Harmonic Balancer replacement
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 126
Likes: 13
From: Elk Grove Village Illinois
Forum member Rebob0510 has built over race 50 engines and uses exclusively ATI dampeners on engines that make over 800 horsepower and he has not had 1 failure to date of ATI and has not had to rebuild any ATI balancers. He's used Power Bond in the past wiith low HP and he had some come apart after only 2 years of use.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,762
Likes: 666
How long do you think your factory or Powerbond balancer will last? (Of course that depends on how you drive or modify the car. If it just sees Sunday car shows, polishing on a driveway, and driving around under 3,000 RPM, stock engine. Then it's driver dependent).
I don't know your level of engine building/racing or high performance background. Any race engine builder, drag racer, high performance shop, will always chose ATI over factory or Powerbond similar balancer. There is a reason why they would choose ATI. Those balancers are top notch and can handle high-HP and blown applications without failure. While other balancers can and will fail. Hence WHY GM installs ATI balancers on their supercharger engines. They don't use Powerbond or similar, they use ATI.
Call any speed shop that specializes in C6/LS builds and ask them what balancer they use on their performance builds. It will be ATI 99% of the time. Please call a few of the top speed shops and ask them.
For a show queen, that doesn't see high HP pulls and racing, the stock OEM or PowerBond balancer will probably be fine but will eventually fail on these LS2/LS3 engines, and it will need to be replaced. For any of us who race, modify the LS engine, or drive the LS engines hard, an ATI balancer is the way to go.
I don't know your level of engine building/racing or high performance background. Any race engine builder, drag racer, high performance shop, will always chose ATI over factory or Powerbond similar balancer. There is a reason why they would choose ATI. Those balancers are top notch and can handle high-HP and blown applications without failure. While other balancers can and will fail. Hence WHY GM installs ATI balancers on their supercharger engines. They don't use Powerbond or similar, they use ATI.
Call any speed shop that specializes in C6/LS builds and ask them what balancer they use on their performance builds. It will be ATI 99% of the time. Please call a few of the top speed shops and ask them.
For a show queen, that doesn't see high HP pulls and racing, the stock OEM or PowerBond balancer will probably be fine but will eventually fail on these LS2/LS3 engines, and it will need to be replaced. For any of us who race, modify the LS engine, or drive the LS engines hard, an ATI balancer is the way to go.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Any chance a member does the Harmonic Balancer replacement on the side in Upstate NY. Looking to get this done by someone who has tackled it and won't hose me on price. 2005. Let me know. Thank you very much. Everyplace I have contacted hasn't done a vette before or is way over priced.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,762
Likes: 666
I remember reading of a forum member who made a special tool that would help hold the engine cradle up while doing the HB replacement so the front steering rack doesn't need to be completely removed.
Does anyone have a link to that tool?
Does anyone have a link to that tool?
Pro
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 716
Likes: 396
From: WI
Never heard of that, but I don't see a need for a tool. You can completely remove the front 2 cradle bolts and loosen the rear 2, then the cradle can drop low enough to replace the balancer without removing the rack. Keeping the rear 2 bolts in slightly helps to make raising it back into place an easier job as far as aligning it as well. This is the method I used and it worked well.
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,762
Likes: 666
Never heard of that, but I don't see a need for a tool. You can completely remove the front 2 cradle bolts and loosen the rear 2, then the cradle can drop low enough to replace the balancer without removing the rack. Keeping the rear 2 bolts in slightly helps to make raising it back into place an easier job as far as aligning it as well. This is the method I used and it worked well.
I assume you have to do an alignment afterwards?
Pro
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 716
Likes: 396
From: WI
Yes you'll need to support the engine. I used a bottle jack to support it from underneath and also unbolted the lower motor mounts from the cradle to allow the engine to raise slightly to help too. An alignment is ideal but not 100% needed. I did not get an alignment.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,762
Likes: 666
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 7,753
Likes: 210
From: North Western Connecticut
Never heard of that, but I don't see a need for a tool. You can completely remove the front 2 cradle bolts and loosen the rear 2, then the cradle can drop low enough to replace the balancer without removing the rack. Keeping the rear 2 bolts in slightly helps to make raising it back into place an easier job as far as aligning it as well. This is the method I used and it worked well.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 716
Likes: 396
From: WI