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Hey guys, looking for some serious engine advice. Just bought 98 Gen 2.5 about 3 months ago.
I had the timing belt/water pump kit done immediately for peace of mind.
Last week we took a ride up to OK about 2hrs away and as we were leaving Turner Falls my harmonic balancer broke. I ended up getting it towed to Davis, OK to the tow's shop - awesome help and friendly. Just got word that it appears it jumped timing and there's possibly some additional internal damage.
I'm going to pick it up tomorrow w a Uhaul trailer and follow up w my mechanic here in Dallas for another look and options. Basic mechanics I'm very familiar w, but not anything internal to this extent.
Questions - Would it be worth trying to rebuild the 3.5 or better to try a 3.8 Endeavor engine swap(i believe that's one I've read about)? Keep in mind I don't know the extent of the damage and I'm still 2hrs from my rig. I just know that when i popped the hood the belts were loose and the harmonic balancer/crankshaft pulley was clearly not in-line.
Any help, advice, direction would be greatly appreciated.
Danny
... The sheared pin you're showing only aligns the harmonic balancer with the crankshaft sprocket and the trigger wheel for the crankshaft sensor. All three of those are keyed to the crankshaft and the sprocket won't move even if the harmonic balancer comes off. Did the crankshaft bolt break or come loose? Did the harmonic balancer come apart? I'm really not sure that you've found a mechanic who really understands what's going on with your engine, or perhaps something is being lost in translation.
If you are trying to remove the crankshaft bolt, you can use a socket on a long-handle ratchet and rest the ratchet on the driver's side frame rail, then bump the starter (only turn the ignition key to the start position for a fraction of a second). The starter has enough torque to break it loose.
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