Harmonic Balancer Wobble...To Blower Cam or NOT to Blower Cam?
 

Ok so here is the deal. Please comment suggestions.

Specs: 2002, MN6, 100,500 miles on the car.
A&A V3 Si 3.8 pulley w/Big Bubba 50mm Blow Off Valve, Standard 6 rib belt setup
BTR Dual Springs w/titanium retainers
Comp Cams Trunion Kit
Hardened Pushrods
LG 1.75" Headers
Corsa Touring Exhaust w/high flow cats
McLeod RST Dual Clutch
Mighty Mouse Catch Can
Professional Tuned
(All done 2 years ago at 98,600 miles)

Stock bottom end of motor, Stock MN6 Transmission, Stock Original Torque Tube and bushings, Stock Rear End and Output shafts

I have now started to notice the harmonic balancer has some wobble going on. Honestly, it could of been this way for years and I just never noticed it. The belt is fine, no chewing going on and the cars runs perfect. The balancer was pinned to the crank when the supercharger was put on. So with that. Should I still worry about it? If I do send it out to have the balancer changed out, is this one of those times when you should...."while your in there....do...blah, blah blah. If that's the case I am assuming a blower cam would be the thing to do? Possibly the timing chain? Not really sure what to do as I don't want to lose any HP or TQ. I would love to increase a little more in the low/mid area but at the same time with my stock bottom end I don't want to blow anything up. From me reading posts about blower cams though, its weird because my car with its stock cam seems to make just as much if not more then some of these blower cams being reported. Car Dynod at 552rwhp / 525rwtq @ 8psi / 6500 rpms.

Thanks for suggestions and input.
Jeff

Personally a small cam, new blueprinted oil pump and timing chain would be ideal. Dont get stuck on a big blower cam. Easily 40+ rwhp is available with a small cam.

Agree. I called and spoke to Josh at A&A who basically said the same exact thing. I have a little room to spare at 552rwhp. Said go with a small blower cam, 3.6 pulley, the oil pump and timing chain. Should get me close to 600rwhp where he recommended not going over with all the major stock items I have on the car (transmission, gearbox, outputshafts, bottom end). Anymore then 600, said to get a meth or alky system which I agree with.

it'd definitely save you the labor down the road when you get bored of the stock setup ;)
but for real: timing chain, oil pump, and sometimes water pump are all peace-of-mind items while it's apart, and a cam will make your setup breathe more efficiently (thereby actually making more power with less restriction [i.e. safer])

and let's face it, something that lopes just makes you happy inside :D

Good time to make sure you ditch the stock PS pulley and get the snout on the water pump welded. Extra insurance :) Also get the blower cam, you are minutes away from installing one if you already have to do the balancer.

can you please elaborate?? Maybe post some pics?
thanks!

Sure, the stock C5 power steering pulley is a hard plastic and can break apart leaving you SOL. The C6 PS pulley is $30 and is a great replacement. My picture shows the Turn 1 pulley.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c83a5ef353.jpg

For extra insurance you can have the snout of the water pump welded so it doesn't come off due to belt pressure.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8486655a35.jpg

So the C6 pulley is aluminum?

So what do you guys recommend for the parts?

Blower Cam: Curious as to what you guys think a good size is for a BTR blower cam? I would like any gains in torque and hp to come in low to mid range as I don't like pushing the engine to 6500+ RPMs. I would like you to know the car is cammed so a lope obviously but I don't want anything annoying causing terrible shake or driveability issues. My brother has a BTR Stage Two, 227/232 on 113 and I like his for sound but he is not boosted so I don't know if that is not considered a blower cam or not.

Timing Chain:

Balancer:

Oil Pump:

Water Pump:

What other parts do you think I would I need?

Also should I just save up between now and spring and have the shop purchase everything or do you think I would do better by keeping an eye out on ebay, amazon, the forums, etc for deals and then supply the parts to the shop? I know some say it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. You think the shop will just overcharge on the labor to make up what they don't make off of you on parts?

Thanks for the help.
Jeff

and one thing to consider is doing it while it's all apart vs tearing into stuff twice (and associated labor).
if prone-to-fail-parts are already coming off & i can afford it, i usually just try to replace them then so as to not have to do twice the work later.

yep my thoughts exactly...can you think if anything prone that I have not listed?

I have the Tick stage one blower 223/235 115. Drives great. Made 817 with a TI. I will be going with a custom with the new motor though this winter.

I like smaller cams, get a cam that'll fatten up the torque curve, without killing drivibility, let the blower do the work in the power dept, i'll throw in a C5R timing chain. oil pump, and keep being great