92 3.8 engine assembly question...

Hello all!
I was basically handed a 1992 Regal with a 3.8 and a box of parts. Balancer, broken belt, and broken crank sensor. The owner of the car told me that she heard a clunk under the hood while driving and the car quit running. She had it towed to a local repair shop and they told her that the motor was seized and needed replacement and they wanted $3000 up front to fix it. I told her that I would look at it to see if they were hosing her. My examination showed that the waterpump was very worn out so the belt walked off and got stuck behind the harmonic balancer and bent the outer row of teeth on the inside of the balancer and that broke the magnet off the crank sensor and the engine died. It turns over freely. I told her to have it towed to where I live and I would fix it for 1/4 of that price. So here I am with a box of a few parts and a few missing. I replaced the waterpump, got a bracket for the crank sensor and the sensor and the bracket bolts, belt. I straightened the 5 or 6 bent fins on the balancer to a perfect state. My question is this:
How do you install the harmonic balancer?
I have an installation tool and a removal tool.
The balancer has a keyway in it and the only thing I see on the crankshaft is a tiny bit of key sticking out from under the timing gear. I see no sign of a key or keyway on the crankshaft. I do not think the key is sheared off but this balancer has to be indexed I think because of the rings of teeth. It is an interfeariance fit too. I can only slide the balancer on maybe half an inch till it gets tight and its probably another half an inch or so until it engages with that key end sticking out from under the timing gear. Do I just put the balancer on anywhere and hope the computer takes over or ...I dont know what?!?
Please help....
Thanks
Vic

Balancer. Its a wedge fit. The will be a tooth, or key on the shaft. It will only stick out, maybe... less than a 1/4 inch. you may not be able to see it, but its deff. there. If you need to, run you pinky finger around it, and you will be able to feel it. Ive never seen one come off or shear off. If she heard a clunk, im assuming the idler pulley went. But i wouldnt doubt the water pump idea. I'd jsut replace the idler anyways, i mean wth, your there anyways. But that had to be a heck fo a clunk......... and wouldnt the motor still run with no belt? if would not get cool coolent to the block, but it would still run until the battery ran out and/or the engine totaly overheated.
Good luck
Bill

Ok. I ran a small scerwdriver around the crank and felt a tiny bit of key right next to the timing gear. I aligned the balancer as good as I could with the key and installed it. I then reassembled the rest of the parts and tried to start it. No start. I then started thinking that the key was sheared but I still thought I felt it so I called napa.They only sell the key with a new balancer but I went there to look at it. It was about 1 3/8 inches long. Then I thought for sure it was broke so I got the dimentions and bought the closest one I could find at a hardware store. I then removed the front engine cover to install the new key and found the timing chain in half and the crank gear split down the middle right at the key. The chain was stuck behind the crank gear forcing it forward and tilting the key up through the crank gear. The chain damper was also in a few pieces. The engine turned over fine though, not like there was no compression on the cyls or anything so I dont think any valves are bent.
The engine has 180k miles on it but the teeth did not look too worn.
Very strange. I think the engine died after the crank sensor and teeth were ruined. Any Ideas as to what may have caused this? I still think it was the belt falling off. Maybe the chain broke first. Who knows...
Vic

I'd say the chain went first, then the vibration caused the belt to walk off, then the belt got suck around a couple of the pulleys, and broke, and thats when she heard her car die. But in the mean time, when the chain was stuck, the car was still trying to turn over, and the chain kept alot of pressure on the timing gear split.
Was she like offroading? Wow. lol.......... But for 180k, it was prolly the original chian, and it was getting old and streching.
That is a heck foa story tho, lmao....
Bill

I'll let you know how it turns out.