ArmchairArchitect

Looking to get a new aftermarket harmonic balancer for my 2002 Z06, likely a Powerbond unit.

I've read in another thread that the LS6 is internally balanced but that GM had done fine-tune balancing of the flywheel and/or harmonic balancer to match/complement the motor's balancing and make it even more balanced. Not sure how accurate this info is or isn't.

Looking for some insight from those with personal experience. When you got a new harmonic balancer, did you have it balanced or did you use it the way it came? Results, thoughts, lessons learned?

Thanks!

kp1

Well, the stock crankshaft isn't keyed, so you'd need to mark your crank and harmonic balancer to clock them so a new part can be match balanced if necessary. You'll be able to tell by looking at your oem part whether or not it was modified once installed, to supplement the internal balance.

Mine had not been modified, so I just installed an ATI and haven't had any issue.

MX621

i originally had a power bond balancer. Not a bad part Used it for about 18k miles or so. But after reading about many timing chain horror stories I went with a ati. They are twice as much as a power bond but it's a top of the line part used by many racing teams.

neutron82

I have put 2 different balancers on my car, one oem and one innovators west... I didn't have either of them balanced and you can't mark the orientation since there is no keyway, I never had an issue though

kp1

Oh contraire. When you remove the bolt you certainly can clock the HB to the crank - paint stick, punch, awl, an so on. And if you are match balancing, you are determining the imbalance of the oem part and creating the same imbalance in the new part. Any harmonic balancer of quality that you buy will be zero balanced.

neutron82

you can do that if you are installing the same balancer but a new one there's no way to mark it in relation to the old one

oneandgone

Actually you can. Make clocking mark on original unit and crank. Find the imbalance on the old one and mark. Create same imbalance (match balance) into new unit and mark. Align balance marks on both units and then mark new unit for with original unit's clocking mark.

neutron82

ok well maybe technically you CAN if you have the resources or money to pay someone who does but has anyone actually gone through all that trouble?... I myself have installed balancers on my own car and a few others and never had to do any type of complex balancing like this, just install and go and I haven't experienced any issues... I think some people make this harder than it is, gm has been doing this for a long time so if there was going to be any kind of balance issues then they would have keyed the crank and manufactured their balancers accordingly

oneandgone

Actually GM did address this and recommends it. See post 14 for an excerpt from them.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...h-install.html

Georgies

It say weights are added... arent they drilled as in removed ?

oneandgone

More than one way to skin a cat. Take weight off one side, or add to the other. Or drill and install weight into hole.

Georgies

I have no idea how im going to do this... should be getting my parts this comming week to start the cam swap.

Anyone with a procedure? Im pretty good with tools and im somewhat oh a hobby machinest. own 2 lathes and 2 milling machines and the normal machine shop basics.

Just need to figure out how to mark the balance of the stock pulley to the crank and match the holes or weights to the new one i suppose?

oneandgone

I think it's going to be tricky no matter what. I'm about to have to deal with it myself. As I understand, not all will be balanced in this manner. Some may be simply zero balanced from the factory and this may be a non issue. Unfortunately, I do not know of a write up, just a bunch of talk about doing it or not doing it, and issues or not when it wasn't done.