Harmonic Balancer Repair Sleeve?

[sweetjumper32]

Has anybody tried a "repair sleeve" for their harmonic balancer? I went to Napa, to see if they could get a new balancer, and they said no, but we do have the repair sleeve. Has anybody tried this route? is it a joke or legit? I'm afraid to drive my car in it's condition, and it's my daily, so it'd be nice if this will fix it. Please let me know ASAP. I'd like to do it today if this will work. Thanks

 

[Defiant]

I wonder what he's talking about. The failure in the harmonic balancer on a DSM is the rubber between the hub and the outer ring.

I'll bet he's talking about a sleeve for the crank seal area on a Chevy harmonic balancer, which (since it doesn't have a cam sprocket) is the whole front pulley. They make sleeves that go over the area where the front main seal rubs (and often chews up the Chevy iron pulley).

 

[loweperf]

That sounds like what he's talking about. But since DSM don't seal oil on the front balancer why would they even make one for them?

 

[wret]

They probably don't. Don't go looking for knowledge, advise or even the right part at a parts store. Take home your parts with the idea that they are trying to trick you into installing something that will destroy your car, and it's up to you to detect it.

Call me paranoid but it's happened to me too many times to ignore.

 

[1gdsmraider]

They probably don't. Don't go looking for knowledge, advise or even the right part at a parts store. Take home your parts with the idea that they are trying to trick you into installing something that will destroy your car, and it's up to you to detect it.

Call me paranoid but it's happened to me too many times to ignore.

You gotta remember most parts stores employee's think they are smart as all hell because their computer says so! . Honestly the sleeve *may* be the rubber dampener but you never know... I'd say find a Crank pulley thats in good condition off of a used junked dsm... they litter junkyards so... it shouldn't be hard to find one. Anyways, new the crank pulley is quite expensive.

 

[BISHILVR]

yes, napa does sell a "crank saver" for the 4g63 i'm actually going to get one. i'm sure that's what they are trying to sell you, the small block chevy has a crank dampener that has to be sealed on the inside, the seal wears a groove into the crank dampener and then the dampener has to be tossed or it can be repaired with the sleeve and larger inside diameter seal that they are trying to sell you. it works the same on the 4g63 crankshaft end where it goes through the seal (theres a kit for both ends) but on our engines the dampener does'nt get sealed by itself since the crank has been sealed upward of the dampener. so to make it short, NO the napa kit works for our cars but not for the problem that you are having, just replace the dampener with a new one and don't let old school v-8 guys at parts stores confuse you just because they are. :thumbdown

 

[sweetjumper32]

awesome. thanks for the help guys. i was very skeptical when he told me that, because i hadn't looked at my harmonic balancer before i went in. But i'd seen pictures of shot balancers, and was confused as to how a sleeve could help some of the problems that our pulleys have. your guys help saved me $27