HELP Dropped a razor blade in the Harmonic Balancer

[indygrandprix]

Just like the title says i dropped a razor blade in the harmonic balancer while i was scraping the old water pump gasket off. I can't see it and i don't have an impact strong enough to take the balancer off and even if i could get it off with my battery powered impact i dont have a puller for the balancer. If i just leave it in there and drive will it be ok?

[02NavyBlue]

There are little teeth in there that have to stay straight to give a reading on the crank sensor. Are you sure it didn't fall all the way down? I'm not sure if it could cause harm or not, I'm sure it's possible.

[indygrandprix]

It didnt fall all the way down. I watched it fall in between the top of the balancer and the plastic casing thing and im positive its in there. I looked everywhere and couldnt find it on the ground or on the cradle below the balancer. I guess ill just have to start it and hope it doesn't mess something up....... worst part is i'll never know if its out unless i ever take the balancer off so i'll always have to worry its gonna mess the teeth for the CKP up. Hopefully not... I mean centrifugal force should keep it away right..... LMAO while ripping my hair out

[FordMan77]

You could get one of those extendable magnets and see if you can fish it out. If not that, try rotating the motor by hand by putting a breaker bar/socket on the crank bolt and turn the motor over and see if you can get it to fall out or locate it and grab it with some pliers. Heck, even a magnet from the fridge may work if you can get one strong enough. I wouldn't fire it up like that. Might damage the crank position sensor.

[BillBoost37]

Or..you could turn the motor one half turn and hope it falls back out

[Elite6]

Pulling the crank ain't that bad. Took me $20 for the puller & 10-15 minutes. That time is worth possibly effin up a CPS IMO.

[Explicit_Spade]

Just take the balancer pulley off, and find it.

[indygrandprix]

Pulling the crank ain't that bad. Took me $20 for the puller & 10-15 minutes. That time is worth possibly effin up a CPS IMO.

I don't have an impact strong enough to take the bolt out..... i'd gladly fork out the 20 bucks for a puller and take a few mins and pull it off if i had the tools.

[Explicit_Spade]

Breaker bars are cheap enough... Do it by hand!

[indygrandprix]

Breaker bars are cheap enough... Do it by hand!

Isn't the motor just going to sit there and spin?

[Explicit_Spade]

Not if you use something to hold the flywheel, such as a flywheel holder (Read:Screwdriver).

[Scottydoggs]

Isn't the motor just going to sit there and spin?

not if you clamp a vise grip on the flex plate.

[Elite6]

I don't have an impact strong enough to take the bolt out..... i'd gladly fork out the 20 bucks for a puller and take a few mins and pull it off if i had the tools.

Mine wasn't strong enough either, breaker bar owned it. Had a buddy keep flywheel secure.

[dsmuts]

Just crank the motor over by hand with a breaker bar and see if it'll fall out. You can get that bolt out by putting the breaker bar on the bolt and having someone bump the starter over to break it loose.

[indygrandprix]

I already tried turning the motor by hand hoping the blade would fall out or by some off chance the blot would come loose....... neither of those happened.

I like the idea of bumping the starter with the breaker bar on but has anyone done this.... I dont know why but I feel like this could cause damage to something but I don't know what. After dropping a razor blade in the spot I did i feel like anything can go wrong. Lol

[Scottydoggs]

id fire it up and run it. theres always the chance its not back there and you just cant find it. it could be sitting on the side of the motor mount or on the plastic shield.

side thought, you stick a magnet down there yet?

[indygrandprix]

Yeah I took my rock auto fridge magnets and cut a couple of them in different shapes trying to fish it out. I think I had it a couple times cuz I heard something clatter when i started pulling out but after a couple hours i gave up cuz i had to go to work. Started the car and drove it to work 24 miles there and 25 back. so im just gonna hope its fine to drive for a few days until the crank puller from ebay shows up and then i'll pull it and get the blade out for peace of mind.

It'll be good to have the puller for when the CKP goes out. lol

[02NavyBlue]

It'll be good to have the puller for when the CKP goes out. lol

That's what I'm saying lol. If mine doesn't go out by next spring I'll change mine even though it's still working. My starter left me stranded once, might as well get the crank sensor out of the way...

[dsmuts]

If you drove it that far it's not still in there

[02NavyBlue]

Well at least this could be a lesson learned, use one of these for scraping corrosion and old gasket material.



I do like using razors for scaping gasket surfaces. You have to be a little careful with aluminum but it really takes everything off level with the surface, while a gasket scraper just takes off big pieces of gasket and leaves small pieces and corrosion behind.