Harmonic Balancer Wobble
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 62
Likes: 5
From: Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Harmonic Balancer Wobble
Don't know if you can make it out in this video but it appears there is a wobble in the balancer. How much is too much? Can I drive the car safely and without damage to the engine the way it is?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
I think the bigger concern is... has the inner and outer ring separated? You can take some white paint and put a stripe across them and keep an eye on it to see if there is any movement...also I would check to see if the HB has moved on the crank snout... out and it will start rubbing on the steering rack... if, it moves in it will wear on the timing cover, either one is NOT good. Having said that, I have kept an eye on our HB that has a similar wobble for several thousand miles and see no sign of it getting any worse or moving... IF and WHEN I do I will change it.
OR if I get really bored next winter I may do it.
OR if I get really bored next winter I may do it.
Last edited by 73Corvette; Apr 9, 2016 at 05:28 PM.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 714
Likes: 104
From: Springfield Ohio
It's just a matter of time once it starts wobbling before it has to be replaced. Start saving for the repair and plan to have it done before it gets much worse. If you have the time and a place to work, the job is very doable by anyone that isn't afraid to tackle it. There is plenty of information here about how it's done.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 99
Likes: 18
From: Kirkland WA
Here are some pictures of my old balancer so you can see just how bad it was.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
The way to tell is watch the belt grooves. They should run true with no front to back movement at all.
Sure, you can drive it the way it is right now without any damage to the car. But, I wouldn't be doing any drives that were much distance at all without a roadside assistance plan or willingness to pay for a flat bed. When it does let go and the outer ring starts to slip things generally go downhill very quickly. A complete failure isn't something that you can limp home or to a repair shop. The outer ring will quickly move forwards or rearwards and start to rub and the misalignment this causes generally throws or sheds the belts.
Sure, you can drive it the way it is right now without any damage to the car. But, I wouldn't be doing any drives that were much distance at all without a roadside assistance plan or willingness to pay for a flat bed. When it does let go and the outer ring starts to slip things generally go downhill very quickly. A complete failure isn't something that you can limp home or to a repair shop. The outer ring will quickly move forwards or rearwards and start to rub and the misalignment this causes generally throws or sheds the belts.
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,924
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From: Atlanta - - - - - Save the manuals
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 206
Likes: 41
From: North Carolina
Mine did this. Threw the belt off while driving. Careful with it though, if the balancer pushes out you're safe if it pushes in you risk some damage. Replace it with an ATI under drive pulley and an ARP crank pulley bolt! I went with the 10% under drive but I wish I would have done the 25%
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,924
Likes: 392
From: Atlanta - - - - - Save the manuals
Mine did this. Threw the belt off while driving. Careful with it though, if the balancer pushes out you're safe if it pushes in you risk some damage. Replace it with an ATI under drive pulley and an ARP crank pulley bolt! I went with the 10% under drive but I wish I would have done the 25%
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Interesting comment. I wish I'd done the 10% under-drive instead of the 25% under-drive. My car won't maintain battery voltage in stop and go traffic on a hot day with the AC cranked. The battery voltage ever so slowly drops off.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,800
Likes: 456
From: USA
When you replace the balancer do yourself a favor and go with something beside the AC Delco replacement.
I rebuilt my engine in May 0f 2015 and replaced the balancer with a brand new AC Delco. I just finished replacing that 3000 mile pile of junk due to extreme wobbling and belt chirp that started after 2000 miles on the new engine.
I went with the Power Bond OEM Replacement part #PB1117N. It was $78.00 with free shipping.
I also went with the ARP Crank bolt. It just uses a torque spec. instead of the angle tightening ordeal.
Good Luck with your repair
I rebuilt my engine in May 0f 2015 and replaced the balancer with a brand new AC Delco. I just finished replacing that 3000 mile pile of junk due to extreme wobbling and belt chirp that started after 2000 miles on the new engine.
I went with the Power Bond OEM Replacement part #PB1117N. It was $78.00 with free shipping.
I also went with the ARP Crank bolt. It just uses a torque spec. instead of the angle tightening ordeal.
Good Luck with your repair