ATI Harmonic Balancer Install Issues HELP!
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1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2024
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ATI Harmonic Balancer Install Issues HELP!
Hello all, first post here in corvette forum. I’ve posted on Reddit about this with no luck. I looked through all forums and found nothing. I had my mechanic replace my harmonic balancer with an ATI917266, front seal, ARP bolt, belts. He installed everything, said it slid in there fine without trouble but the NEW balancer is wobbling very very bad and sounds like it’s chirping. The previous one did not chirp but was wobbling slightly. Is there something he could have messed up on the process of installing this? Is it possible the balancer it self is machined incorrectly causing it to wobble? He wants me to pay for labor to replace it and is blaming the part. I am really bummed out as my car is back in the shop and costing more and more $$$ for something that should be “easy”. The car is a 2008 base ls3 6mt with 17k miles, I highly doubt the crank is bent as it’s wobbling WORSE with the new one. I reached out to ATI but haven’t gotten a response and the mechanic can’t keep the car that long in the shop as it’s a small shop. Hope I correctly made this post here, please and thank you for your help
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 22
Likes: 13
From: Huntsville, AL
Does the installer have experience with the C6? I doubt it's anything wrong with the actual balancer. However, the installer does have to take care and follow the instructions that come in the box. The outer ring fits onto the inner hub fairly snugly and the screws need to be torqued properly using a torx plus bit. Using a standard torx bit can strip the fastener and keep you from getting the proper torque. Maybe the outer ring isn't seated properly? The other thing that requires care is making sure the balancer gets seated all the way. Plenty of people take shortcuts and try to use the crank bolt to pull the balancer onto the crank which can damage threads and lead to not getting it fully seated. An experienced installer will use a proper installation tool. I've also heard of someone using the wrong crank bolt which bottomed out in the crank before hitting the balancer. If the proper crank bolt was used, it may have come loose.
Lots of things could have gone wrong with the installation and I'd be wary of paying this guy to troubleshoot the problem unless he's well regarded/experienced with LS work.
Lots of things could have gone wrong with the installation and I'd be wary of paying this guy to troubleshoot the problem unless he's well regarded/experienced with LS work.
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Does the installer have experience with the C6? I doubt it's anything wrong with the actual balancer. However, the installer does have to take care and follow the instructions that come in the box. The outer ring fits onto the inner hub fairly snugly and the screws need to be torqued properly using a torx plus bit. Using a standard torx bit can strip the fastener and keep you from getting the proper torque. Maybe the outer ring isn't seated properly? The other thing that requires care is making sure the balancer gets seated all the way. Plenty of people take shortcuts and try to use the crank bolt to pull the balancer onto the crank which can damage threads and lead to not getting it fully seated. An experienced installer will use a proper installation tool. I've also heard of someone using the wrong crank bolt which bottomed out in the crank before hitting the balancer. If the proper crank bolt was used, it may have come loose.
Lots of things could have gone wrong with the installation and I'd be wary of paying this guy to troubleshoot the problem unless he's well regarded/experienced with LS work.
Lots of things could have gone wrong with the installation and I'd be wary of paying this guy to troubleshoot the problem unless he's well regarded/experienced with LS work.
If it literally just slipped on then that might be the issue right there as they are an extremely tight fit.
No wobble, it was rock steady.
