HELP! I'm trying to replace the timing chain on my '93 LT-1, and I CANT get the balancer hub off. The balancer came off easily, but that hub WON'T MOVE!!!!! I'm using the proper puller (the kind with the bolts that screw into the hub & a central jack screw). With a 3 foot breaker bar attached to a ratchet wrench, a BROKE a grade 8 bolt trying to pull this thing off!

This vehicle has been driven in the salty sea air for years, and I think that it's got to be rusted on solid. How can I help pull this thing off....And if I cant, is there ANY way to slide the timing chain cover forward & change the chain without removing the hub???????

HEEEEELLLLLLLPPPP!!

 

Do you by any chance have access to an air gun? I have found that the best way to remove a hub is by using a hub puller with an air gun.

 

You might have neglected to purchase a 4 inch by 5/16 allen head bold to place in the center of the hub to force the extraction pressure on the crankshaft and NOT the hub itself. You are placing the pressure on the hub and some bad things are gonna happen if you keep up with that strategy.

 

Yea I'm with Jbird, that's what happened to me. The hub is really not hard to pull off, make sure that you have the correct bolt threaded into the crank snout, but not tightened against the hub. Begin extracting hub, stop, loosen bolt in the crank snout some, then begin pulling again. Repeat until it's off. Is this what you are doing or no?

John

 

Also, try some heat too. Someone I know tried for hours to remove it and couldn't. Then he borrowed my heat gun and it came off within 10 minutes. A heat gun doesn't provide that much heat, but still. Try a propane torch... they're like $10-$20.

 

I'm using a generic 3-prong crankshaft hub puller that has three fingers that screw into the 3 bolts in the hub. There is a central threaded jack screw (~3/4" diameter) with a "floating" point that attaches to the end. This is what you crank on to force the fingered portion "out" which in turn "pulls" the hub out. Is this what you're talking about???

Should I try tapping on the hub under tension ? I didn't want to do that in fear of trashing the bearings!

Any more suggestions????

 

This is the hub. It is not like an old SBC balancer, in that it is not hollow in the middle except for the bolt hole. You might think the center shaft of your puller is pushing on the front of the crank, when it is actually pushing on the hub, itself. That is why someone mentioned that you have to put something down the middle of the bolt hole to push against.

 

It's exactly like he and some of the post said.



You need to put about a 4 inch long (I think allen bolt) at the end of the long 3/4 inch center peice of the balancer puller that you are sticking in the crank/hub . It (allen bolt) goes into the center hole of the crank/hub .



It you don't use it, you are actually like they said ... PRESSING THE HUB ON...., working against yourself . You will see once you get the allen bolt.

 

Holy S#!T!!

THANKS FOR THE PIC!!!!! That's EXACTLY what I was doing! [Pressing against the hub!!!!!!!]

You just saved me a WHOLE lot of headache!!!!! I just bought some grade 12 bolts to replace the grade 8's that I SNAPPED!!!!

I'll run out and get a bolt to put in the screw hole.....

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!