my harmonic balancer has a slight wobble to it could I have not pressed it on tight enough?
The press comes from clearance or interference between the crank snout and the Inside Diameter (ID) of the harmonic damper. Typically, the amount of interference, or how much smaller the ID of the damper is relative to the Outside Diameter (OD) of the crank shout determines how much press you have. Generally, the difference between OD and ID is around .001 per inch of diameter, depending on the class of fit.
When you installed it, you should have felt that it registered positively on the crank snout and then had a nice tight press while installing with an installation tool. You should have also felt the hub of the damper seat firmly against the crank sprocket, capturing it against the shoulder of the crankshaft.
As far as not pressing it on tight enough and without seeing it, the wobble has me a bit concerned. You don’t really have any control over the actual press fit of the damper unless you hone the ID or grind the OD of the crank. It is possible that with a used crank and used damper that either or both could have some wear and therefore have lost some interference. The ID of the damper could be on the large side of the tolerance and the OD of the crank could be on the small side to the point where there is not sufficient press between the mating diameters. It is possible that there is galling on the mating surfaces, preventing them from assembling straight or not having an interference fit. It is also possible that if the damper wasn’t seated all the way against the shoulder of the crank, the centripetal forces could cause unwanted movement of the damper, even damaging the hub or the snout resulting in a wobble.
It is hard to judge by the pictures, but it looks like the pulley alignment is good. If it is visibly off, that could indicate the damper is not installed all the way. Good news is that it looks easy to pull apart and see what’s going on. How did it feel going together?
P.S. How is the new job going?
