Vibration Dampener Removal

Unknown

I am in the process of replacing the center steering bearings on my 41 Commmodore 8, and to do so I must slide the vibration dampener foward to allow the removal of the center steering bolt. I cannot get the vibration dampener bolt loose. I have tried WD40, and am using a breaker bar with a pipe on the end for leverage. That bolt is as stubborn as my wife. Does anyone have any experience with this? If the suggestion works on the bolt, maybe I will try in on my wife as well. Help Please!!

Uncle Josh

Loosen the motor mounts and jack up the front of the engine instead. I've heard of people when replacing the bolt, putting it in upside down with the nut on top. Will probably never have to do it again however.

[Deleted User]

Put the car in gear, block the wheels, add a cheater bar to the breaker bar and rap smartly with a decent sized hammer or mini sledge. If you have an airdrive impact wrench it will do the trick too. Just swapped the dampner on my car and used the cheater bar trick.

[Deleted User]

dagsota wrote:

I am in the process of replacing the center steering bearings on my 41 Commmodore 8, and to do so I must slide the vibration dampener foward to allow the removal of the center steering bolt. I cannot get the vibration dampener bolt loose. I have tried WD40, and am using a breaker bar with a pipe on the end for leverage. That bolt is as stubborn as my wife. Does anyone have any experience with this? If the suggestion works on the bolt, maybe I will try in on my wife as well. Help Please!!

Hi---I believe Uncle Josh has the right idea, but if you do get the bolt loose you still have to use a puller to move the vibration dampener. A breaker bar & a 3 foot pipe extension works for me on these stubborn nuts.---Cliff Minard.

[Deleted User]

I use a breaker bar and the handle from my floor jack, usually works!

J Spencer

To remove the bolt from the harmonic balancer use a socket and long breaker bar, rest the breaker bar against the frome on the drivers side of car,- make sure that the ignition is disabled so the car cant't start then push the starter button a time or two this will loosen the bolt. You may need a helper to hold the bar so it doesn't bounce off the bolt , but I have yet to have this method fail to work even when an impact gun will not work.

I have done many this way over the course of my years as a mechanic. In fact did it this way before I owned an impact gun. I do it alone using a remote starter button.



Good luck J Spencer

Geoff

Forgive my colonial crudity, but I use a heavy chisel with the end ground to a flat, and a short handled heavy hammer (5 lb). Rest the edge of the blunt chisel towards the end of the flat on the bolt, and a good rap with the hammer will loosen it. Don' use a sharp chisel, you will cut into the bolt head.

Geoff.

Unknown

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I feel re-energized, and am going to win this battle with the bolt!

mars55

dagsota wrote:

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I feel re-energized, and am going to win this battle with the bolt!

Well I hope so! Right now it's Bolt 5 and dagsota 0!!!