Guilty, from other engines and these. I have done it and had no issues, and I have done it with devistating results. I don’t do it anymore. Hammering on the crank transfers the load from the crank to the already weak and crappy middle main cap via the thrust bearing. Sound like I am worried about the main cap cracking worse? Yup. But did you catch the part of you are applying the impact force directly to a bearing surface?
You might get away with it, might not. When I did it it was never a big monster hammer swinging for the fence. Rubber mallet. And obviously not on the outer ring of the balancer. Can I prove the damage was from that? No. Can’t prove it wasn’t either.
I see it like buying insurance for what is known to already be proven danger zone on these engines.
Take the bolt with you to the auto parts stores that loan out the tools to see if they have the right thread.
Leroy rents one out.
Hink makes a low cost one he sells on his Facebook
Or go buy a long bolt, or chunk of treaded rod, a nut, and a few flat washers with grease between washers. If at a junkyard, snag an extra bolt to chop in half and weld extender in there.
Just not worth the risk imo
