I own a 1997 Larson with a 5.7liter GS engine and a Volvo Penta SX
outdrive. I devolped an oil leak from the timing chain cover so I
decided to pull out the engine and change the oil pan,valve cover,and
intake manifold gaskets along with a new timing chain cover( it's
plastic and the gasket and cover are all one unit).I put the harmonic
balancer back on and tightened it against the crank shaft sprocket to
the proper torque value. The problem now is when I put the
water/circulating pump back on the pulley on the pump does not line up
with the pulley on the harmonic balancer. It's as if the balancer is
too far in by about a 1/4". I've had a few mechanic friends take alook
and they are scratching their heads on this one. Here are a couple of
their thoughts:
1. The crank shaft sprocket was replaced with a different one.
2. The harmonic balancer is not the right one.
Please note that I bought the boat used a couple of years ago so it is
possible that someone else had worked on the engine. What I need to
find out is if the crank shaft sprocket is supposed to come with some
kind of lip on it?
If so then I guess I'll need to replce it with the proper one. It
would be a shame to have to remove the cover now that it's all sealed
up nice. Could I have a spacer/washer made with a key way cut in it
and slide that on first?

I doubt if the Volvo-Penta conversion of this 350 Chevy engine went so far a
special timing chain sprocket ( your #1 ) . In previous service work,
someone could have swapped the pulleys, (crankshaft and/or water pump), or
maybe the cir. water pump was changed? I had an OMC a few boats back where
, I had to get a harmomic balancer's front face machined off a good bit to
line things up, but don't recall the details. I would look at the water pump
making sure it was the right one and same with pulleys. Or if you if it
would be easier ,just take what you have to a machine shop and get work
done to line thing up. Cut face of balancer and/or add spacers under other
pulleys. Be sure to pay attention to the alternator line up as well. Thing
to figure out why thing are out of wack maybe be harder and more expensive
than use getting what you have to work via a little machining.

--
Ron White
Boat building web address is
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

The front of chevy small blocks has been the same forever. Something else
is going on. Are you sure the water pump and it's pulley are on correctly?

"Mike V." wrote in message
om...
I own a 1997 Larson with a 5.7liter GS engine and a Volvo Penta SX
outdrive. I devolped an oil leak from the timing chain cover so I
decided to pull out the engine and change the oil pan,valve cover,and
intake manifold gaskets along with a new timing chain cover( it's
plastic and the gasket and cover are all one unit).I put the harmonic
balancer back on and tightened it against the crank shaft sprocket to
the proper torque value. The problem now is when I put the
water/circulating pump back on the pulley on the pump does not line up
with the pulley on the harmonic balancer. It's as if the balancer is
too far in by about a 1/4". I've had a few mechanic friends take alook
and they are scratching their heads on this one. Here are a couple of
their thoughts:
1. The crank shaft sprocket was replaced with a different one.
2. The harmonic balancer is not the right one.
Please note that I bought the boat used a couple of years ago so it is
possible that someone else had worked on the engine. What I need to
find out is if the crank shaft sprocket is supposed to come with some
kind of lip on it?
If so then I guess I'll need to replce it with the proper one. It
would be a shame to have to remove the cover now that it's all sealed
up nice. Could I have a spacer/washer made with a key way cut in it
and slide that on first?

"Lawrence James" wrote in message ink.net...
The front of chevy small blocks has been the same forever. Something else
is going on. Are you sure the water pump and it's pulley are on correctly?

O.K. here's an update to my situation so far. After permanently
mounting the water pump (previously I just held it in place by
hand)and then installing the harmonic balancer it appears as though
they are only off by about 1/8" not the 1/4" I originally observed. I
was able to put a 1/16" spacer between the Balancer and the pulley.
I'm assured this small (1/16") difference now between the Balncer and
water pump pulley's should not cause any problems with the belts. I
believe now that the problem probally lies with the water pump pulley.
When the time comes to replace the water pump I'll probally remove the
spacer and all will be fine.I appreciate your responses as it verified
that the Balancer and crankshaft sprocket are standard items and the
problem lied elsewhere.

Thank's Mike V.