Wobble? NO Wobble? Don't be scared just check.
05-07-2015, 12:29 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Wobble? NO Wobble? Don't be scared just check.
I am curious... I just happen to look at my harmonic balancer the other day... NO issues, vibration, squeals, knocks, whines, etc.... just decided to look at it... and it has some wobble to it... so, now I'm wondering how many have a wobble that isn't really hurting anything and you weren't even aware of...or is yours silky smooth.........................
Just start the car get a flashlight and go to the passenger side wheel and shine your light down on the bottom/front of the motor. The harmonic balancer is on the very bottom spinning around with the serpentine belt going around it....
is it wobbly, shaky, bouncy, wiggly... or smooth and no movement?
Wanted to add this note: I have marked the inner and outer rings of my balancer and also measured from the timing cover to the outer edge of the balancer... this way I can detect any movement on the shaft or if the outer ring is separating from the inner and shifting... If the wobble doesn't get worse, or I don't see any movement I am not going to worry about the little bit of wobble...
Just start the car get a flashlight and go to the passenger side wheel and shine your light down on the bottom/front of the motor. The harmonic balancer is on the very bottom spinning around with the serpentine belt going around it....
is it wobbly, shaky, bouncy, wiggly... or smooth and no movement?
Wanted to add this note: I have marked the inner and outer rings of my balancer and also measured from the timing cover to the outer edge of the balancer... this way I can detect any movement on the shaft or if the outer ring is separating from the inner and shifting... If the wobble doesn't get worse, or I don't see any movement I am not going to worry about the little bit of wobble...
Last edited by 73Corvette; 05-07-2015 at 04:15 PM.
05-07-2015, 12:30 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
04 6spd 33k miles.
stock... yes I have wobble.
stock... yes I have wobble.
05-07-2015, 12:57 PM
#3
My 04Z always had a very, very slight wobble to it... From when I bought it with 16,000 miles on it, all the way until 176,000 miles. I never had any issues with it. It was recently changed out for an underdrive pulley when I had a cam installed, and the new pulley does not wobble.
05-07-2015, 01:00 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
My 04Z always had a very, very slight wobble to it... From when I bought it with 16,000 miles on it, all the way until 176,000 miles. I never had any issues with it. It was recently changed out for an underdrive pulley when I had a cam installed, and the new pulley does not wobble.
05-07-2015, 01:01 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
My 04Z always had a very, very slight wobble to it... From when I bought it with 16,000 miles on it, all the way until 176,000 miles. I never had any issues with it. It was recently changed out for an underdrive pulley when I had a cam installed, and the new pulley does not wobble.
05-07-2015, 01:51 PM
#6
2003 with 88K. Checked when I got it out of storage. Has a slight wobble but nothing that really worried me.
I used to work in a transmission plant. We had several parts that had to be run through balancers (machines that spin the part, calculate where the mass was off in reference to the center of rotation, then drill holes in the part automatically to compensate).
I can tell you that just by watching these machines the parts can look like they are wobbling but they actually are in "perfect" balance...or at least they are in balance to engineered tolerance. Looking at the stock unit I would be surprised if it DIDN'T have some wobble. If you look at the front of the unit you may see a bunch of holes drilled around the edge. I'm assuming those are holes from the balancing machine. Most of these kinds of parts are machined from a rough casting so, again, they may look like they are wobbling slightly but there really is nothing wrong with them.
Sometimes the parts were sheet metal stampings (clutch housings) and they definitely wobbled a lot...
Now...if it was wobbling a 1/4" or so then yeah - you have a problem!
I used to work in a transmission plant. We had several parts that had to be run through balancers (machines that spin the part, calculate where the mass was off in reference to the center of rotation, then drill holes in the part automatically to compensate).
I can tell you that just by watching these machines the parts can look like they are wobbling but they actually are in "perfect" balance...or at least they are in balance to engineered tolerance. Looking at the stock unit I would be surprised if it DIDN'T have some wobble. If you look at the front of the unit you may see a bunch of holes drilled around the edge. I'm assuming those are holes from the balancing machine. Most of these kinds of parts are machined from a rough casting so, again, they may look like they are wobbling slightly but there really is nothing wrong with them.
Sometimes the parts were sheet metal stampings (clutch housings) and they definitely wobbled a lot...
Now...if it was wobbling a 1/4" or so then yeah - you have a problem!
Last edited by jjaaam; 05-07-2015 at 01:56 PM.
05-07-2015, 02:03 PM
#7
05-07-2015, 02:16 PM
#9
Supporting Tuner
05-07-2015, 02:23 PM
#10
1/4 mile/AutoX
No wobble !!!!!!!! 59,000 miles
05-07-2015, 03:09 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
05-07-2015, 04:18 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
The theory being that you can have some wobble and it's not an issue...Although I mainly wanted to see how many have wobble and didn't even know it!
05-07-2015, 04:56 PM
#13
Mine developed a wobble just over 100k, there was significant wobble and the freshly replaced pulleys and belts started to squeal so I knew it was something else. I was told the rubber is epoxied to the metal and as the engine heat cycles this weakens the bond. I had it replaced with a oem billet style one by trickflow, solved the squeaking and wobble. I would not recommend installing another oem one.
05-07-2015, 04:59 PM
#14
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Mine developed a wobble just over 100k, there was significant wobble and the freshly replaced pulleys and belts started to squeal so I knew it was something else. I was told the rubber is epoxied to the metal and as the engine heat cycles this weakens the bond. I had it replaced with a oem billet style one by trickflow, solved the squeaking and wobble. I would not recommend installing another oem one.
05-07-2015, 05:00 PM
#15
Pro
99 6 speed coupe. 27K. My belts were squeaking and I noticed a slight wobble. Replaced with Goodyear belts and an OEM Powerbond from O'Reilly Auto Parts. Still wobbles. Think I wasted my time changing the balancer. Changing the belts however fixed the squeak.
05-07-2015, 05:27 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
05-07-2015, 05:28 PM
#18
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
05-07-2015, 05:33 PM
#19
Melting Slicks
05-07-2015, 05:41 PM
#20
I HAD a squeal but JUST got rid of it with Dayco belt in a slightly smaller size. But I STILL have a wobble that looks sorta bad. Dealer says that it could cause engine damage and the fix is about $1000. But now my squeal is gone. Car has 110,000 miles. Do I SPEND THE MONEY ANYWAY and get a new balancer?? I only paid $7500 for the car.