Best/Easiest Method for Installing Harmonic Balancer For 96 Honda Accord
 

I decided to create an entirely new thread focused on installing the harmonic balancer on a 96 Honda Accord because the main problem of my old thread was resolved. So does anyone know the easiest process for doing this. I am inexperienced with installing car parts so I would like to try something I would be capable of doing. I have been told that the correct torque spec for this part is 185 ft/lbs and a torque wrench should be used but how would I keep the harmonic balancer from turning as I tighten the bolt? Also, would I need to remove the front tire and jack up the car? I would appreciate any help on techniques from anybody who has done this process before. Thanks.

The "official" way is to use a pulley-holding tool. That tool has a huge hex-shaped lug that fits inside the hex-shape cavity on the pulley. Then it's got a hole for a 17mm socket to go through to the crankshaft bolt.

Beware... there are horror stories about how difficult it can be to get that thing loose. Lots of long wrench handles, with 3-foot pipes, and then a glorious face=plant onto the floor when the bolt finally comes loose.

Yes you gotta jack the car up and take the tire off.

Jim described the right way.

Some wrong ways are screwdrivers in the flywheel and strap wrenches on the pulley.

As jim said the crank pulley bolt is a bear to get off. My 550ft/lb torque wrench wouldn't take mine off. Took a 2ft breakbar with a 6ft pole on the end and 150lb me jumping up and down on the end of that.

Oh I see. Looks like I need to rent those tools then. I'm actually tightening the bolt though not removing it.

Just my curiosity, how did it get loose?

I was driving and the alternator and power steering belts just popped off. Checked under the hood and the pulley was loose. Both the harmonic balancer keyway and woodruff key were damaged so I guess that's what caused it to become loose. I just purchased a new key and harmonic balancer to replace them.

I used the crankshaft pulley holder tool. My torque wrench only goes to 150 Ft-Lb. After it reached that max limit, I just try to crank it down further with the breaker bar.

The crankshaft pulley tool is readily available and not too expensive ($25 on ebay w/ free shipping). I've never seen a parts store w/ this tool, but worth checking at AZ, ORielllys, Napa, etc.

W/o a high capacity torque wrench, you can only estimate the final torque indirectly. I used a 150-lb torque wrench and then estimated final torque load. 185ft-lbs/4-ft = 42.5 lbs pull. I had a cheater pipe to get a 4-ft arm.

Many simply hit the bolt w/ a good air impact and call it good. Each person has to decide how much quality assurance they need!

good luck

If it came loose (& key came out) while driving, I'd seriously check for bent valves. The camshaft timing would've gone out first before the alternator belts.

Incidentally, for engineer geeks, that's actually a parallel key, not a woodruff key.

Jim,

Just the end of the key got damaged. The sprocket for the timing belt was not damaged. It looked like the last person to do the timing belt job installed the key backwards and the end got damaged.