I am not mechanically inclined to remove the front cradle or any of that to really get to the harmonic balancer. But there doesn't seem to be any heavy wobble on it. It's definitely not obvious atleast.


Anyone ever have this sound?

Only on a cold start, after driving it goes away.

 

YES it's common don't worry about it! the HB is a ring of steel seperated by a ring of rubber attached to a steel center, in other words the outter ring moves front to back {this causes the chirp when cold} it also does not run in a "perfect" circle. you only need to move the steering rack to do the job, but wait till you get higher miles, when you do do it go SFI this keeps the outter ring from moving back to front, also makes it legal for racing. keeps you from throwing the outter ring the durabond SFI is just fine, my car got smoother after install, do not do an UD pully on a stock LS motor, to many timing chian problems, AVG labor charge for this repair should be about $300.

 

okay so the slightest bit of wobble should be alright then?

that sound is still extremely annoying.. does that sound like more so the belt or a pulley vs the HB?

 

the outer ring on your hb is not designed to move.if it is moving the hb has failed and usually why you hear the belt squealing.it shouldn't wobble or squeal

 

Wobble in a harmonic balancer is not normal, and a belt squeak is not normal either.
Its hard to see from the video, maybe get a flashlight and better camera. The wobble will be fairly small unless you're looking closely at it.

Did you try cleaning the belt yet? If its not the belt, and not the harmonic balancer, then you have a pulley somewhere going out.

Feel free to call, email, or PM us anytime with questions!
- Jeremy

 

alright, heres another video thats a bit longer with a semi-better view.

i also rubbed some water on the belt just to see if that would do anything. and it actually wasn't as squealy/chirpy.


sorry for the bad quality but you can make out the HB,

 

Sure sound like the HB has started the process of failing. Just had mine replaced in November. The sound on mine started as just irritating on cold start. By the time I replaced it, the noise was constant, loud and embarrassing.

 

Thanks for the responses.. but when I rub water (seriously just water) on an exposed part of the belt near the alternator.. there is no squeal/chirp..

if the HB was actually wobbling, wouldn't it still squeal?

 

Your videos do not really show the balancer so we cannot see if it is wobbling. Stand on the passenger side of the car and you can get a clear shot of it. Wobble is not normal. Labor is going to be approx 8 hours plus the cost of a good aftermarket balancer. An ATI unit will run about $450. Don't put another GM unit back in because the design flaw has not been changed so you can have another wobbler in the future. Post another pic so we can see the actual balancer. It is the large pulley at the bottom center and you can only get a good look from the passenger side.

 

I actually tried from the passenger side, but the LS2 air intake doesn't have the square piece covering up that area (to the left of the intake if you are at the front of the block).. the LS3 does. I did a search on this and could not get a clear answer.. Searched LS2 vs LS3 air intake and didn't see anything in that respect.

I feel odd about removing the intake without the filter and running the engine.. or am I too paranoid about that?

 

Something isn't jiving here. Labor around my neck of the woods is around $125 hourly.

Is there a faster procedure for the lower labor rate?

 

I paid a Corvette specialist $97 per hour for 8 hours labor. He showed me the GM labor chart (something we used to call "flag time" when I was a mechanic) and 8 hours is what GM says the repair should take. He said he usually beats that estimated time but they charge the customer for 8 hours regardless of how long it takes him (even if he goes over). It actually took him 6.75 hours. I have no idea where that $300 price could possibly come from. Like I said, I was a mechanic for many years and this is not a simple job. Moving the steering rack out of the way, removing and re-installing the balancer and and putting the rack back in place using proper procedures is not a $300 job where I live.

 

4 bolts for the steering rack, mine was done by VENGENCE RACING call them for a estimate of the time, car up wheels off loosen steering rack, take bolt out of HB, pull HB, reinstall HB, bearing tool press'es it right on, reassemble, your MECH saw a BIG FLAG when he saw you coming, VR gets a pretty good shop time and I was no where's near yours

 

As far as the balancer, it is hard to see in the video. But the rule is this. If the balancer is pushing the belt forward or backward it needs to be replaced. If it "looks" wobbly but the belt stays straight you should be fine and your squeak is elsewhere. The video wasn't great but it looked like the belt was getting pushed around. So change it, sooner than later.

As far as the pricing. I'll comment as the owner/lead tech of a shop that specializes in Corvette and Cadillac. The "book" time is 5.7 hrs. The time it will take a Corvette tech that isn't rushing the job, and taking into account cleanup and test drives and using a torque wrench is about 3.5-4 hours. It can be bum rushed much faster but I don't do that here. In some areas this may be $300 in others it may be $450 or more if charged at the actual time it takes. I charge what it takes.

Some charge by the book on the basis that a less qualified shop would charge by the book and they don't want to be penalized for being better at their job. I see no fault in that. I just choose to charge a higher hourly rate and bill closer to what it takes and know that there will always be more work to do on a happy customers Vette.

When doing this job your self the flywheel holding tool is a must. A torque wrench is a must (preferably with angle). An install tool for the balancer is a must. Use a new OEM bolt or an ARP bolt for the balancer. And replace the seal while you are in there.

If choosing a shop to do this. Find one that has the right tools and has done it before. There is a lot to go wrong if done wrong.

 

Its not a balancer its a damper. It should be dead nuts straight, if it moves / wobbles at all it is shot. The rubber is to dampen the vibrations from the crank. I repeat, it should NOT move. Dealers will tell you a little is ok, it is not. if it wobbles a little at idle then what do you think the belt is doing at 6000 rpm?
Don't pull the rack to swap it though just raise the engine a bit then lower the cradle and pull it from above. Also the TTY bolt is a pain just go with ARP its like $30.
First thing though make sure it actually needs to be replaced, you could just need a new tensioner, belt, etc... Check the easy things first.

 

You're being given bad advice here. Plenty of brand new balancers exhibited slight wobble when new and never got any worse even after many years and tens of thousands of miles. Some didn't. This isn't an ideal situation, but it's true.

 

if you can't discuss this in a civil manner you need to move along