Re: What was your best BuBa fix?
Ok this sounds like fun. I have one.... albeit a bit long, but a funny story.
I was out in my '59 with a buddy in NH one summer night in the 80's, going to Dunkins' up the highway in the neighboring town for coffee. We usually did that once a week, either in his '70 Chevelle convertible or my '59. This night was my turn. Got on the highway north, nice cool ride, then stopped to pay the 25 cent toll in Merrimack.
Leaving the tool booth, I goosed it a bit taking off. We heard this heavy rattling noise in the engine. I pulled over into the parking lot right after the tollbooth area. By that time dusk was approaching.
My harmonic balancer was loose on the crankshaft. Geesh, my buddy said... we better get a flatbed.
I really wanted my coffee. So...
I went in the toolbox in the trunk. Took out a small flat bladed screwdriver that would fit in the keyway of the balancer to crank snout. I smacked it with a hammer to drive it in the keyway, then I used pliers to snap the handle off and drove it in a little more until it was really tight. Started the engine, revved it a bit, all good, so we took off just fine. My buddy couldn't believe it worked.
We finished the drive to Dunkins', had our coffee, then made it back home. I think we took back roads home though. Later I took the balancer off and used Locktite to hold it on as I recall, but....
Some time later it actually came off totally. I was on the same highway down in Mass going home from work. I heard a loud bang hitting the frame. I looked in my rearview and there it was. As I slowed down it passed me on the left and went flying into the median grass. It took a while to find it. I eventually found it, put it in the trunk and tried to drive a while but no water pump so it kept overheating. Figured it'd take all night to get home, so I had to get a flatbed. It took hours.
Then I bought a new GM replacement and all was fine. The old one sat on a shelf for years. I tossed it eventually. Silly me. It was the rare SHP balancer for my 270HP 283. Wish I still had it.
Rich
Ok this sounds like fun. I have one.... albeit a bit long, but a funny story.
I was out in my '59 with a buddy in NH one summer night in the 80's, going to Dunkins' up the highway in the neighboring town for coffee. We usually did that once a week, either in his '70 Chevelle convertible or my '59. This night was my turn. Got on the highway north, nice cool ride, then stopped to pay the 25 cent toll in Merrimack.
Leaving the tool booth, I goosed it a bit taking off. We heard this heavy rattling noise in the engine. I pulled over into the parking lot right after the tollbooth area. By that time dusk was approaching.
My harmonic balancer was loose on the crankshaft. Geesh, my buddy said... we better get a flatbed.
I really wanted my coffee. So...
I went in the toolbox in the trunk. Took out a small flat bladed screwdriver that would fit in the keyway of the balancer to crank snout. I smacked it with a hammer to drive it in the keyway, then I used pliers to snap the handle off and drove it in a little more until it was really tight. Started the engine, revved it a bit, all good, so we took off just fine. My buddy couldn't believe it worked.
We finished the drive to Dunkins', had our coffee, then made it back home. I think we took back roads home though. Later I took the balancer off and used Locktite to hold it on as I recall, but....
Some time later it actually came off totally. I was on the same highway down in Mass going home from work. I heard a loud bang hitting the frame. I looked in my rearview and there it was. As I slowed down it passed me on the left and went flying into the median grass. It took a while to find it. I eventually found it, put it in the trunk and tried to drive a while but no water pump so it kept overheating. Figured it'd take all night to get home, so I had to get a flatbed. It took hours.
Then I bought a new GM replacement and all was fine. The old one sat on a shelf for years. I tossed it eventually. Silly me. It was the rare SHP balancer for my 270HP 283. Wish I still had it.
Rich
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