Harmonic balancer OEM question
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 671
Likes: 40
From: Stamford, CT
Harmonic balancer OEM question
I've just been informed that the harmonic balancer in my '06 MN6 Z51 Coupe is going.
My (trusted) dealer says he is required to use OEM parts, and I've read things here that another brand of HB might last longer. (I use the car exclusively on the street as a daily driver.)
I wonder if GM has improved the quality of their HB over the past 13 years, and it might be safe for me to use my dealer for the OEM HB install, or if I'd be better served to find a new resource and install some other brand (the part choices are perplexing to me, percentages and whatnot).
Interested in your comments, including if anyone has had an OEM replacement continue to work after several years of use.
Thanks!
My (trusted) dealer says he is required to use OEM parts, and I've read things here that another brand of HB might last longer. (I use the car exclusively on the street as a daily driver.)
I wonder if GM has improved the quality of their HB over the past 13 years, and it might be safe for me to use my dealer for the OEM HB install, or if I'd be better served to find a new resource and install some other brand (the part choices are perplexing to me, percentages and whatnot).
Interested in your comments, including if anyone has had an OEM replacement continue to work after several years of use.
Thanks!
Intermediate
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 42
Likes: 16
From: Upstate ny
I would not go with oem. In purchased the power bond racing balancer and arp bolt and had the Chevy dealer install it. This was done back in august. They also replaced the front seal for a grand total of 725.00
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
I've just been informed that the harmonic balancer in my '06 MN6 Z51 Coupe is going.
My (trusted) dealer says he is required to use OEM parts, and I've read things here that another brand of HB might last longer. (I use the car exclusively on the street as a daily driver.)
I wonder if GM has improved the quality of their HB over the past 13 years, and it might be safe for me to use my dealer for the OEM HB install, or if I'd be better served to find a new resource and install some other brand (the part choices are perplexing to me, percentages and whatnot).
Interested in your comments, including if anyone has had an OEM replacement continue to work after several years of use.
Thanks!
My (trusted) dealer says he is required to use OEM parts, and I've read things here that another brand of HB might last longer. (I use the car exclusively on the street as a daily driver.)
I wonder if GM has improved the quality of their HB over the past 13 years, and it might be safe for me to use my dealer for the OEM HB install, or if I'd be better served to find a new resource and install some other brand (the part choices are perplexing to me, percentages and whatnot).
Interested in your comments, including if anyone has had an OEM replacement continue to work after several years of use.
Thanks!
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,959
Likes: 526
You DO NOT want to have another GM balancer put on. Some dealers will install after market, but they usually won't warranty it. If you find a stealership that will install an aftermarket one that is still better than having a GM unit put on it even without a warranty. Lets face it....balancer problems are far & few (cept for this GM POS that they've given to us) so I wouldn't worry to much about the product warranty. Now labor warranty is a different story. Maybe find a local shop that will install an after market with a warranty for peace of mind. Good Luck.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
GM has never improved their hb for the C6.I have replaced 12 of them on different cars including my own with a GM hb that lasted for 4 thousand miles before failing again.Replaced that one with an ATI hb and no issues since.Replaced the others with Powerbond or ATI and no issues with the 11 other cars.Not likely your 06 would have a warranty so replace it with something else or you may have to do the job over again
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
GM has never improved their hb for the C6.I have replaced 12 of them on different cars including my own with a GM hb that lasted for 4 thousand miles before failing again.Replaced that one with an ATI hb and no issues since.Replaced the others with Powerbond or ATI and no issues with the 11 other cars.Not likely your 06 would have a warranty so replace it with something else or you may have to do the job over again
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 671
Likes: 40
From: Stamford, CT
And to all, if I go with an ATI or Power Bond, how does one choose from their various offerings?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 671
Likes: 40
From: Stamford, CT
What they literally said to me is that they somehow suffer a financial ding if they use anything other than GM parts. I probably should have said that he told me he is "required" to use GM parts in order to avoid some penalty. Sorry for any confusion.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 477
Likes: 130
From: El Dorado AR
https://www.summitracing.com/search/...tOrder=Default
Those are the Power Bond HBs that SUmmit say fit a 2006 base. The first is an OEM replacement and it is the only one made of Nodular iron. The rest are Steel. Know I don't need the one for a supercharged engine. So which should I get.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 13,262
Likes: 3,151
From: SW Florida
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
If your car was still under a powertrain warranty, I would certainly not turn down an OEM balancer [if] the parts and labor charge was free .... But, as others here have said; Don't have another OEM balancer installed if you are the one paying for the repairs.
