Damper pulley,i got it off with a three leg pulley puller. how do you put back on bolt to short to grab any threads an all . should i heat pulley? i tryed starting in on with 2in. cut off woodin doul rod no luck

I assume you mean the engine crankshaft harmonic damper?
It isn't unusual for a car to be fitted with a variety of harmonic dampers - on the driveline or suspension for instance.

The short answer is I don't know as I am not familiar with your model but most types are very similar to each other. Most are combined with the crankshaft auxilliary belt pulley and most can be divided into two main types - one is an assembly retained by a largish centre bolt that is usually very tight and the other is in two parts, the centre hub is retained on the crank by the aforementioned large bolt and the outer pulley/damper is retained to the hub by a number of smaller bolts.

In all cases it is necessary to remove the auxilliary belt and lock the crankshaft. A few engines have the crankshaft timing belt pulley in assembly with the pulley/damper and in that case the timing belt will also need removing.
This will be obvious by examining the replacement damper.

Those that are an assembly are generally a sliding fit on the crankshaft and should be removed by hand or some gentle leverage after the retaining bolt has been removed, though often some rust has crept in making it much tighter and it might be necessary to use a little heat, some impacts or even a gear puller or similar.

if you are working on a 2.4 engine, there are three threaded bolt holes to use with a puller. u will need three bolts about two and a half or three inches long depending on your puller. you can probly rent these tools if you dont have them

First YOU will need a pulley puller its a three prong device for pulling pulleys without damaging it. A long allen-head bolt should be inserted into the crankshaft so the jaws of the puller only contact the hub of the pulley- not the outer ring. The pullers tapered tip should push against bolt to prevent damage to the crankshaft threads. You may be able to get a press on sleeve to renew the sealing surface if its been grooved from long time contact with the seal. It is pressed on with hammer and block of wood. To replace the pulley you will need a vibration damper installation tool. Lubricate the pulley hub with clean engine oil. Align the slot on the pulley with the key on the crankshaft and push the pulley on crankshaft as far as it will go. BE careful not to bend the outer ring of the pulley. Now you will need the vibration tool to press the pulley the rest of the way onto the crankshaft. Install the crankshaft pulley retaining bolt and tighten to the torque listed in the owners manual or get a repair manual with the torque tightness listed. I'm good but not good enough to know all the torque specs on every vehicle. Hope that Helps! The crankshaft pulley is the bottom pulley NORMALLY.

You remove the giant bolt, then you use a harmonic balancer puller, which essentially bolts up rather than using claws to grab. The bolts of the puller go into the pulley fastening bolt holes.

Something must happen to protect the crank threads, a spacer, using the retainer bolt, or whatever, just do not kill the threads.

Hi, it is easiest if you set the brake, jack up the car, put in a jack stand for support, and remove the wheel and splash shield to access the pulley. If you have a manual transmission, put it in a high gear and set the brake. If you have an automatic transmission, you will need to lock the engine with something, best done at the flywheel/flexplate. If there is no access panel to the flexplate, remove the starter for access. With the engine locked, remove the main pulley bolt. Use 3 quarter inch bolts to attach the puller to the pulley and tighten the puller slowly to extract the pulley. Please let me know if you have questions, and thanks for using FixYa.

Lock the flywheel:




Attach the puller and tighten bolt to remove pulley.

Crankshaft Damper/Pulley counterclockwise to remove pulley:
REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

1. Remove the drive belts from the crankshaft damper.
2. Remove the crankshaft damper-to-crankshaft bolt. Hold the crankshaft stationary by placing a suitable tool in the ring gear teeth on the flywheel. Fig. 1: Use a breaker bar to remove the crankshaft damper bolt
   Fig. 2: The crankshaft can be held stationary by using a suitable tool to place between the flywheel teeth
   Fig. 3: Be sure to lubricate the threads of the crankshaft damper bolt to obtain a proper torque reading
   
