Locking the engine on a VP auto

[KiwiHoldenDriver]

I am finally getting round to doing my harmonic balancer after buying a breaker bar this weekend (had other financial priorities, such as a deposit on my Bathurst Travel package for this year and making sure I had enough for the Hamilton V8's later this month ) and need to know how to lock the engine so I can tighten the replacement balancer onto the engine. It is an automatic transmission.

[FXST01]

You put the socket and breaker bar onto the nut holding the harmonic balancer, as you face the engine, put the breaker bar so that the handle is on the right hand side near the ground whilse the socket is on the nut and give the key a quick flick (don't start the bloody thing) so you had better remove the EFI relay just to be safe.

[KiwiHoldenDriver]

I know that bit . I am talking about once I have the new balancer on, I want to be able to tighten it back up so need to lock the engine. How do I do it?

[agrsv8]

if you have a large tie down strap you can wrap it around the pulley a few times and tie each end to the sway bar and crank the strap tight, then go your hardest with the torque-wrench, if not, the proper way is to remove the starter and get the flywheel holding tool... Good luck

[Cheap6]

Or, in the steel part of the balancer are three slots (genuine part) or perhaps three holes (some aftermarket). If you make a tool with either ~50mm lengths of 20mm X 5mm flat steel or cut down bolts that fit into two of these slots or holes attached (welded) to a length of RHS bar - ~5mm wall thickness - then you can lock the balancer against the chassis rail from turning in either direction.

You will have to slot the bar for one of the flat pieces.

If you can't weld, a piece of ~8mm steel plate used instead of the bar, or even the bar perhaps with spacer tubes for the bolts, with holes drilled for the bolts, nuts on either side of the plate, then cut the heads off the bolts, should also work. Pad the end that rests against the rail with another piece of plate, wood block or wadded cloth.

[KiwiHoldenDriver]

Cool. Thanks for that. I will have to speak to my nephew who is going through an automotive course and see if he can knock one up for me. A couple more questions. What is the length between the end that butts up against the chassic rail and and the first of the metal pins and what diameter pins did you use?

[Jonno]

is the engine out of the car?
could stick a screw driver thru the fly and into a groovee in the block to stop it from rotating
thats what we did anyway

[Cheap6]

Cool. Thanks for that. I will have to speak to my nephew who is going through an automotive course and see if he can knock one up for me. A couple more questions. What is the length between the end that butts up against the chassic rail and and the first of the metal pins and what diameter pins did you use?

The total bar length is ~380mm (25mm square).

The spacing between the pins is 75mm but you might want to check that against the balancer that is on your car.

The pins are 8mm bolts with the heads and thread cut off, ~80mm of shank length.

If I were to make another one with the flat tabs I would extend the tabs through both sides of the bar, like the one with the bolts. It makes it easier to use because you can keep the bar underneath the balancer bolt for both tightening and loosening operations.

With the pins the bar will tend to twist because it's offset from the balancer. (It's OK with the flat tabs.) A short piece of the RHS welded onto the end of the bar to form a "T" would resolve that.

[KiwiHoldenDriver]

Thanks for the help with this. I am hoping to get my car up and running before I travel down to Hamilton (aka The 'Tron) for the V8 Supercar event at the end of next week. Otherwise I have to rent an el cheapo car.

[KiwiHoldenDriver]

is the engine out of the car?
could stick a screw driver thru the fly and into a groovee in the block to stop it from rotating
thats what we did anyway

Nope, still in the car. I live in a block of flats with an open parking area and don't know anyone in the area with a garage.