A good aftermarket balancer for your C6 would be the Gates "Powerbond Race Performance" .... P/N: PB1117SS
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p.../submodel/base
This balancer will be the only one you will ever need to purchase for the life of your car.
A good aftermarket balancer for your C6 would be the Gates "Powerbond Race Performance" .... P/N: PB1117SS
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p.../submodel/base
This balancer will be the only one you will ever need to purchase for the life of your car.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
If your car was still under a powertrain warranty, I would certainly not turn down an OEM balancer [if] the parts and labor charge was free .... But, as others here have said; Don't have another OEM balancer installed if you are the one paying for the repairs.
A good aftermarket balancer for your C6 would be the Gates "Powerbond Race Performance" .... P/N: PB1117SS
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p.../submodel/base
This balancer will be the only one you will ever need to purchase for the life of your car.
A good aftermarket balancer for your C6 would be the Gates "Powerbond Race Performance" .... P/N: PB1117SS
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p.../submodel/base
This balancer will be the only one you will ever need to purchase for the life of your car.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 15,768
Likes: 3,283
From: Phoenix area, AZ
In dealer speak, this means they get the part for wholesale cost, then charge you retail for it. If you bring in your own part they don't get to pocket the markup.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 360
Likes: 74
chirping probably isn't the balancer. Its the pulley or the tensioner. most likely the tensioner arm worn and causing the belt to run un true across other pulleys. Def worth replacing idler pulley and tensioner ASSEMBLY with pulley with a new belt before going farther. The rubber dampener in pulley does develop a wobble at speed but in my experience it is not necessarily a sign of imminent failure and may never fail.
How do I know?
I spent $$$$ to install a cam with aftermarket balancer ("while i was there might as well get more power")
Guess what? Still chirped afterwards.
Cam peddlers love this line though.
over the years after that, I had to keep replacing belts that looked good to keep the chirping down. part here part there.
One day when new belts no longer helped, I started chasing parts. water pumps, alternators, idler pulley, tensioner pulley. no help
Finally, changed tensioner assembly.
Boom. no more chirp.
How do I know?
I spent $$$$ to install a cam with aftermarket balancer ("while i was there might as well get more power")
Guess what? Still chirped afterwards.
Cam peddlers love this line though.
over the years after that, I had to keep replacing belts that looked good to keep the chirping down. part here part there.
One day when new belts no longer helped, I started chasing parts. water pumps, alternators, idler pulley, tensioner pulley. no help
Finally, changed tensioner assembly.
Boom. no more chirp.
Last edited by Spacewalker; Jan 9, 2020 at 08:09 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,959
Likes: 526
chirping probably isn't the balancer. Its the pulley or the tensioner. most likely the tensioner arm worn and causing the belt to run un true across other pulleys. Def worth replacing idler pulley and tensioner ASSEMBLY with pulley with a new belt before going farther. The rubber dampener in pulley does develop a wobble at speed but in my experience it is not necessarily a sign of imminent failure and may never fail.
How do I know?
I spent $$$$ to install a cam with aftermarket balancer ("while i was there might as well get more power")
Guess what? Still chirped afterwards.
Cam peddlers love this line though.
over the years after that, I had to keep replacing belts that looked good to keep the chirping down. part here part there.
One day when new belts no longer helped, I started chasing parts. water pumps, alternators, idler pulley, tensioner pulley. no help
Finally, changed tensioner assembly.
Boom. no more chirp.
How do I know?
I spent $$$$ to install a cam with aftermarket balancer ("while i was there might as well get more power")
Guess what? Still chirped afterwards.
Cam peddlers love this line though.
over the years after that, I had to keep replacing belts that looked good to keep the chirping down. part here part there.
One day when new belts no longer helped, I started chasing parts. water pumps, alternators, idler pulley, tensioner pulley. no help
Finally, changed tensioner assembly.
Boom. no more chirp.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 191
From: Vienna VA
Help us all out here. It's common and fairly logical thought that when the balancer begins to wobble that since the pulley is on the front of the wobbling part that the belt then rubs against the side of the pulley thus putting out the infamous chirping. What are we all missing here.....
There are other pulleys and tensioner pulleys that do cause chirping. I've had to replace those separate from my HB.
However, in the description from the OP, the balancer was wobbling so I believe it is the harmonic balancer and not the other pulleys (as Spacewalker is suggesting).
To answer the OP question, I had my HB replaced with an OEM because it was done at a GM dealership where they will only use GM parts. I figured the original lasted 10 years and 65K miles, so I'll take the chance.
Last edited by stingray71; Jan 9, 2020 at 12:27 PM.
