'76 DeVille - Harmonic Balancer? (and oil pump)

[mgbeda]

Hi Folks,

My engine is being rebuilt even as we speak.  The guy called up and said that it doesn't have a harmonic balancer, just a big cast pulley.  Does that sound right?  This is an Ohio car, built in Nov. '75, with a 4-bbl and no AIR pump.   The crank pulley has never been off.

Also, just to confirm, the oil pump for this is a type F, right?

Thanks a lot,

-mB

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Cast pulley would be correct for your car.
Greg Surfas

[mgbeda]

Awesome.  Thanks Greg.  One less thing to go wrong.   

-mB

[TJ Hopland]

I concur on the crank pulley.    Guess they figured with the scale of the engine and the speeds it would be turning most of its life they didnt need the typical rubber ballancer.   

On the oil pump the difference is which way the oil filter angles.  The 68-76 angles out.  The 77-8x angles in. 

One warning is that all the oil pumps come from the same place and most of them have the same flaw which is some casting crud in the bypass bore that causes the bypass valve to stick open.  This has caused many new engines to have to get re rebuilt.  I had one where one of the gears sized on its shaft.   A good machine shop can take the new pump apart and clean up the bore and check the rest of the clearances.  You can also buy it from MTS where they check them all before shipping.   

Another warning about the timing chain set.  There have been several reports of the crank sprockets shattering on several of the typical parts store brands.  This happens on assembly if you are lucky but also seems to happen within the first few thousand miles.   Cloyes brand sets dont seem to have the problem.   Cloyes is a very common brand that any shop or store should be able to get.  They have a stock type set and roller set.   The stock type are fine for a stock car and less expensive than the roller type.   

Make sure you builder bangs the heck out of the oil pickup tube.  You would be amazed how much of the plastic cam sprocket bits and valve guide seals are hiding in there. 

Another tip is have him weld 1/4-20 nuts to the inside of the timing cover for the 2 lower middle water pump bolts.  These only thread into the sheet metal and most of the time at one time someone over tightened them and damaged the threads.  Its a real bummer to find that out upon final assembly when you have to take the timing cover and possibly oil pan off to weld the nuts in or to have them leak after its been running. 

Look close at the flex plate.  The ones with the big giant cutouts in them tended to crack.  I think by 76 they may have gone to a more solid one. 

[mgbeda]

Thanks, TJ.

I do have a cloyes timing chain.  And I told him what you said about the oil pump and he says he has checked out the bypass passage and it is clear and smooth.  I will probably end up putting on the oil pump anyway because it's easier to get at the engine mount bolts with it off.

-mB