Crank snout issue

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BigBlockMopar28

BigBlockMopar28

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Was putting final touches on the 318 after the whole timing chain deal, I noticed that the crank pulley was wobbling, enough to make the p/s pump belt loosen and tighten visually when cranking, tried to pull the balancer out some and re-tighten to insure I'm assembling correctly, same result. Went to pull the balancer off entirely and noticed that the wrench on the puller was getting really hard to turn... that balancer was caught up on the power steering bracket and dumba** me kept turning that puller not even thinking. I think the problem was originally where i'd tapped on the balancer (seal looked pretty questionable so maybe the outer ring came loose from the inner some), but after that balancer got caught on the bracket im thinking i may have actually bent the crank. The dampener itself went back straight with one slight tap with a mallet, havent had time to pull the p/s bracket and HB to check the crank yet. My two questions: 1) how hard is it to bend this part of the crank? 2) Is there a way to fix this other than a new crank? TIA
 
It's hard to bend but I have seen it, I bought a 318 out of a 67 coronet that hit a pole and smashed the pulley, new pulley good to go for about 6 months then the crank broke.
 
BigBlockMopar28 said:
Was putting final touches on the 318 after the whole timing chain deal, I noticed that the crank pulley was wobbling, enough to make the p/s pump belt loosen and tighten visually when cranking, tried to pull the balancer out some and re-tighten to insure I'm assembling correctly, same result. Went to pull the balancer off entirely and noticed that the wrench on the puller was getting really hard to turn... that balancer was caught up on the power steering bracket and dumba** me kept turning that puller not even thinking. I think the problem was originally where i'd tapped on the balancer (seal looked pretty questionable so maybe the outer ring came loose from the inner some), but after that balancer got caught on the bracket im thinking i may have actually bent the crank. The dampener itself went back straight with one slight tap with a mallet, havent had time to pull the p/s bracket and HB to check the crank yet. My two questions: 1) how hard is it to bend this part of the crank? 2) Is there a way to fix this other than a new crank? TIA
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I really doubt you bent the cranknose. Most likely you're damper wasn't installed/seated properly. Also, never pull a damper by pulling on the inertia ring. This will damage the elastomer and potentially the ring can fly off during operation. 65'
 
Plymouth 65 said:
I really doubt you bent the cranknose. Most likely you're damper wasn't installed/seated properly. Also, never pull a damper by pulling on the inertia ring. This will damage the elastomer and potentially the ring can fly off during operation. 65'
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Good point on the inertia ring. Hopefully after I pull the balancer completely I dont see anything off... don't have a dial indicator. Gonna get a new balancer regardless, mine is questionable at best. Part of that rubber seal is sticking out more in the front than in the back and looks like it has some dry rot.
 
BigBlockMopar28 said:
Good point on the inertia ring. Hopefully after I pull the balancer completely I dont see anything off... don't have a dial indicator. Gonna get a new balancer regardless, mine is questionable at best. Part of that rubber seal is sticking out more in the front than in the back and looks like it has some dry rot.
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The only other thing to consider is the crank timing gear being properly installed/seated. 65'
 
BigBlockMopar28 said:
Yeah i'm fairly certain the gears are good, more than likely I didnt install that HB right the first time and started this whole mess. Lol
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I once had a halfmoon key in the keyway misaligned and it prevented the crank timing gear from properly seating. 65'
 
Plymouth 65 said:
I once had a halfmoon key in the keyway misaligned and it prevented the crank timing gear from properly seating. 65'
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The damper should also have a slight press fit to the crank. I typically just use a light coat of oil in the bore and install the damper using an installation tool. I don't recommend using the crank bolt for installation due to potentially stripping the crank threads! 65'
 
If you are going to replace the dampener, I strongly suggest match-marking the outer ring to the inner hub. All it takes is a couple of center punch dimples. It doesn't cost a thing, and if there is ever a question of whether the outer ring has slipped, it can easily be confirmed.
 
Take a close look where the pulley mates to the damper, there's a "collar" the pulley fits over. That collar can be damaged by someone with a hammer, pounding the balancer on. You may just have to dress the mating surfaces with a file. Cheers
 
Pulled the balancer last night, if the crank snout is bent, its barely noticeable when cranking. I'm thinking it was just a case of my impact setup not having enough power to seat it fully. Tonight i'll actually use a torque wrench and put some bolts in the crank pulley holes for leverage to keep that thing from cranking.
 
BigBlockMopar28 said:
Was putting final touches on the 318 after the whole timing chain deal, I noticed that the crank pulley was wobbling, enough to make the p/s pump belt loosen and tighten visually when cranking, tried to pull the balancer out some and re-tighten to insure I'm assembling correctly, same result. Went to pull the balancer off entirely and noticed that the wrench on the puller was getting really hard to turn... that balancer was caught up on the power steering bracket and dumba** me kept turning that puller not even thinking. I think the problem was originally where i'd tapped on the balancer (seal looked pretty questionable so maybe the outer ring came loose from the inner some), but after that balancer got caught on the bracket im thinking i may have actually bent the crank. The dampener itself went back straight with one slight tap with a mallet, havent had time to pull the p/s bracket and HB to check the crank yet. My two questions: 1) how hard is it to bend this part of the crank? 2) Is there a way to fix this other than a new crank? TIA
Click to expand...
I had a engine hoist come apart and dropped a new 383 sbc stroker and bent the front snout once, they bend easier than a guy would think !
 
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