Powerbuilt 648637 Harmonic Balancer Puller and Installer Set

A 22-piece removal and installation set for harmonic balancers and crank dampers that use threaded holes in the hub face. It handles both halves of the job: the puller side yanks a rusted-on damper off the crank snout, and the installer side presses the new one back down square without hammering on the crank.

For removal you bolt the 2/3 combo yoke to the balancer face using the matching bolt pair, thread the 5/8-inch national fine center screw through the yoke, drop the center point piece over the crank nose so the screw does not chew the snout threads, then turn the center screw until the damper walks off. Adapters cover M12-1.5, M14-1.5, M16-2.0, 7/16-20, 1/2-20, 9/16-18 and 3/4-16, which is most of what you will run into on domestic V6 and V8 blocks and light trucks.

For installation you swap to the forcing nut, jaw nut and thrust bearing. The thrust bearing is the part that matters: it lets the nut spin against load instead of galling the balancer hub, so the damper draws on straight and you are not driving it with a dead blow. Beating a balancer on is how thrust bearings and crank snouts get damaged, and this is the fix for that.

The set is a common alternative to renting a puller when a front main seal, timing cover or crank sensor reluctor job puts you behind the damper. It ships in a blow-molded storage case and Powerbuilt lists it as meeting or exceeding ANSI standards with a lifetime warranty.