# Need help removing harmonic balancer



## Nowhere Fast (Mar 13, 2005)

Hey, I bought a '90 240sx {Ka24e} that needed a head gasket. In my haste I was hoping to get away with changing it without taking off the front cover..hehe so of course my timing chain tensioner self destructs right as Im about to get it back together. 

But anyway I cant get the damn bolt on the harmonic balancer to break free to save my life. Anyone have any hints?


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## driftfactory (Sep 26, 2005)

Try some liquid wrench and a reaaaaaly long breaker bar. The bolt is massive so you don't need to worry too much about snapping it. I also suggest that you throw some lith grease on it when you but it back in to make sure that you don't have the problem in the future. Just make sure you keep the grease off of the threads.


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## zuriel (Aug 30, 2005)

one trick I have learned is to use a propane torch to heat up the bolt. make sure that you have put a heat shield behind the bolt and over anything that will catch on fire. you may have to heat the bolt several times but the heat makes it expand breaking the rust. it also helps if once you have put liquid wrench on it to put your breaker bar on the bolt and hit the end of the bar with a rubber hammer. it vibrates the bolt and lets the liquid wrench seep deeping into the rust.

good luck


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## Nowhere Fast (Mar 13, 2005)

Many thanks for the help, with a propane torch and 5 feet of pry bar it came right off.


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## Hydrolock (Feb 18, 2005)

zuriel said:


> one trick I have learned is to use a propane torch to heat up the bolt. make sure that you have put a heat shield behind the bolt and over anything that will catch on fire. you may have to heat the bolt several times but the heat makes it expand breaking the rust. it also helps if once you have put liquid wrench on it to put your breaker bar on the bolt and hit the end of the bar with a rubber hammer. it vibrates the bolt and lets the liquid wrench seep deeping into the rust.
> 
> good luck


What happens if you melt the main seal and you still can't get the balencer off?


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## little240boy (Jan 13, 2004)

hope like hell that it doesn't melt


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## zuriel (Aug 30, 2005)

Hydrolock said:


> What happens if you melt the main seal and you still can't get the balencer off?


This is why you use a backing on it to make sure that you can't melt things around it. using a propane torch, if you use it correctly, you won't melt the main seal. Youy don't just heat it till it melts. You have to heat the bolt, let it cool along with anything around it then heat it again. You do this over and over again so that the rust around the bolt is crushed by the thermal expansion but all other parts around it are kept in good condition.


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