   
3. Remove the crankshaft damper from the crankshaft by pulling it straight off the shaft. A puller may be required to remove the damper from the shaft. Be careful not to lose the woodruff key when removing the crankshaft damper. Fig. 4: The crankshaft damper can sometimes be pulled from the shaft by hand
   Fig. 5: A puller may be required to remove the crankshaft damper
   NOTE: If working on a VE30DE or VQ30DE engine, it would be a good idea to replace the crankshaft oil seal when the crankshaft damper is removed. Fig. 6: The timing chain cover oil seal should be replaced whenever the crankshaft damper is removed; this seal is leaking severely
   Fig. 7: This crankshaft damper may have a problem sealing properly due to the groove that was worn into it from the seal
   To install:
   
4. Install the crankshaft damper onto the shaft, making sure the woodruff key is in place. Dip the damper bolt in fresh oil and torque the crankshaft damper-to-crankshaft bolt to the following specifications:
   • VG30E engine — 90–98 ft.lbs. (123–132 Nm.)
   • VE30DE engine — 123–130 ft.lbs. (167–177 Nm.)
   • VQ30DE engine — 29–36 ft.lbs. (39–49 Nm.) followed by 60–66°clockwise angle torque
5. Install the drive belts to the crankshaft damper; be sure to properly set belt tension.

This is what I found on the 98 Regency instructions: Crankshaft Damper REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Remove the belts from the crankshaft pulley.
3. Remove the crankshaft damper attaching bolt.
4. Attach a suitable puller to the damper and remove the damper from the crankshaft. NOTE: On certain models, removal of the cooling fan, fan shroud or radiator may be necessary for clearance. WARNING
   DO NOT pry on the damper assembly to remove it from the vehicle or component damage will result. Remove the damper using a puller only.
   
5. Installation is the reverse of removal. Torque the damper bolt to specification. Fig. 1: One example of a crankshaft damper puller tool
   Fig. 2: Removing the crankshaft damper bolt Fig. 3: Do not attempt to pry on the damper to remove it from the crankshaft, use a puller only Fig. 4: Removing the damper from the crankshaft Fig. 5: When installing the damper, thread the bolt by hand first to prevent cross-threading

What changed?
The pulley can't change by itself.
The main crankshaft pully is usually called the harmonic damper.
It has a layer of rubber between the inner and outer.
If the rubber is shot, the outer ring may be able to move.
You need to examine it closely to see if the thin rubber stip is loose. Look at a new one in a parts store, or online.

If bad, you not only need to be sure of the direection the retaining nut or bolt turns, but you may need a steering wheel puller to get it off. You can borrow, rent, or buy a puller cheap at AutoZone, JC Whitney, or Harbor Freight. There usually are threaded holes in the damper for that purpose. Put nut or bolt back on loosely so no thread damage from puller.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I just replaced the timing belt and water pump on my 1999 300M. The biggest problem I had was getting the harmonic balancer (crank pulley) off, took me 3 days to figure out. first off you need a 3 claw puller and it hooks in the center of the pulley. DO NOT pull from the outside rim or you will damage it like I did and have to replace it. Behind the pulley at the bottom is a cover plate held by 3 bolts, remove the bolts and the cover will drop under the car, all 3 claws will now hook onto the center of the pulley. Now you need something for the puller to push against, I took a THIN socket extension and inserted it into the pulley shaft (MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HIT THE THREADS) it should go in about 4-5 inches, I cut it to the size I needed and used the wrench end to rest the puller bolt against, get some tension and tap pulley with a hammer, keep repeating this and it will be off in just a couple of minutes. Putting pulley back on was also a problem, but if you get a long 10mil bolt you can simply tighten the pulley back onto the shaft until the regular bolt can reach the threads to finish.

if you can see two or three threaded holes surrounding the crankshaft bolt hole, attach a steering wheel puller tool and it will come right out of there. if not, you should be able to pull it off by hand if you grab onto it, and wobble it whilst firmly pulling on it. G/L