Fwd: <VV> Re: Harmonic Balancer or not?

[HallGrenn at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/18/2006 7:02:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
ronchoy at comcast.net writes:

I drove  my 68 500 pg with a plain pulley for more than 10 years. My  
mechanic  had replaced a rotted balancer with the plain pulley, saying  
the  balancer wasn't really necessary.


You didn't say what engine you had, but I'm guessing a 110.
 
Strange what the "Corvair Experts" at the local Chevy dealer would  do.  The 
local Chevy dealer replaced my harmonic balancer with a solid one  on my '68 
110 4 speed.  But when I learned better I replaced it myself with  a Dale 
rebuilt harmonic balancer.  The same mechanic also used to change  Corvair clutches 
by unbolting the engine from the transaxle, pulling them  apart so they hung 
down from the engine mounts at each end enough to  change the clutch (he would 
support the two ends at the end of the drop).   This expert cost me a dropped 
engine in Ohio at 75 MPH when the one  remaining rear mount nut finished 
stripping down the threads on one of  the two bolts (the other one was broken).  
Another Chevy dealer expert  replaced my '68 rear wheel bearings without 
measuring and shimming them.   Very expensive way to decide it was time to do my own 
work or find someone who  knew what they were doing.