balancer
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 431
Likes: 22
From: Chester Illinois
balancer
Just got my 2000. Has 84500 miles. Don't know anything about history of the car. No major codes. Been reading all the things that can go wrong with the early C5. Believe column lock fix has been taken care of. Has new batt but not gel type. Putting mat under it and checking it often. Nasty weather her so I only put couple hundred miles on it. Runs great. Been reading that the balancer will most likely go out. Are there any early C5's that the balancer has NOT gone out!!!!!!!! Just trying to learn what I really need to keep an eye on. Thanks
Last edited by namvet6869; Jan 12, 2017 at 10:12 PM.
1/4 mile/AutoX
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,440
Likes: 2,184
From: Buffalo Texas
Just got my 2000. Has 84500 miles. Don't know anything about history of the car. No major codes. Been reading all the things that can go wrong with the early C5. Believe column lock fix has been taken care of. Has new batt but not gel type. Putting mat under it and checking it often. Nasty weather her so I only put couple hundred miles on it. Runs great. Been reading that the balancer will most likely go out. Are there any early C5's that the balancer has NOT gone out!!!!!!!! Just trying to learn what I really need to keep an eye on. Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 19,980
Likes: 74
Welcome! You made a wise decision...Millennium Yellow C5s, specifically from 2000, are the best Corvettes. 
I should know with a Millenium Yellow 2000 myself. 
To answer your question...it seems doubtful. I've heard the failure rate is literally every LS1. Mine has 21,000 miles and the balancer already wobbles.
Luckily if you get an ARP bolt ($35) and ATI balancer ($400 or so) and pay $600-$800 for labor, it's a one time only fix for life. 
I'm doing mine as soon as there is nice spring weather. 
I should know with a Millenium Yellow 2000 myself. To answer your question...it seems doubtful. I've heard the failure rate is literally every LS1. Mine has 21,000 miles and the balancer already wobbles.
Luckily if you get an ARP bolt ($35) and ATI balancer ($400 or so) and pay $600-$800 for labor, it's a one time only fix for life. I'm doing mine as soon as there is nice spring weather.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Ut OH... I have to jump inhere.
Welcome! You made a wise decision...Millennium Yellow C5s, specifically from 2000, are the best Corvettes. I should know with a Millenium Yellow 2000 myself.
To answer your question...it seems doubtful. I've heard the failure rate is literally every LS1. Mine has 21,000 miles and the balancer already wobbles. Luckily if you get an ARP bolt ($35) and ATI balancer ($400 or so) and pay $600-$800 for labor, it's a one time only fix for life. I'm doing mine as soon as there is nice spring weather.
I should know with a Millenium Yellow 2000 myself. To answer your question...it seems doubtful. I've heard the failure rate is literally every LS1. Mine has 21,000 miles and the balancer already wobbles.
Luckily if you get an ARP bolt ($35) and ATI balancer ($400 or so) and pay $600-$800 for labor, it's a one time only fix for life. I'm doing mine as soon as there is nice spring weather. 1) the bolt backing out
2) elastomer bond failure
a) there are three components to a factory Balancer
Outer pulley
Inner balancer
Elastomer bonding agent and vibration damper
Over time 40 % of balancer failure is from the elastomer breaking off in chunks, do to excessive heat. This will cause total separation of the inner from the outer. Both problems are well documented.
With replacement, no matter which balancer you choose, you need a new bolt, and also , very important but often over looked, a new Crank seal.
Bill aka ET
Last edited by Evil-Twin; Jan 13, 2017 at 12:16 AM.
Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 656
Likes: 38
From: Midwest
St. Jude Donor '08
"To answer your question...it seems doubtful. I've heard the failure rate is literally every LS1. Mine has 21,000 miles and the balancer already wobbles. Luckily if you get an ARP bolt ($35) and ATI balancer ($400 or so) and pay $600-$800 for labor, it's a one time only fix for life. I'm doing mine as soon as there is nice spring weather."
I replaced my balancer last summer as preventative maintenance. I took some heat from the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" crowd. I went with the ATI balancer, ARP bolt, new crank seal, new belts and hoses.
My car is a low mileage (16,000) 2002 Z06. I've tried to address all the issues that C5's are known for, including the LS6 valve springs.
