327 harmonic dampner NO THREADS ON CRANK!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I plan to put new heads on my 327, and in doing so, I also plan to put new pan and timing cover gaskets on it. The bottom end is going to remain untouched, but with new heads in mind, I want to make the bottom end leak free and buttoned up nice and neat.The engine has been bored .40 over,and has less than 6000 miles on it. The heads were never the right ones ( 194's ), and it's had a few leaks by the pan and the timing cover.My question: What is the "proper" proceedure for reinstalling the Harmonic dampner on the crank snout? This crank has no threads to hold the balancer, so it must be a press fit. After running the number on the block, I found out that this engine was made between 1964-67.I'm sure it's not good for the bottom end if I pound it on, even with a soft wood block beween the dampner and a hammer. Pulling it off is easy, but I'm worried about putting it on properly.Any suggestions?

I have the similiar motor a 1963 327 and I have been told that others have put them on with the wood block or other soft serface hammer. I have also been told that while it is apart that it can be drill and tapped for fine thread regular bolt found in most 350. I am looking forward to see others response. When I have the front off of my truck for paint and body work that would be a great time to drill the crank if that is a good choice. Ed ke6bnl
my motor has the camel hump head 461 heads not the biggest valves. The light truck and the motor seems strong and goes well. Ed ke6bnl

nevermind . . . wrong track

DON'T HAMMER IT ON!!!! You will wreck your engine.

It is a press fit. The inside of the crank "snout" should be threaded, and the balancer is installed with a special tool. If you don't have one, and can not find someone to loan you one, you can get by with a "shadetree" tool: get a bolt that will screw into the snout, I think it is 1/2 inch, about five or six inches long, a nut for it, and two large flat washers that fit it. Grease the threads, run the nut onto the bolt all the way to the head, put grease between the washers, and put them onto the bolt. Line the keyway in the balancer up with the key - it should start onto the snout just far enough to line up right - insert the bolt into the snout through the balancer, and run the nut and washers up against the face of the balancer. Then, using a box end wrench, screw the nut down so that it presses the balancer on. When the balancer is seated, remove the bolt and washers.

I've never seen a Chevy crank that was not threaded inside; I sure don't know it all, but I have four of them around here, and they are all threaded; a 283, a 327, and two 350's. I may be all wet here; I take my crow with a side of hot beans, thank you very much.

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Originally posted by Rrumbler
DON'T HAMMER IT ON!!!! You will wreck your engine.

It is a press fit. The inside of the crank "snout" is threaded, and the balancer is installed with a special tool. If you don't have one, and can not find someone to loan you one, you can get by with a "shadetree" tool: get a bolt that will screw into the snout, I think it is 1/2 inch, about five or six inches long, a nut for it, and two large flat washers that fit it. Grease the threads, run the nut onto the bolt all the way to the head, put grease between the washers, and put them onto the bolt. Line the keyway in the balancer up with the key - it should start onto the snout just far enough to line up right - insert the bolt into the snout through the balancer, and run the nut and washers up against the face of the balancer. Then, using a box end wrench, screw the nut down so that it presses the balancer on. When the balancer is seated, remove the bolt and washers.

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guerunteeded NO threads at all on the old 327's

Same with the old 6-cyl's 265-283's. In the old days we used a big hammer and a 4x4 block of wood. It was the only way to install them!!

Just use some care and common sense.

NHRA used to require that the crank be drilled and tapped, with a bolt/washer to retain the balancer. In the faster classes. As quite a few came off at high rpm

Streets got it right- easiest way, it's how I did mine, also I took some emory cloth and worked the snout, and inside damper(not the keyway) because it was a press fit before to clean it real good, and mike it to make sure that it didn't swell during the drilling process, a little WD 40 & wa-laa.

have your local machine shop tap the end of the crank and put threads in it thats what i did. it's a good saftey measure. cheap to.......scooter:toocool:

No threads the my '68 327 crank either. I just carefully hammered on the balancer. :)

I run into this several years ago and I found a GM service manual that said to use a Lead hammer to install the balancer. Had a fishing buddy melt some old wheel weights and pour into a tin can then drilled a hole and made my own hammer. Worked Great on many motors!