Which balancer was installed? Any pics of the flywheel? Was the flywheel stock?
can harmonic balancer cause flywheel to shatter
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From: Redford Michigan
can harmonic balancer cause flywheel to shatter
Had a harmonic balancer changed last week and today my flywheel shattered under normal driving conditions. Could they be related???
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From: Dyer, IN
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From: Redford Michigan
stock flywheel
The serpentine belt came off last week. The dealer determined the harmonic balancer was bad. I had them charge it. I picked up the car after paying a $600 bill. I drove three miles and the belt came off again!!!! I took it back to the dealer and they changed the idler pulley and the tensioner at another $200. Drove it for a week now and then today the stock flywheel blew and shattered the torch tube housing.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Dyer, IN
The serpentine belt came off last week. The dealer determined the harmonic balancer was bad. I had them charge it. I picked up the car after paying a $600 bill. I drove three miles and the belt came off again!!!! I took it back to the dealer and they changed the idler pulley and the tensioner at another $200. Drove it for a week now and then today the stock flywheel blew and shattered the torch tube housing.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Phoenix Arizona
THE STOCK OEM STEEL FLYWHEEL SHATTERED? DEAR GOD, YOU KNOW HOW THICK AND HEAVY THOSE THINGS ARE? I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING COULD BREAK ONE. HAD TO BE A BAD FLYWHEEL FROM THE MANUFACTURER WHEN THE CAR WAS BUILT 
ANY PICTURES ???????
ANY PICTURES ???????
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From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
As I mentioned in the other thread he posted in general....
It wasn't a balancer that did it.... it was probably a bad front Torque Tube bearing....
Mine failied and then the clutch was getting extreme sideload and failed violently.
I'm guessing that the OP's clutch shattered and took the flywheel and TT bellhousing with it. It just happens to be a coincidence in time that the balancer was changed recently.
$0.02
It wasn't a balancer that did it.... it was probably a bad front Torque Tube bearing....
Mine failied and then the clutch was getting extreme sideload and failed violently.
I'm guessing that the OP's clutch shattered and took the flywheel and TT bellhousing with it. It just happens to be a coincidence in time that the balancer was changed recently.
$0.02
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From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
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From: Redford Michigan
automatic transmission replaced 6 months ago
Lee miles transmission in bowling green KY installed a remanufactered jasper auto transmission in April. About 1500 miles logged since trans was replaced..
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From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
You incorrectly labled a thin flexplate as a flywheel and it had us all confused.
So yes, there could have been damage to the flexplate during the install of the balancer because they have to drop the starter and use a tool to (there's actually a special tool for this) hold the engine from spinning over while torquing the balancer bolt. Who knows what happened on the install, but I can tell you that I DOUBT harmonics killed the flexplate on it's own...
OR, the flex plate was damaged (or was faulty) during the transmission install and it's taken this long to fail.
I would change the front torque tube bearing while in there because it can still do to the flexplate like what happened to my clutch.
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From: Redford Michigan
Thanks guys
I havn't had time to post.... Yes it is an automatic trans with a flex plate. The ring gear seperated from the flexplate. During the harmanic balancer change they inserted a tool in the starter mount to engage the ring gear teeth on the flexplate to lock the engine while they torqued the harmonic balancer bolts.
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From: Redford Michigan
GM Customer service
I called GM Customer Service 10-15-2010 and explained the situation. I also suggested that the dealer that repared the harmonic balancer compromised the ring gear when torquing the balancer bolts, which in turn caused the ring gear to seperate from the flexplate and shatter the bell housing.
I will let you know the outcome. I hope GM will stand behind there dealers bad work.
Thanks
I will let you know the outcome. I hope GM will stand behind there dealers bad work.
Thanks