Harmonic Balancer failure..again

[Rickyb]

I was driving one night, and all of a sudden car shut off and all my lights (headlights and inside lights) are blinking. Maybe 20 seconds later only the inside of the cars lights were BARELY working, and hazards and headlights would not turn on.

I got it off the road and pushed it up a steep hill with my girlfriend and her dad( they lived close so they drove by) and a passing driver helped out aswell(thank god for him,ha)

And It didnt crank over whatsoever, starter wouldnt even click..
Payed $70 to get towed back to my house, started checking it out..

My crank belt was off and the rubber part that connects the pulley was spilt all around so the actual pulley rotates freely..
I thought it was timing belt problems? But still not sure.

took off valve cover and 2 roller rockers are broken, the metal 'roller' where the cam hits are broke in half and 4 other roller rockers are off track or off completly.

Sooo, It's been about 1 month since i've even touched my dsm..it's pissing me the #### off and im fed up with this car.

Can anyone give me their diagnose on what COULD be the problem wit it?

Thank you, I need this car fixed ASAP.
I've been riding my moms old mountain bike to work for the past 2 months, it's 6 miles there and back, not very far but my city has a lot of hills so it's a pain.

 

[peypey's ride]

Well I dont think that your goin to fix it quick. sounds like your timing belt spun and you bent some valves. Sorry to hear about your trouble, I feel your pain. Been there and done that.

 

[cruisintalonawd]

Head need rebuild, has bent valves.


P.S. I know how you feel i had about the same thing happen to me

got beat to it^^^^^^^

 

[Rickyb]

So you think it's JUST that?
I have 1,000 saved up, and WILLING to spend it to fix this car.
It's my first and I want to keep it for another couple years.

I started doing some of the work since I thought it was the timing belt, but since I needed money I got a lot more hours for work and I dont have any time to fix it..I work 9-5 everyday and it gets dark around 530.

 

[peypey's ride]

Well if you have a garage you could pull some late nighters!

 

[Rickyb]

No room, sadly.
So I don't have a problem with spending extra money to take it to a shop.

 

[meliketoball]

No room, sadly.
So I don't have a problem with spending extra money to take it to a shop.

Well, if you need a car for work, take what you have and buy another car. The car isn't probably worth the rebuild.

 

[Rickyb]

Thing is I got a front license ticket which is $150 (I dont have a front license plate) and it needs to be done by the end of nov.
Also, the registration is still in transfer cus I need it smogged, so Im kind of stuck on fixing it. =[

 

[DBordersX]

If you take care of it and do all the maintenance/checks (i.e. timing belt every 60k) it will get you to work and back just fine. Mine has all sorts of problems that came with it (which I'm eliminating one by one) but I still make it to work/school and back. People only say these are unreliable cars because there is more that can go wrong if you don't take care of it, due to there being more required maintenance. I don't know how long ago your timing belt was changed. If you don't know either then that's probably why that happened to you.

Make sure your maintenance is done and done right. Even PITA stuff like new timing belts. Good luck and happy boosting.

 

[Rickyb]

Yeah, thing that REALLY sucks was this happened on a sunday and on tueday I got paid and planned to get the timing belt/water pump/belts/tensioner/etc changed.

 

[Defiant]

Stop the boat.
Crank pulley, not timing belt.
Your harmonic balancer died. $80 and two hours, if you work as slow as I do.

You may have a dead alternator as well. And make sure the battery is bolted down, and cannot short against the hood or a strut bar. Keep a cover over the positive terminal.

 

[Locke]

Well, if you need a car for work, take what you have and buy another car. The car isn't probably worth the rebuild.

What would make you say that?

 

[just2asian]

well heck, defiant should stop over and help RickyB, they live not too far away from each other. Isn't that the DSM community is about? If I could get out to Cali, I'd be over at your house RickyB, sadly its like a 4000 mile drive for me.

