V6 Crankshaft Threads Issue

[chomman95]

Hi!

This forum with the old threads on it from long ago have helped me a lot for this job I'm doing.

I'm changing the timing chain system, tensioners and everything, minus the VVT sprockets. I got all that installed, the timing cover back on, and now I'm at the point of installing the harmonic balancer.

When I was removing it, I saw in my Chilton Manual that it said to use a 3 jaw puller.

So I rented this one from O'Reillys to use:

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...ler/ren1/67022

It did not work with the balancer I have. All the jaws did was slip, and the pressure screw in the center pressed into my crankshaft threads, and damaged them somewhat. I tried to retap them with an M14x1.5 tap, and got it kinda cleaned up to a point I thought was okay. It was still kind of difficult to thread the bolt on.

Eventually I found a thread on this site of someone who successfully got their balancer off using the Pittsburgh 3 jaw set toolkit from Harbor Freight which worked instantly without damaging the threads.

This one:
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-jaw-...ece-63953.html

So I continued the job, turning the engine over to the 2 timing phases, and changing all the idler sprockets and chains and tensioners and whatnot successfully.

I RTV'd the timing cover and got that installed too, then the next step was getting the balancer back on.

To get the crank bolt off I used a Mid Torque Milwaukee impact gun because I wasn't confident in my ability to jack up the engine, remove the drivers side mount, and the starter. It worked great!

To get it back on though, the procedure in the Chilton Manual says to use the old crank bolt to press on the balancer. I got the threads started to the point when I couldn't turn the bolt anymore without the engine turning over, so I used my impact gun.

I got the balancer pressed on after a lot of difficulty with the impact. Once I got it to the right depth I removed the bolt, and the threads on that look terrible. The high points were all taken off and there was a crank thread wrapped around one of the low points.

I tried to thread on the new crank bolt, and it started fine, but then quickly got stuck and needed the impact, it was at this point that all my batteries died.

Basically, I'm wondering if my crankshaft threads are completely shot and need to be re done.

I had my dad who was a mechanic for 30 years helping me with this on the phone, which has been working great. He recommended to just use the old bolt, tighten it down as much as possible, and hope for the best. That or try to re tap the crankshaft threads again.

I'm not sure if I uploaded my images correctly, but the image titled "image0.png" is the old bolt, the other image is the new bolt and how far it got into the crankshaft before it got difficult to thread.

[DRC69]

I use this to remove. GM 25264 Bal. Puller
It doesn't press against the bolt.


I would reuse the stock bolt with Loctite at this point in time. JMO
Hope everything works out.