It is uncommon for a harmonic damper to fail that soon after replacement. If you have invoices for the work done, check the part numbers of the pulleys they installed. There is a good chance they installed the wrong tensioner. If you want to learn more you can start with this thread; http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1566704414-post14.html

 

Good piont.Thanks for the info.

 

# 4060802 Gatorback Serpentine 80.25 in. length
For C5: '97, '98, '02, '03, '04


#4060798 Gatorback Serpentine 79.875 in. length
For C5: '99, '00, '01

 

You need to get your facts straight...A delaminated crank pulley and a pulley whose bolt backs out are two different things.. when I was field debugging the C5 for GM ( for two years in engineering support) , I saw very little delaminate failures but lots of bolt back outs... The dealar who replaced the balancer ( crank pulley ) the second time for wobble did not do it because the balancer delaminated, he did it because they did not use the proper torque method or they used the old bolt over again. Like I said a delaminated harmonic balancer occurs over time ( a long time ) 6 to 10 years... and anywhere from 50,K to 120K. Please don't tell me that something isn't so... Ive seen it all in the field and Ive seen ( Taught many GM techs ) how it should be done properly... Proper torque procedures are a pet peeve of mine.. Many Many GM Techs own a torque wrench but few ever use them. So you got an education today..
1) wobble is caused by two different things.
a) a loose bolt that has backed out of the balancer
b) improper torque procedure
2) De laminated Harmonic Balancer ( Crank Pulley )caused by heat over long time. Balancer is a 3 piece pulley with a steel balance portion in the center , with a second layer of elastomer which holds the outer rib pulley to the center.. Over time this rubber center get brittle and starts to fall out and soon the outer ring just slides in and out.. left to this condition the front crank seal and bearing failure can easily destroy the engine.
Just another lesson from the old arrogant bastard
with all my love
Bill aka ET

 

The ac tensioner assembly can be the source of the squeak.

Have the assembly itself inspected while the belt is off. In my situation the assembly bracket itself was rocking slightly causing noise.

The keyboard commandos are in full force on this thread.

 

Ok...lets everyone take 5 minutes and



now that being said I have experienced the delaminating issue and it is very apparent when looking at it so anyone with any mechanical background would have seen this if that is what the issue was.

 

and might I add if you posted anything that could be considered lets say...less than cordial could you please take a moment and perhaps fix it.
Thanks

 

Newsflash -not every Vette owner is as knowledgeable about their car as others, therefore, it would be appreciated and appropriate for the more knowledgeable members to offer their advice to the less knowledgeable member without the need to embarrass or belittle them in the process.

Maybe a review of this rule is needed:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/foru...rd-others.html

Personal attacks/hostility toward others

The Forum should be a place where we treat one another with civility so that it remains a fun and friendly place to hang around with other Corvette enthusiasts. Hostility to others is rude and inappropriate.

Personal attacks cannot be tolerated. Attack ideas, not fellow Forum members.

Hopefully, the OP has obtained the information/answers he needed

 

Bill, would you say that time, or mileage, is the more important component of that equation? In my case, I have a 10 year old, 18,000 mile car. I hate driving cars that are "time bombs". Should I be considering a balancer change in the near future?

 

Just a simple question for the OP. Do you replace the HB with a factory unit? I wouldn't use the stock replacement pulley for all the tea in China. Powerbond's are pretty inexpensive, and much more stable than GM balancer. And of course, a new belt when replacing the pulley.

 

Thats what I'm talkin about...(other than the arrogant old bastard part)
a real answer that is correct...but all you have is dependable correct answers

 

Ok.. here is my woe, 2004 replaced one tensioner, chirp left, 2007, replaced all belts and second tensioner. 2011 now, went to dealer, they hought they had problem solved and wirebrushed balancer if thats the pulley looking straight down and has lots of groves ? / /They wire brushed grooves as they were a little rusty and dirty,,noise went away.came home parked car for spell.. then went out to vaccum. guess what chirp chirp again back to dealer tomorrow. I'm ready to give up. It
seems when it cooled off the chiper came back? could it be expansion of some sort when it heats up its ok when cool it chirps??
Josh don't know what to do?

