Crank pulley photo

[vancouver-gts]

Let the car cool off overnight. Carefully heat the damper with a torch aiming the flame inside the journal only. Use a long bolt, washer and nut to pull it on to the snout. Make sure there is no burr on the snout itself. Clean it up with a file if you have too.

 

[rdutko]

The pulley is designed for a press fit on the crank. Make certain that the crank is free of any high spots. I saw a lot of gaulling on your original photo. Be careful not to cut deep into the crank shaft. Takes rime and finness. If you can find a thick washer to place between the head of the pulley an hub. Use the bolt head pressure to press on the hub. Then. Pull the bolt Bach off once it's bottomed out and remove the heavy washer. Then re - install the bolt.

 

[WSAYERS80]

What will a thick washer do? I was thinking about taking the front end apart and using a small sledge to tap it on. I was re tapping the crank as well to repair any bad threads. The die for the bolt was 20x1.5 but the same size tap doesn't fit the crank snout which needs a little rethreading. Not bad but wanna do it correctly. Definitely getting a pin kit.

 

[AZTVR]

The pulley is designed for a press fit on the crank. Make certain that the crank is free of any high spots. I saw a lot of gaulling on your original photo. Be careful not to cut deep into the crank shaft. Takes rime and finness. If you can find a thick washer to place between the head of the pulley an hub. Use the bolt head pressure to press on the hub. Then. Pull the bolt Bach off once it's bottomed out and remove the heavy washer. Then re - install the bolt.

What will a thick washer do? I was thinking about taking the front end apart and using a small sledge to tap it on. I was re tapping the crank as well to repair any bad threads. The die for the bolt was 20x1.5 but the same size tap doesn't fit the crank snout which needs a little rethreading. Not bad but wanna do it correctly. Definitely getting a pin kit.

PLEASE watch the video linked below in its entirety. I am not a pro mechanic, nor have I replaced a damper on a Viper, so I can not comment on this process on a Viper application. I can picture that the proper tool might not fit in front of the installed engine.
I believe that O'Reilley and Autozone "rents" a tool for installing Harmonic balancers. I don't know if compatible with Viper. (Note: You buy it, and return for refund. Check on the time allowed to be loaned & returned for refund)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex_yJ_V5UH8

 

[Camfab]

The only way that crank is ever going to be repaired properly is if you pull it and send it to a crank shop. If they can polish it to spec you might be ok. If your threads are torn up you've got a whole can of worms waiting for you. Your first pic showed obvious signs of damage to to dampner, which in turn hurt the crank. The tolerance between the dampner is basically a press fit. If either part is not perfectly matched and machined your going to destroy the parts on assembly. If you polish out the parts to a loose fit, your dampner will fail to do its job, and damage the rotating assembly. A properly installed assembly does not need a pin kit contrary to the bs claimed by most. You do realize that your supposed to use a dampner assembly tool for installation, right? You already have a compromised situation, the last thing you need to do is damage the bearings because your swinging a sledge trying to fit a circle over a hexagon.

 

[WSAYERS80]

LOL I was kidding.. I'm not gonna sledge it. Yes I am using a damper assembly tool. It's a kit.. has like 8 different adapters.

 

[WSAYERS80]

Hey Guys, I am at a pretty bad standstill. The threads need re-tooling and I don't feel I should attempt that myself, I am not a machinist. I do have a 3/4x16 tap but it isn't grabbing and I don't wanna mess the threads up further. I took it to the Local Dodge dealership and they tried ripping me off. Service Manager Called me up claiming there was a Bolt busted off in the crank blah blah blah.. I called him out and told him that's BS cause I pulled the Only Visable Crank Bolt out myself and its only damage was the threads. Unless he pulled the motor and crank then quite blowing smoke up my ass. He apologized and suddenly said he was confusing my job with another lol... Ya Right He wanted $4,600 plus Labor for a new crank and Install. When I said I just wanted the threads repaired and Damper installed he turned the job away.. So

1st is does anyone know of a good Race Shop, or Machinist that can Fix a crank Snouts threads (In Florida Preferably)

2nd, If not does anyone have an Undamaged/uncracked Balanced Gen 2 crank (USED Preferably)?


Dire Straights

 

[speedracervr4]

Give Chuck Tator a call and see if he has any suggestions.

 

[Fatboy 18]

Just did a Google search for crankshaft repairs in the Orlando area, this company might be worth a call?

Revmaster Machine & Parts
5358 Old Winter Garden Rd
Orlando, FL 32811

+1 407-295-7691

You just need a good engineer

 

[rdutko]

If you could take the bolt to a local machine shop, they could accurately measure the thread for you with a thread gage and pitch mics. I doubt that a service or tech manual would even show the class of thread in the crank though. That's something only a Dodge engineer would know. I would start with a class 3 tap to make sure you don't tap the crank oversize.

 

[Camfab]

Call Doug Levin, he's in Florida.

 

[NI-KA]

Since you are looking for advise I would call any of the known reputable engine repair vendors. Some of them advertise on this site. A conversation with any of them can't hurt and it might help you gain perspective on the problem.

There should be a number of threads on this subject (I am late to this thread - forgive me if the earlier part of the thread notes that) I recall reading them when I had concerns regarding my damper. You are not the first to have problems with this and as noted by others what you do now can save or cost you a ton more down the road.

 

[WSAYERS80]

I took the Car to Ken's Performance off Orange Ave. In Orlando. They came highly recommended and Ken races NHRA national events. Staff really seemed pretty knowledgeable.

I might need a new used crankshaft. Anyone have a used Gen 2 crankshaft they are willing to sell? Saw some New ones listed between 2200-2500. Not sure what used ones list for. Maybe Don or X2..

 

[Fatboy 18]

How you getting on? Any updates?

 

[WSAYERS80]

Ya Ken's guys said the crank looks to have metal transfer from the damper. They initially thought it was gouged and possibly ruined but after looking at it and the balancer they think it is metal transfer and they are trying to file it off. then retap it. I have a contact that has a 97' crank from a flood car they are parting with for 1200 just in case I need one. I was actually playing with the idea of ust picking up the 97 crank and using that altogether.

 

[Fatboy 18]

Best of luck

 

[WSAYERS80]

Fixed! Thank you kens performance orlando florida

 

[Fatboy 18]

Details of work? Did you replace the Crank? Did you pin the new Damper? Any pics?

 

[WSAYERS80]

No, I took it to Ken Wells in Orlando. He is an NHRA Drag Racer runs Alcohol Dragsters I believe. Anyways his shop Kens Performance is awesome. Threads were fine. They said the bolt worked loose and over time wore out the Balancer to a point that it failed. There was metal transfer from the Damper onto the crank. After cleaning up the threads they Sat a driver in the car up on the lift and ran the motor. While the throttle was being feathered the machinist filed the metal transfer down to the crank and finished it with some kind of abrasives machinists clothe, I forget what it's called. New Damper and pulley installed and a **** load of locktite. I let it sit for a day before driving then went easy on her.
3.5 hours $295 bucks. Honest guys.. They have a few other central Florida Viper Clients with gen 4s they were saying.

 

[Fatboy 18]

Brilliant, thanks for the update, Good to hear your back on the road