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Harmonic balancer

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Harmonic balancer
#1
pete5711 Avatar
pete5711 Pete H
San Antonio, TX, USA   USA
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1964 MG MGB "Matilda"
1967 MG MGB
Hi guys. I know there are a ton of threads on this topic but my problem is I rebuilt an 18G engine (3main) and the pulley was broken in two when I took it off. So no problem just order one from moss. Well I now have two of them and neither one fits. It sticks out past the end of the crank by 1/4 inch so no way to use the locking washer. Any ideas from this great brain truss?

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#2
Ahmed Avatar
Ahmed Ahmed A
Calgary, AB, Canada   CAN
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1958 MG MGA
1972 MG MGB
1972 Volvo P1800
1979 MG MGB
Just to make sure we're talking about the same thing, harmonic balancer is another name for the crank pulley. Right?

If so, i'd say check the fit of the pulley with the woodruff key on the shaft. There may be interference where it is preventing the pulley from going in all the way.

On a side note, are crank pulleys specific to the crank they are installed on or can they be replaced without need of rebalancing?


My 1958 MGA is not a car, it's a CAREER..!! ... angry smiley angry smiley



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2017-12-17 04:56 PM by Ahmed.

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#3
Rod H. Avatar
Rod H.
Amity, OR, USA   USA
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1964 MG MGB
1968 MG MGB GT
The pulley/balancer isn't supposed to be flush with the crank nose, although 1/4" out is a lot farther than I recall. Never measured, but I'd estimate 1/16" or a bit more.


"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often."

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#4
chris Avatar
chris Chris Roop (RIP)
Pendleton, OR, USA   USA
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Have you tried it without the woodruff key to see if it's the key hanging it up?

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#5
Speedracer Avatar
Speedracer Platinum AdvertiserAdvertiser Hap Waldrop
Taylors, SC, USA   USA
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1961 MG MGB "LL" Lady Lynn"
1967 MG MGB Racecar "The Biscuit"
I have installed several of these with no issues, like Rod says, it does not flush out with the crank nose, I would say about 1/4' sounds about right. Once you install it and your water pump pulley, you should be able to tell if that both line up. Oh and forget the lock washer , it is a useless as tits on a boar hog, just use a drop of loctite. The only useful lock tab on a MGB that even needs to be considered as useful would be the rear seal retainer, and then not used as lock tab, but simply as seal retainer.


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Re: Harmonic balancer
#6
Rod H. Avatar
Rod H.
Amity, OR, USA   USA
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1964 MG MGB
1968 MG MGB GT
Pete, why not slide the balancer back off, measure the crank snout, then the pulley depth, and see how they compare? If you don't have calipers, a machinists rule or even a chunk of stiff wire would work.


"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often."

Leonard Cohen

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#7
pete5711 Avatar
pete5711 Pete H
San Antonio, TX, USA   USA
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1964 MG MGB "Matilda"
1967 MG MGB
Well guys I found a reference to MGA Guru where the older engines used the indent in the pulley instead of the woodruff key. Sounds reasonable to me. Since this is an 18G engine this might be why.

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#8
Rod H. Avatar
Rod H.
Amity, OR, USA   USA
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1964 MG MGB
1968 MG MGB GT
In reply to # 3646965 by pete5711 Well guys I found a reference to MGA Guru where the older engines used the indent in the pulley instead of the woodruff key. Sounds reasonable to me. Since this is an 18G engine this might be why.

Yes, part of the lock tab bends up against the bolt, and the part by the indent in the balancer/pulley bends into it. But really, you will be better off using Loctite as Hap said.


"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often."

Leonard Cohen

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#9
dickmoritz Avatar
dickmoritz Platinum Member Dick Moritz
Philly 'burbs, PA, USA   USA
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I believe all B series engines use two Woodruff keys on the nose of the crankshaft, one for the timing chain sprocket and one for the balancer/pulley...

Dick


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(Often wrong, but always certain)

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#10
Donthuis Avatar
Donthuis Don van Riet
Rijswijk, ZH, Netherlands   NLD
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1972 MG MGB MkIII
X3
Looking at this strange, ineffective locktab construction I decided to put Loctite to the bolt thread as well....

In reply to # 3646986 by Rod H.
In reply to # 3646965 by pete5711 Well guys I found a reference to MGA Guru where the older engines used the indent in the pulley instead of the woodruff key. Sounds reasonable to me. Since this is an 18G engine this might be why.

Yes, part of the lock tab bends up against the bolt, and the part by the indent in the balancer/pulley bends into it. But really, you will be better off using Loctite as Hap said.

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#11
ozieagle Avatar
ozieagle Gold Member Herb Adler
Highton, Victoria, Australia   AUS
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1958 Wolseley 1500 "Wooly"
1966 MG MGB "Bl**dy B"
1995 Toyota Highlander "Hi Ace Van"
2022 MG ZS
I had an issue with my balance, ages ago, secured without a lock washer, but with Loctite. For whatever reason I found it was loose. When I tried to tighten the bolt I found that it was tight. Took the bolt out and fitted a normal washer. All nice and tight now. Seems that the bolt bottomed out in the thread but a lock washer would have made up the difference.

Herb


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Re: Harmonic balancer
#12
chris Avatar
chris Chris Roop (RIP)
Pendleton, OR, USA   USA
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You got it Dick; two keys, 327-100. I'm not seeing the connection though.

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#13
dickmoritz Avatar
dickmoritz Platinum Member Dick Moritz
Philly 'burbs, PA, USA   USA
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I was responding to this previous comment:

I found a reference to MGA Guru where the older engines used the indent in the pulley instead of the woodruff key.

Dick

In reply to # 3647043 by chris You got it Dick; two keys, 327-100. I'm not seeing the connection though.


Errabundi Saepe, Semper Certi
(Often wrong, but always certain)

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Re: Harmonic balancer
#14
riley1489 Avatar
riley1489 Bruce H
Great White North, QC, Canada   CAN
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1953 Jaguar XK120
1959 Riley 1.5 "King George"
1973 MG MGB
Yes, the damper does not align with end of crankshaft.

My take on this confusion is that the OP does not know what is a woodruff key? quantity 2, #26 below.

I show below a 3 main crankshaft front end clearly showing the woodruff key in the crankshaft. This keyway aligns the damper/front pulley to the slot in the crankshaft.

B


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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2017-12-17 04:01 PM by riley1489.


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Re: Harmonic balancer
#15
chris Avatar
chris Chris Roop (RIP)
Pendleton, OR, USA   USA
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Ah!

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