I just replaced my oil pump on a 1990 5.0L at a community college where I'm taking classes.
We removed the upper intake, put the car on a lift, removed the engine mount bolts, and jacked up the engine by the harmonic balancer to then be able to drop the oil pan by enough inches to get to the pump.

Now, I *just* found out to my horror, that apparently the balancer was a really bad idea?
I haven't run the engine yet.

How likely is it that I could have bent the crankshaft? Could my instructor, a master tech, have been so wrong?
I'm wondering if I can sleep at night!

The engine was of course cold, and we lifted it gently and slowly....

thanks for, hopefully, the reassurances!
-Bernard

 

I doubt its bent. Especially if you took it easy and didn't get it in a bind.

Most definately want to replace that balancer though.

 

The crank in your car is cast iron and cast iron is a brittle material that will crack or snap rather than bend.... while steel is maliable and will bend rather than break, (but you dont have a forged steel crank) so you don't need to be worried about the crank being bent.... BUT the rubber bonding on the balancer may be damaged from being compressed. Jacking an engine by the crank isn't really a good idea EVER, so if you got lucky this time, don't do it again. If you ever need to raise the engine again, do it the proper way and use a hoist from above.

 

What they said ^^

 

WOW, YOUR instructor needs to take a seat in the class with the students, you can tell him I said that, he in no way IMO should be in front of the class.......I always when confronted with that situation have put a block of wood and a screw jack under the bellhousing or better yet I have used an engine cradle/ support from above......all you can do now is start it up and make sure the balancer isn't wobbling , if it is = replace it

 

^that. get your money back from the college and inform them that an instructor is giving out bad info. who certified this guy?

 

It's a good thing I'm not an automotive instructor... I'd probably be released from the school for slapping the **** out of a student while calling them a noob!

 

You mean released on bail? =P

 

You either slipped the outer ring if it has a vibration and or bent the snout, if you put the weight of the car on it its bent!!!

Thats all there is too it!

I done this back when i was 16 with my first mustang, 1973 coupe lol! Thats how i know!

OH and take a cast crank to the machine shop and see what the very first thing they do with it is!!!!!!!
Check to see if it is bent!!

Cast bends thats why it is no good at high rpms it BENDS!

 

bending and deflecting are two different things. Cast CAN bend, but itll usually just shatter. The deflection at high RPM's ultimately cracks the cast cranks, which is why they come apart. But saying that running a cast crank at high RPM's will cause it to bend, is laughable!