I plan on retiring next year and driving the hell out of the car. I've always been fond of people that take care of older cars and drive them. This was my goal when I bought my Z06 many years ago.
I replaced my balancer last summer as preventative maintenance. I took some heat from the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" crowd. I went with the ATI balancer, ARP bolt, new crank seal, new belts and hoses.
My car is a low mileage (16,000) 2002 Z06. I've tried to address all the issues that C5's are known for, including the LS6 valve springs.
I plan on retiring next year and driving the hell out of the car. I've always been fond of people that take care of older cars and drive them. This was my goal when I bought my Z06 many years ago.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 19,980
Likes: 74
there are two separate balancer issues
1) the bolt backing out
2) elastomer bond failure
a) there are three components to a factory Balancer
Outer pulley
Inner balancer
Elastomer bonding agent and vibration damper
Over time 40 % of balancer failure is from the elastomer breaking off in chunks, do to excessive heat. This will cause total separation of the inner from the outer. Both problems are well documented.
With replacement, no matter which balancer you choose, you need a new bolt, and also , very important but often over looked, a new Crank seal.
Bill aka ET
1) the bolt backing out
2) elastomer bond failure
a) there are three components to a factory Balancer
Outer pulley
Inner balancer
Elastomer bonding agent and vibration damper
Over time 40 % of balancer failure is from the elastomer breaking off in chunks, do to excessive heat. This will cause total separation of the inner from the outer. Both problems are well documented.
With replacement, no matter which balancer you choose, you need a new bolt, and also , very important but often over looked, a new Crank seal.
Bill aka ET
I just saw in another thread you live in SE PA! I used to live in Bucks County...now I live in Chester County, near the Delaware border. Where in SE PA do you live?
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,803
Likes: 357
From: Northville, MI
If you are going to replace with a stock balancer, you should also make sure they (or you) pin the crank. Especially if you are going to run it hard. There are several track in Michigan I run and all of them have a large portion of the track where the Manual trans is run at third. After about 1100 miles of HPDE time my front bolt decided to take a walk....I still have the padding on the underside of my hood to show what happens when you are at speed and all the belts fly off.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 203
From: Edmonton Alberta, Canada
I plan on retiring next year and driving the hell out of the car. I've always been fond of people that take care of older cars and drive them. This was my goal when I bought my Z06 many years ago.
Is that what retired guys do? "Drive the hell out of their Corvettes" I plan on retiring this spring but driving the hell out of my Corvette never crossed my retirement plans!
Is that what retired guys do? "Drive the hell out of their Corvettes" I plan on retiring this spring but driving the hell out of my Corvette never crossed my retirement plans!
Last edited by El original; Jan 15, 2017 at 03:21 PM.
Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 656
Likes: 38
From: Midwest
St. Jude Donor '08
I plan on retiring next year and driving the hell out of the car. I've always been fond of people that take care of older cars and drive them. This was my goal when I bought my Z06 many years ago.
Is that what retired guys do? "Drive the hell out of their Corvettes" I plan on retiring this spring but driving the hell out of my Corvette never crossed my retirement plans!
Is that what retired guys do? "Drive the hell out of their Corvettes" I plan on retiring this spring but driving the hell out of my Corvette never crossed my retirement plans!That's what this retired guy is planning to do. (god willing)
I never was a fan of sitting in parking lot car shows or cruise nights.
Not planning on racing my Corvette because I got that out of my system years ago with other cars I've owned.
I plan on taking my Corvette for a 2 month road trip around the country and visit some National Parks along the way. After that, road trips to various car races around the country (as a spectator/photographer).
Over the years my job has kept me too busy to attempt those types of things.
Silverbird
Last edited by silverbird; Jan 15, 2017 at 05:41 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 159
From: Lafayette Louisiana
I plan on retiring next year and driving the hell out of the car. I've always been fond of people that take care of older cars and drive them. This was my goal when I bought my Z06 many years ago.
Is that what retired guys do? "Drive the hell out of their Corvettes" I plan on retiring this spring but driving the hell out of my Corvette never crossed my retirement plans!
Is that what retired guys do? "Drive the hell out of their Corvettes" I plan on retiring this spring but driving the hell out of my Corvette never crossed my retirement plans!