple passes over the bolt yielded me the end result I was looking for. A extracted balancer bolt. What is that orange/red compound that’s at the backside of the flange head? That stuff I’m guessing is what kept that bolt on as good as it stayed on. Great Compound.
Follow up Question?
Putting a ARP bolt back in. Can I use the Makita impact to reinstall the bolt? I see the torque spec calls out 240 ft lbs. I looking for the easiest way to get to 240 as possible?
Follow up Question?
Putting a ARP bolt back in. Can I use the Makita impact to reinstall the bolt? I see the torque spec calls out 240 ft lbs. I looking for the easiest way to get to 240 as possible?
You need to think more like a lazy guy. A breaker bar and a floor jack. That's all you need to break it loose.
As far as tightening, get a proper torque wrench. It's not cheap, but a proper tool makes the job easy. And it will be handy for larger bolts in the suspension system too.
Also, DO NOT use the bolt to install the damper. The bolt is too short and you'll strip the threads inside the crank. Get a piece of all-thread and use that to get things started until you can get enough thread engagement on the bolt to use it to seat the damper the rest of the way.
As far as tightening, get a proper torque wrench. It's not cheap, but a proper tool makes the job easy. And it will be handy for larger bolts in the suspension system too.
Also, DO NOT use the bolt to install the damper. The bolt is too short and you'll strip the threads inside the crank. Get a piece of all-thread and use that to get things started until you can get enough thread engagement on the bolt to use it to seat the damper the rest of the way.
Last edited by QwkTrip; Dec 13, 2022 at 01:48 AM.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 59
Likes: 4
From: Azusa, California
You need to think more like a lazy guy. A breaker bar and a floor jack. That's all you need to break it loose.
As far as tightening, get a proper torque wrench. It's not cheap, but a proper tool makes the job easy. And it will be handy for larger bolts in the suspension system too.
Also, DO NOT use the bolt to install the damper. The bolt is too short and you'll strip the threads inside the crank. Get a piece of all-thread and use that to get things started until you can get enough thread engagement on the bolt to use it to seat the damper the rest of the way.
As far as tightening, get a proper torque wrench. It's not cheap, but a proper tool makes the job easy. And it will be handy for larger bolts in the suspension system too.
Also, DO NOT use the bolt to install the damper. The bolt is too short and you'll strip the threads inside the crank. Get a piece of all-thread and use that to get things started until you can get enough thread engagement on the bolt to use it to seat the damper the rest of the way.
I purchased a Summit Racing Balancer Installation Tool https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900135
My real concern is how the hell I'm gonna reach 240 ft lbs of torque with a breaker bar that flexed like a spahgetti noodle. I have access to a Cornwell 1/2 Drive Torque Wrench with a 250 ft lbs capacity.
Find yourself a piece of thick walled steel pipe big enough for your breaker bar to fit into and do what was mentioned in post #5 "Use the floor jack to help break the bolt loose or get a long enough piece of pipe so you can put some more man power into it"
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Verdad Gallardo I have a buddy that was putting all kinds of effort into turning the crank bolt. I gave him my Snap-on 300 lb-ft torque wrench and flywheel blocker and he started laughing how easy it was to tighten the bolt. No struggle at all. Lean... click. Done.
Impact wrenches are useless for setting final torque. It's not a precision tool, it beats the living **** out of the bolt and tightens it more with every pounding. You NEED a torque wrench to know when it is PROPERLY tightened dynamically (while rotating, not static). Don't listen to yahoo's that tell you otherwise.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 59
Likes: 4
From: Azusa, California
You get a proper torque wrench that indicates tightening torque within its capable range. The handle will be long enough that your weight will do all the work. Again, think like a lazy guy.... that's where you'll get all your best ideas.
I have a buddy that was putting all kinds of effort into turning the crank bolt. I gave him my Snap-on 300 lb-ft torque wrench and flywheel blocker and he started laughing how easy it was to tighten the bolt. No struggle at all. Lean... click. Done.
Impact wrenches are useless for setting final torque. It's not a precision tool, it beats the living **** out of the bolt and tightens it more with every pounding. You NEED a torque wrench to know when it is PROPERLY tightened dynamically (while rotating, not static). Don't listen to yahoo's that tell you otherwise.
I have a buddy that was putting all kinds of effort into turning the crank bolt. I gave him my Snap-on 300 lb-ft torque wrench and flywheel blocker and he started laughing how easy it was to tighten the bolt. No struggle at all. Lean... click. Done.
Impact wrenches are useless for setting final torque. It's not a precision tool, it beats the living **** out of the bolt and tightens it more with every pounding. You NEED a torque wrench to know when it is PROPERLY tightened dynamically (while rotating, not static). Don't listen to yahoo's that tell you otherwise.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,894
Likes: 1,139
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
The orange compound is a special threadlocker GM has that is solid until torque is applied, then it liquifies ( so they say ). You can just use regular threadlocker when reinstalling.
Teching In
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 45
Likes: 30
You've got it off now, but for other's reference in my experience you 100% need a load of heat on the stock bolt to break that orangey/red locking compound, then it comes off pretty easy.
Half the stuff I've read people read 240 ftlbs as "as tight as you possibly can" and leave it at that.
Half the stuff I've read people read 240 ftlbs as "as tight as you possibly can" and leave it at that.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,894
Likes: 1,139
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Well, I just buzzed the balancer bolt off my LH6 with an electric impact a few days ago and didn't need to heat it at all. Definitely hadn't ever been removed in the last 16 years either. I have yet to find a balancer bolt that won't budge, but I also could go buy a lottery ticket and win, too.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 59
Likes: 4
From: Azusa, California
You've got it off now, but for other's reference in my experience you 100% need a load of heat on the stock bolt to break that orangey/red locking compound, then it comes off pretty easy.
Half the stuff I've read people read 240 ftlbs as "as tight as you possibly can" and leave it at that.
Half the stuff I've read people read 240 ftlbs as "as tight as you possibly can" and leave it at that.