hobobiker

Got her buttoned up last night after the new timing chain, timing chain damper, oil pump, seal, harmonic damper, ARP damper bolt, water pump and belts. Did the power steering system bleed and the coolant burp by the book. I even used the trick of loosening the steam crossovers until coolant came out, which worked like a charm. She fired right up and oil pressure was great right from the start. I crossed my fingers as I did the idle-to-3000 rpm thing for the coolant fill and watched the temp gauge. All good! I even took a minute to change out the old, stripped radiator drain plug with a new $5 one from Autozone...

It's great to see her down on all four tires again! Remember, I've only driven her ONCE since I got her home. That's when the harmonic damper walked, created an oil leak and threw the belts. Woohoo!

Robrote

grasshopper645

Thanks for sharing! your advise has helped me greatly in completing balancer replacement myself.

hobobiker

I'm glad the postings helped, but please be careful using anything of mine as "advice." Remember, I'm a newbie at the C5 stuff too and I just learned by reading the forum threads and using the search function. Lots of helpful resources here, which made it much easier when my new-to-me Z06 fell flat on its face and lost her harmonic damper on our maiden ride after getting home.

Now to pull my codes and see what she's trying to tell me.

grasshopper645

Understood - I am in the exact same boat as you are. I have two more questions for you (if that's OK?)

According to the service manual, you are supposed to mark the harmonic balancer and the engine before remove it. Aparently you are supposed to line it up exactly the same as the old one. Did you do this? I assume not given yours had already come loose?

Also, manual says to check the 'weights' in the holes of the old and new balancer, and press in new weights to the replacement one if they don't match up. Did you do this? And do you think it is necessary?

hobobiker

You are correct on the first assumption. My balancer had walked enough that oil was puking out the seal, so I had no way of knowing from where it had originally started. Your second question, I would have tried to do that if I had purchased a stock GM replacement damper. With the aftermarket one I purchased, everything I could find to read basically said to just install it. I guess I'll be the first one to find out if that comes back to bite me...

DetroitPlac

You'll be fine. There's plenty of people who haven't added weight. I didn't to mine and it's just fine.

The clutch is a different story...

grasshopper645

Thanks once again!!

I brought the stock AC Delco balancer, but maybe I should have gone with aftermarket as it sounds like you don't have to use weights in it.

Will be pulling out my rack tonight/tomorrow but got to wait a couple of weeks for parts to arrive. Unfortunately here in NZ parts are hard to get!

hobobiker

Since you're replacing the harmonic damper with another stock unit, I would definitely keep an eye on it. Even the "new" ones are known for having the same separation issues. Remember to not reuse the same OEM bolt either. They are a one-time-use bolt that stretches and are not meant to be reused. I think that's what all started the issues with my Z...

grasshopper645

Thanks mate.

Managed to get the rack out over the weekend, took me about 8 hours on the garage floor using jack stands. Note this includes removing the exhaust and starter motor to install a locking tool on the flywheel. I had read some people were able to disconnect the starter and just balance it on the exhaust, but I was unable to get my hands up in there far enough. In hindsite, maybe I should have tried harder, but ah well.

I think you summed it up nicely..Hardest parts for me were disconnecting the PS lines (theres basically no room to work with) and I was super worried about threading the bolts, although I didn't.

Also navigating the rack around the brake lines was super difficult. I wonder if it would have been easier to just disconnect them, but I did make it work in the end.

Also inspected the old dampener - theres no weights on mine so that's a bonus.

Now I just have to wait for a puller, the new dampener, and flywheel lock tool to arrive!

pjdbm

I would not use the stock HB, it will come back to haunt you. Use the Powerbond or better, I have read enough about the stock HB's failing months after replacement.


The Powerbond stock replacement is like $75.00, and the ARP bolt like $30.00

grasshopper645

hmm really, damn because I've already ordered a acdelco balancer =/

neutron82

send it back

93Polo

if you can't sell it on ebay.

Robrote