I don't think I'm popping the crank out of my engine to have them pressed in. I'm wondering how necessary they really are.
All they do is help prevent the flywheel from coming loose from the crankshaft. No need to install them, just plan on pulling the driveline apart every few thou to re-tighten the flywheel bolts, assuming they haven't fallen out, sheared off, gotten jammed into the bellhousing, and/or chewed up the ring gear and starter. As the man said, pay me now or pay me later.
Think about it. The chronic weakness of any inline engine, especially a long-stroke 292, is loosening of damper pulley and flywheel/converter bolts due to torsional vibration, especially if you ever spin the motor at higher RPM than 4000 or so. Especially on a manual transmission vehicle, keeping these parts attached can be a challenge.
Anyone can make overlook something in building an engine, but to realize a mistake and avoid correcting it will always come back to bite you. Do it right the first time. All of the high performance stuff in that engine won't do you much good if you're broken down roadside, or underneath pulling the tranny to fix what should have been done in the first place.
