Harmonic Balancer Problems? Can you tell me?

[sweetjumper32]

Hopefully it's obvious for everyone else. I've had really bad belt squeal for a few weeks now whenever I get on it, I accounted it to belts being too tight or too loose, but after adjustment, there was no improvement. This worried me, so I listened closer and it sounded like the noise was coming from the timing belt area, so I pulled the cover, and saw that my fairly new (5 month old) timing belt was worn and chewed up on the left side. With these problems I searched DSMtuner for what was causing the problem. I was lead to believe harmonic balancer, since my car is a 95 gst with 150,000 miles on it, it seemed likely. I pulled the balancer today, but, can't see any obvious problems with it, then again, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. If my pictures attach, I am hoping you guys can take a look at them and tell me what the problem is. Would running the car for a short period of time allow me to see if this is the cause of my problem? I know my accessory belts aren't connected right now, but shouldnt' the car run for a bit? I wont' try it til i get feedback, but seems like a prett easy way to see if this is my problem. Here are pics. Thanks.

 

[4g63tsiawd]

With mine I was able to move the inner metal part that connects to the crank, in and out will holding the outer part that the belt ride on try that. If it moves in and out then its toast. Also mine would woble at idle and cause a vibration.

 

[reveal1123]

dont run it too long, there's no belt on the waterpump, so you'll overheat

 

[DSMatMSU]

ive run mine like that too.... couldnt figure out what was screaming down there... so i started taking things off one at a time to see what fixed it... ended up being the pulley on the power steering pump, it was starting to come out of the pump... lots of play...

then a week later i found that the lock-bolt in the alternator bracket had come out, and somehow the threads were stripped on the alternator... so i couldnt get the belt tight... got a longer bolt and a nut, and fixed er' up...

i think the bad pulley gave me some crazy problems... it was wobbling, so it 'may' have rattled the alternator causing the bolt to loosin... and then it would shake the other side of the bracket where it connected to the water pump... causing that bolt to rattle loose as well (even with loc-tite)... which caused me too leak coolant... finally got everything figured out as i slowly tore everything down to the timing cover, even went as far as taking the cover off...

 

[Well Traveled]

I had a harmonic balancer issue too. The inside of that pulley separated from the metal part on the outside. It caused all my belts to snap at once! That was fun trying to get an overheating car with a dying battery and no power steering home. I made it and had to get a new pulley. I guess it's pretty common for those to separate.

 

[sweetjumper32]

Thanks everyone. With a friend helping me out. We pinpointed what my problem was. Exhaust leak at the manifold. 2 bolts were totally loose and just spinning around. 2 new bolts and burnt hands later my problem noise is gone. Thanks for the input!

 

[reveal1123]

belt squeal turned into exhaust leak? glad to see you fixed the problem tho...

 

[sweetjumper32]

it was like a high pitch hmm... shriek... that I couldn't pinpoint while inside the car. With a friend over, I could have him romp on the gas and I could listen. it was sorta like when you blow on a piece of paper and it causes the whistle. Kinda got lucky that I found it.