 

Lon, its the heat over time that causes the elastomer to degrade.... A couple of things that happen based on where the elastomer starts to degrade, causes the balancer to wobble, visibly wobble... if the elastomer come out from one side it will throw the belt,sometimes both belts and because the alignment of the belt changes you can get chirp, because the pressure on the bearing seals start to spin. You can not drive the car when this starts to happen , you will notice a vibration, you will also smell a rubber burning odor.Once the balancer starts to self destruct, it could take a few days or a few hours , but it a definite tow situation. Because you do not drive your car too much, you have a better chance to catch this, but if you take an occasional long trip , you may be suck somewhere in a break down situation... I would recommend an SLP 25% under drive pulley about 200 dollars, its all steel.. the shop time for the replacement is 5 hours.. so its about a 700 dollar job, you also need two smaller belts. Its much better if you can afford it to have elective surgery close to home as oppose to going to the emergency room away from home. I hope this helps answer your question... you can of course always PM me.Having elective surgery also allows you to avoid the tow truck aka flat bed.
Best regards.
Also you may never have a bolt back out situation with your balancer, but you could have the delam issue... Some factory balancers never fail... for either thing... Sorry but this is the real answer.. its your choice.
Bill aka ET

 

I just had my belts replaced today, 3 years old and approx. 19,000 miles on them, don't remember the make as they had no markings on them. I thought that they looked fine when I had a look at them yesterday and even told the mechanic that I felt they were OK. He showed me the old belts and sure enough there were very small cracks and a few chips out of the belt. He told me that they just received a new belt gauge thingy that they place on the belt over the ribs to see any gaps between the gauge and the ribs on the belt indicating it is worn down and parts of mine were.
I would mention to them to have a very close look at the belts, may not be your problem but it solved my chirping.

Good Luck

 

I posted " Just another lesson for the old arrogant bastard
with all my love
Bill aka ET

It should have read Just another lesson From the old arrogant bastard ( meaning me )

 

Thanks for all the help.
When the original balance was replaced at 78k, it was apparent that de-lamination had set in. This is clearly visible as you can see melting/delam at the center of the balancer.
The balancer was replaced with a Factory item. When the second balance was replaced, ~two weeks ago, it had the same visual appearance. The third balancer is now moving forward causing the belt to ride at an angle. I believe this is where the screeching is coming from.
Question, I have been told that you should never use the old bolt when replacing the balancer. Is this true? Speaking with the mechanic, he did state that the same bolt was used.

Thanks for any help you can provide

 

You Never " EVER " use the factory Bolt over... " Ever"... its only used to get the new pulley started.... the torque procedure stretches the bolt under torque to set the major and minor pitch of the tread to a specific load.. its a one time thing... This is basic automotive mechanics... I would find a new mechanic if he actually told you he used the bolt over... this just goes to show he does not know this very basic concept.
I hope this helps...
To some I am a wealth of useless knowledge, to others they seem to think I might know something..
Good Luck
Bill aka ET

 

"To some I am a wealth of useless knowledge"=untrue
"to others they seem to think I might know something"=true

 

Bill, thanks for the feedback! I'm definitely allergic to tow trucks, luckily I've only had to rely on one, in 43 years of driving, when a fuel filter retaining clip came loose on my wife's Lincoln.

Since I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, and knuckles skinned, I'd do this job in a heartbeat, if it wasn't necessary to pull so much stuff out of the way, in order to get the pulley off. Nonetheless, I like my cars to be as "bulletproof" as possible, so I'll probably tackle this job sometime toward the end of summer, assuming the balancer stays together.

What do you think of the ATI balancer, as well as the use of an ARP crank bolt, instead of the OE bolt?

 

Nobody has mentioned the alternator pulley. Those can also go bad. I replaced my balancer and still had noises. Looked at the alt pulley with the car in drive and it was almost jumping off. Found a new replacement alternator on eBay and it's good to go.