Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

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Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

November 20, 2004, 10:44:14 AM

Bought a new harmonic balancer & it had a small sliver of metal in a plastic bag with it called a Woodruff Key in the same box.

Can't see how it can go anywhere - what the heck is a Woodruff Key? :wtf:

Re: Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

Reply #1 – November 20, 2004, 04:53:12 PM

When you say "sliver" do you mean 1/4'' square and an inch or so long?
Is harmonic balancer the same as crankshaft vibration damper?

If so the key insures the balancer is in the correct relationship to the crankshaft, since the balancer has the timing marks on it.
The crankshaft and the balancer each have a notch in them which when lined up the key will fit in.

Re: Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

Reply #2 – November 21, 2004, 07:59:08 PM

Yup, about 1.25 x .25 inches--see pic below. My damper has a slot and the camshaft already has a matching raised piece of metal the damper slides onto, only one way to put the damper on to keep the timing like you said.

Since its a 92 HO engine, maybe they did away with the need for the key and machined it right into the shaft? :wtf: At least I hope, as there is no slit that I can see, and I had to use an installer to jam the damper onto that shaft.

Re: Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

Reply #3 – November 21, 2004, 08:35:44 PM

The key on the shaft may be machined in, but I doubt it. It's probably just pressed in. On a related note, you oughta see what happens to a Chevy Sprint 4-cylinder engine when that key shears off. It ain't pretty...

Another thing that ain't pretty is when you drop the camshaft woodruff key into an Isuzu 2.6 engine when you have the head off, and then put it back together and order a new key rather than bothering to find out where the old one went. For the guy in the bay next to me at the Saturn/Saab/Isuzu dealership I worked at it was a very expensive lesson involving a whole lotta noise followed by a cracked piston, bent valves, broken rockers, and badly scored cylinder walls...

Re: Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

Reply #4 – November 23, 2004, 05:43:03 PM

since it is a woodruff key you can't see the slot it is in because it fits perfectly if you take a hammer and a chisel and tap on one end of it it will start popping up on the other end

Re: Harmonic Balancer - Woodruff Key??

Reply #5 – November 25, 2004, 01:44:55 PM

you aint gonna see your old woodruff key cause it way the hell up in the timing cover on the crank.
get back under the car and shine a light in past the front timing cover seal,, its there,, your probably not gonna need the new one cause the old one is still in the crank. trust me,, this is a good thing caue all you have to do is get the new harmonic up and slide it on ,,, rotate it a little till you feel something grab,,add your crank bolt and tighten er up.

you must have a slot in your new harmonic dont you?