 

[Rickyb]

thanks just.
that really nice, yeah i wish someone could help me out.

But if it was the harmonic balancer, then why would the roller rockers come off track and 2 of them break?

 

[tkelly27]

When the harmonic balancer breaks it can take out the timing belt. If the outside of the pulley moves independently of the inside, this can cause the timing belt to slip. The timing belt did slip, this much is certain, and you will need head work at the minimum. If you broke a valve off you could be looking at a new head entirely and maybe pistons. The 2nd time the valves broke off in my engine the valve split the piston.

You must replace the timing belt tensioner. Even if you did it last time, do it again. It's worth the $80 to be sure it won't happen again. When the pistons hit the valves it's common for the roller rockers to just pop out. One of mine actually shattered. Use a mitsu balancer or an after market one. Not a $25 pulley, a balancer, they are more like $250-300.

When you have it apart, take the crank gear (the part that the pulley bolts to that drives the cams) off and inspect it. After being abused by previous owners installing it backwards and torquing it down onto the key, mine broke.

 

[Rickyb]

When the harmonic balancer breaks it can take out the timing belt. If the outside of the pulley moves independently of the inside, this can cause the timing belt to slip. The timing belt did slip, this much is certain, and you will need head work at the minimum. If you broke a valve off you could be looking at a new head entirely and maybe pistons. The 2nd time the valves broke off in my engine the valve split the piston.

You must replace the timing belt tensioner. Even if you did it last time, do it again. It's worth the $80 to be sure it won't happen again. When the pistons hit the valves it's common for the roller rockers to just pop out. One of mine actually shattered. Use a mitsu balancer or an after market one. Not a $25 pulley, a balancer, they are more like $250-300.

When you have it apart, take the crank gear (the part that the pulley bolts to that drives the cams) off and inspect it. After being abused by previous owners installing it backwards and torquing it down onto the key, mine broke.

So when the roller rockers come off track then it def. hit a piston?

Shit..Im in for more I guess.

 

[Defiant]

Sorry, your "crank pulley" threw me off. The term you sought was "crank sprocket", which is what drives (or, in your case, used to drive) the timing belt.
The initial posters were right. Your motor's grenaded. I'll be right up the road to fix it, because I have nothing but time. As soon as the monkeys finish flying out of my butt. Don't ask how they got there.

 

[tkelly27]

Generally speaking when the pistons hit the valves it's not a big deal. They normally just get bent. $50 in new valves and some machine work and you're good as new. Well, new with some custom valve reliefs. When the valves break off, they ruin the head. I got lucky the first time and it didn't ruin the piston. The second time it did ruin the piston. Either way you'll be taking the head off to fix it. You'll know when you get there I suppose.

The reason you can't turn your engine over is that there is a valve or part of a valve physically in contact with the piston. If you turn it backwards you should get it to move a bit.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

I thought the front plate tickets in CA were $10 fix it tickets?
I certainly can't afford $150 for my small piece of vanity. Defiant, can you confirm?

 

[Rickyb]

I thought the front plate tickets in CA were $10 fix it tickets?
I certainly can't afford $150 for my small piece of vanity. Defiant, can you confirm?

It's $146 or whatever non-corrected..I need it fully registered to get a plate..I need it SMOGGED to fully get it registered...go figure.

I'm planning one either TRYING to get it fixed and looking at it or just dropping in a 4g63 non-turbo(can get one for $600).

 

[Rickyb]

Stop the boat.
Crank pulley, not timing belt.
Your harmonic balancer died. $80 and two hours, if you work as slow as I do.

You may have a dead alternator as well. And make sure the battery is bolted down, and cannot short against the hood or a strut bar. Keep a cover over the positive terminal.

Anytime you want to come check it out and help me get the head off (fully)(i just need to remove the right side top motor mount and intake manifold..i think) just shoot me a pm and ill give you my cell.

I can get you lunch and throw you some cash aswell.