Harmonic Balancer Official replace time
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: Aspenden Hertfordshire U.K.
Harmonic Balancer Official replace time
Can anyone please tell me the official time stated by GM to replace a harmonic balancer/damper on a 2005 base coupe. I have both the official and other procedures but none give an official time allocation, I believe I read somewhere it may be 7.1 hours?
Reason for asking is a specialist shop is currently carrying out the job but so far we are at 18 hours and still going so cost negotiations are going to be interesting, the shop originally agreed on around 4-6 hours as a likely time so I need to get an official figure for my negotiations.
The official GM Corvette agent in the UK states it can be done in 6 hours but did not give me the GM official recommendation.
HELP.
Reason for asking is a specialist shop is currently carrying out the job but so far we are at 18 hours and still going so cost negotiations are going to be interesting, the shop originally agreed on around 4-6 hours as a likely time so I need to get an official figure for my negotiations.
The official GM Corvette agent in the UK states it can be done in 6 hours but did not give me the GM official recommendation.
HELP.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 250
Likes: 12
From: Manayunk PA
Wait they've worked on the car 18 hours and still haven't gotten it off? They must be doing something wrong... I could swap one out on a lift in under 4 hours easily (done it before). 4-6 hours sounds fair for someone not entirely familiar with these cars. 18 hours you could have the motor and drivetrain out, clutch swapped, heads and cam swapped and still have hours to spare.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: Aspenden Hertfordshire U.K.
Yes I agree, the job is almost done, and I have friends and other shops I know have done this in the 4-6 hour period, this guy just keeps complaining of difficulties in gaining access particularly refitting the PS hoses etc so I only intend to pay for the recommended hours hence the request for OFFICIAL figures.
Thanks
Thanks
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 113
From: Brick NJ
In many of the threads I have read the price for this job seems to always range from $900.00 to $1500.00 , by the way i'm the next HB victim, did you go with the OEM balancer from GM or upgrade to an aftermarket unit.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: Aspenden Hertfordshire U.K.
Just gone for the GM OE version, the car is not used hard so hope it will last out OK, just on that note instructions say mark old balancer position on the crank and replace new balancer in same position, well thats fine with the OE version but how can you match up with an after market balancer that I assume is slightly different in construction.
Anyway the car is now finished and despite all the hours probably with him scratching his head how to do it, the cost has come in at around $800 labour so not ideal but but just acceptable
Anyway the car is now finished and despite all the hours probably with him scratching his head how to do it, the cost has come in at around $800 labour so not ideal but but just acceptable
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 113
From: Brick NJ
Glad it worked out ok for you, I don't think the price for labor was too bad, it was probably his first Corvette HB repair just guessing, the first is usually the learning curve, main thing it came out good, I may be replacing mine myself haven't decided yet, in the information I have gathered seems as though the position of the balancer really doesn't matter that much, most likely because they are internally balanced, but i'm sure as an excepted practice makes most sense to bring back as close as possible to the original position, I remember years back I thought they used to have a shaft key to line up with on the crank I guess now its just a machined press fit.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: Aspenden Hertfordshire U.K.
Shaft key to line it up, you must be as old as me
This is the first motor I have had with the press fit HB seems strange to me but I guess GM know what they are doing? having a keyway and a lower torque would be far too simple, it worked OK for decades but I guess thats progress
I was going to do the job myself on a friends ramp but just couldnt be bothered, guess I might be next time.
This is the first motor I have had with the press fit HB seems strange to me but I guess GM know what they are doing? having a keyway and a lower torque would be far too simple, it worked OK for decades but I guess thats progress
I was going to do the job myself on a friends ramp but just couldnt be bothered, guess I might be next time.
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Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
neutral balanced
Just gone for the GM OE version, the car is not used hard so hope it will last out OK, just on that note instructions say mark old balancer position on the crank and replace new balancer in same position, well thats fine with the OE version but how can you match up with an after market balancer that I assume is slightly different in construction.
Anyway the car is now finished and despite all the hours probably with him scratching his head how to do it, the cost has come in at around $800 labour so not ideal but but just acceptable
Anyway the car is now finished and despite all the hours probably with him scratching his head how to do it, the cost has come in at around $800 labour so not ideal but but just acceptable
Last edited by irok; Nov 20, 2013 at 01:24 PM.