I have just entered the forum as a new member and am very excited by the possibilities that I see. I have a '72 Duster with a 225 SLS and am in the process of overhauling it. I have the engine out on a stand with the pan and head off and one piston out. It has been layed up for 17 years and has rust in the cylinder walls which makes removal of the pistons in the traditional very difficult. I am in the process of removing the crankshaft, but have some questions. I cannot figure out how to remove the "balancer" and am not even sure that I can remove the crankshaft without removing the pistons. It seem that I would be able to, but I am 62 years old and my only experience was with a 312 Mercury when I was the age of 19. As you can see, it has been a long time since I have been in the business of engine overhaul. Can anyone help me with how to remove the crankshaft and subsequently the pistons? I would deeply appreciate it. The Duster has 60k on it and the body is in very good shape. It has an auto tranny in it and this is the first time that I have pulled an engine and I did it by myself, since I have two girls and son-in-laws that are remote or not mechanically inclined. Sorry this was so long.
Thanks,
Roger

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I have a '72 Duster with a 225 in it and an auto tranny. It has 60k on it , but has been in the weather for a lot of years.

Welcome onboard! You may want to read and follow this post for reference materials. The balancer is removed by means of a puller that threads into three of the six threaded holes arranged around the balancer's centre hole. Depending on the crank's rotative position, you may or may not be able to remove it without removing the pistons. Turn the engine upright and pour an inch of (preferably) Kroil or Coca-Cola (believe it or not!) into each cylinder...then walk away for a day. Come back 24 hours later and see if the pistons aren't more willing to shift for you.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Dan,
Forgive me, I hav'nt figured this forum procedures yet, so I hope this is a reply to your reply to me. I have turned my engine back to the top and poured at least an inch, where possible of Coca cola in to each cylinder onto the pistons. I hope Classic was okay(haha). I look forward to tomorrow. It will be my last full day this week to be able to work on the engine. I will be going out of town, so I look forward to a successful extraction for tomorrow. Thank you very much for the assistance. I have been working from the wonderful Haynes book that you are so referent about. I am ordering the two books you recommended from Amazon.com.
Thanks,
Roger

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I have a '72 Duster with a 225 in it and an auto tranny. It has 60k on it , but has been in the weather for a lot of years.

I borrowed the balancer removal/installer tool from my local Autozone. Just put it on your credit card, bring it home and use it, take it back in good shape, and get your credit back. Borrow it again when you're ready to re-assemble if you plan on taking some time to do this project. I think there is a time limit.

I would think you will want to remove the piston/rod combo's before you remove the crank. After the lube or soda does it job I would use the wood handle end of a hammer into the bottom of the piston to knock out the pistons/rods. You may have to bring them down in the bore and give a good shove to pass over the ridge groove at the top of the bore. You might break a couple of rings but that's OK. Don't forget to cover the rod bolts to keep from scratching the crank journals. You can purchase 2 nifty little rod bolt covers if you want from your auto parts supplier.

Good luck. There are some extremely knowledgable folks here always willing to help a fellow slanter. They have sure helped me.

Yep, worked correctly.
Yep, fine. The stuff is loaded with phosphoric acid, which very effectively dissolves rust. You will probably want to leave the conrods intact, put a bolt in the threaded front end of the crank with it still installed in the engine (this would be your crank pulley bolt if these engines were so equipped) and give a good heave-ho with a long breaker bar to see if you can free it up tomorrow. The bolt size you need is ¾"-16 x 2½".
Good, but what about the third...? Factory Service Manual is critical for engine buildups...

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.