Harmonic balancer puller for 6.6

JDPlowboy

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Feb 6, 2011
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So I'm sure I'm not the only one who has worked behind some one who didn't quite get the balancer square on pin and proceeded to beat it on. Well after my third one this month I got fed up and made this.
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It's kinda crude, wanted to see that it worked first. Since there's no good place to pull or pry on. Yes I'm aware this isn't very good on it and can separate the rubber but when your to that point the balancer is usually ruined and needs replaced anyways. Plus it keeps you from busting front cover or oil pan from prying. I used some old chopper knives off our combine, and then the tabs that grab are from a junk IHI turbo that holds compressor cover on. I've got the spacing set so you have to tap it around the balancer in place. Then as you run the balancer bolt out against it, If it were to spread in a hard pull it will grip harder. Worked good for this job!
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obix

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Jul 9, 2023
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This post inspired me. I'm replacing the water pump on my LB7 (one bolt behind harmonic balancer? wtF!!). Got the 36mm bolt out ok, but the balancer... 1 1/2 days later finally got it, I was determined to not take any of the cooling cores out. Anyhow I was inspired by this post to come up with a solution so I thought I'd share some photo's of the puller I came up with. I'm sure it can be improved upon, just wanted to give something back, this site has been very helpful!
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2004LB7

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Dec 15, 2010
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This post inspired me. I'm replacing the water pump on my LB7 (one bolt behind harmonic balancer? wtF!!). Got the 36mm bolt out ok, but the balancer... 1 1/2 days later finally got it, I was determined to not take any of the cooling cores out. Anyhow I was inspired by this post to come up with a solution so I thought I'd share some photo's of the puller I came up with. I'm sure it can be improved upon, just wanted to give something back, this site has been very helpful!
View attachment 116300

View attachment 116301
That's pretty slick. I like the idea of the band around the balancer. You may want to see if you can reduce the length of the tool to keep ot from hitting the radiator and maybe give you more room to turn the bolt
 

obix

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Jul 9, 2023
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I've never once had a stock balancer that I needed a puller for, even after shearing the pin. Great ingenuity though!
I was a bit surprised also, thought the bolt was going to be my fight. Crazy how tight it was, I had to use a cheater on the puller. There was just enough room to remove it using the short 'puller bolt' I had. The beefier puller under the angle iron was for extra support and because it was about 1/2" too short, needed at least 8 1/2" to catch the 3/8" x 4 1/2" bolts going down to the ring.

I'm not sure that this was a stock balancer. I got the pickup with 170k on it and the 36mm bolt had signs of being previously removed.
 
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1FastBrick

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Dec 1, 2016
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I will say I recently had my rotating assembly balance recently and I made custom keys for it. When I dropped it off they were zip tied in the correct orientation. Some one mistakenly put the short one meant for the balancer in the back and the long one in the front. Well the slot wasn't long enough and there was a step for the second key way which raised the rear portion of the long key in the short slot. This caused it to put everything in a bind and I couldn't remove the balancer. I made some thing similar to the first one in this thread to get the balancer off and then had to add on to it to get the oil pump drive gear with the reluctor off with out damaging it...
 

2004LB7

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Dec 15, 2010
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Why aren't these things made with a split taper or quick disconnect bushing? Seems like it would make assembly and removal so much easier. Wouldn't take a large breaker bar or any specialized tools. No pullers, etc. Just a simple box end or socket wrench will do. And the diameter of the bore and shaft doesn't have to be as close tolerance. They grip extremely well. You would think the aftermarket would have started using them

Something like this for those unfamiliar
machinedesign_com_sites_machinedesign.com_files_uploads_2015_02_ShaftConnectionsFig1.jpeg
 
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juddski88

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Why aren't these things made with a split taper or quick disconnect bushing? Seems like it would make assembly and removal so much easier. Wouldn't take a large breaker bar or any specialized tools. No pullers, etc. Just a simple box end or socket wrench will do. And the diameter of the bore and shaft doesn't have to be as close tolerance. They grip extremely well. You would think the aftermarket would have started using them

Something like this for those unfamiliar
View attachment 116342


I have certainly had some loosen up on large electric-driven machinery, but aerospace grade fasteners can be used and safety wired to prevent it. I feel like Banks' version of the fluidampr was made like this, but I could be misremembering.
 

2004LB7

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I have certainly had some loosen up on large electric-driven machinery, but aerospace grade fasteners can be used and safety wired to prevent it. I feel like Banks' version of the fluidampr was made like this, but I could be misremembering.
I've only seen them loosen up if the initial install wasn't done evenly or to the right torque. Like you would lug nuts, they need to be alternated on the tightening. I also like to use a little oil on the tapered surface so the pulley slides down further without binding. Sand clean any rust and remove the paint that may be on the two contact surfaces and they go on really tight. Especially if they use more then three fasteners.
 
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TheBac

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Apr 19, 2008
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Why aren't these things made with a split taper or quick disconnect bushing? Seems like it would make assembly and removal so much easier. Wouldn't take a large breaker bar or any specialized tools. No pullers, etc. Just a simple box end or socket wrench will do. And the diameter of the bore and shaft doesn't have to be as close tolerance. They grip extremely well. You would think the aftermarket would have started using them

Something like this for those unfamiliar
View attachment 116342
Because -- GM. Cost trumps design.
 

juddski88

Freedom Diesel
Jul 1, 2008
4,656
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Chesterfield, Mass.
I've only seen them loosen up if the initial install wasn't done evenly or to the right torque. Like you would lug nuts, they need to be alternated on the tightening. I also like to use a little oil on the tapered surface so the pulley slides down further without binding. Sand clean any rust and remove the paint that may be on the two contact surfaces and they go on really tight. Especially if they use more then three fasteners.

Yeah, the equipment I've seen rattle the standard hardware loose without locktite or safety wire are big grinders and reprocessing for scrap materials, which see a lot of variable load and vibration.
 
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Bdsankey

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I have certainly had some loosen up on large electric-driven machinery, but aerospace grade fasteners can be used and safety wired to prevent it. I feel like Banks' version of the fluidampr was made like this, but I could be misremembering.
Banks design is similar to ATI meaning there is a hub and a damping ring. The hub can be installed on the crankshaft and it indexed to the damping ring via bolts/dowels.

I tried to get Banks to bring that product to market (even offering to buy a pallet of them) and they declined. To date that is my only complaint about fluidampr.