I'm Baaack! Big troubles though!

[Great Boob]

I've been gone a while, back on now.

Here's my tail of woe. Recently bought a really nice '79 300TD, pretty red paint, nice interior, ran like a dream, man the clock even keeps time. However, I soon noticed that the alternator belt wouldn't stay tight. Before long she spit the bottom pulleys off, along with the harmonic balancer, which is bolted to the end of the crank. The retaining pins (2) were sheared axially.

Bummer. I bought a new balancer, chased the threads out on the crankshaft, bought a new bolt (18mm), retaining pins, and spring washers (3). Lock tighted the threads and torqued the heck out of it. Didn't last a week, spit it right back off. Now the retaining pin recesses on the crank are wallowed out. Crank shaft is shot.

I'm faced with a very expensive crank replacement on an otherwise sound engine. Scrapping the car or parting out, or

Finding a certified used engine, at a very reasonable cost, paying shipment to Knox. TN, paying installation, which I've been quoted at $1,000 cash...American.

Any ideas?

Above all, when buying a non turbo 300, beware of loose belts. One heck of an expensive lesson.