Harmonic Balancer gone bad...happen to anyone else? [MERGE]

[LukePhillips]

Your ac/acessory belt is loose or worn. There are 3 pullies the belt goes around. The crank pully, the ac pully, and a tensioner pully.

Above the tensioner pully will be a bolt with a locking nut. Loosen the locker and tighten the pully with the bolt.

ive actually had this problem for awhile and never took the time to fix it. I knew it was the acces belt but never got around to it. Where is this tensioner pully?

 

[vinh766]

what's the other belt that uses the crank pulley. is it the alternator?

 

[crankbender]

yes the other belt goes to drive the waterpump alternator powersteering and all that jaz.

As for where the tensioner pully is - get under the wheel well there so you can see the crank pully. The belt goes to the rear of the car and up and to the rear of the car with its 2 sides. The one on the bottom goes to the ac first and the other side goes around the tensioner pully then to the ac.

Really there are only 3 pullies. I assume you know which one the crank and AC are so finding the idler/tensioner pully should be fairly easy.

If you are wondering about the alternator belt the alternator itself is the tensioner.

 

[Meh987]

My car did this once a while ago. Make sure the belt is not really close to rubbing against any plastic shields.

 

[Slider925]

Is there any other place but the dealer to get a new harmonic balancer/rank pulley? I recently bought my car and it has an aftermarket crank pully. I noticed it is not charging very well and I know the alternator is new, so it leads me to believe the crank pulley is the culprit because it is an underdrive pulley. Any suggestions to fix this besides buying a new pulley? Thanks.

 

[skelly]

Another approach for some cars is to reduce the size of the alternator's pully as well to bring the ratio back closer to stock. That way you can keep the underdrive for its advantages but specifically not reduce your alternator's output. Some cars have 2" pulleys on the alternator from the factory though and you just can't reduce them from there - I'm not sure how big the one is for these cars, nor whether that are any aftermarket ones available. Aside from that, unless you can source a higher output alternator, you're basically back to replacing the stock crank pulley whether from a dealer or used from an engine being parted out, wrecking yard, etc.

 

[tt281gt]

rockauto.com

 

[Slider925]

Thanks for the info.

 

[tigerstalon]

My crank pulley decided to quit on me a little over a week ago. The weird thing is, it seems to have separated differently from what other people have experienced. Instead of the outer ring (which has the grooves for the belts) separating from the inner portion (which is bolted to the crank), mine lost a piece off of the side. It seems to be a weighted ring, with a couple of small holes/dimples drilled in it for precise balancing--part of the harmonic dampener, I assume. This separation did not result in the loss of any belts for me, although I almost ruined a pair of pants when I heard the awful noise of shredding plastic followed by a metallic clunk when it fell out of the bottom of the car onto the concrete.

I've posted some pics of the piece that came off. Notice the specs of rubber and the way the metal sheared when it broke off. Also, compare it to what is written here in our tech article section:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169254

 

[pixelfuture]

I have a 99 GST and for the past week I've been hearing this high pitched sound when I start the car, then it stops after a few seconds, then when I put it into reverse or 1st gear the sound starts back up for a few seconds again. Finally stops after I get the car going.

I recently removed the clutch switch, had the clutch replaced, and I was trying to install a DIY air intake, but I didn't have enough room with the stock air box so I put it all back. Could I have forgotten to plug all the hoses in, or is it more serious than that?

 

[scab45]

sounds like a belt to me but when my car was doing that it was my turbo it was shot thats all i know

 

[Game Over]

Serious would be that your water pump is going and leaking onto your accessory belts. Check for coolant under the car.
Easy would be your alternator or p/s belt is loose and needs tightened(happens once in a while).

 

[pixelfuture]

Serious would be that your water pump is going and leaking onto your accessory belts. Check for coolant under the car.
Easy would be your alternator or p/s belt is loose and needs tightened(happens once in a while).

I'm not that experienced with cars so what exactly would I have to tighten?

 

[Attack Eagle]

the loose belt.
seriously you might want to get a friend to giveyou a hand if you are not sure what to do.

 

[pixelfuture]

the loose belt.
seriously you might want to get a friend to giveyou a hand if you are not sure what to do.

which belt?

 

[Attack Eagle]

That YOU have to figure out...

get a friend to start the car while you listen...
or check and see which of the 3 seems loose

 

[Attack Eagle]

oh and if you have an underdrive pulley just learn to live with it.

 

[Defiant]

Harmonic balancer.

 

[Game Over]

When I had that problem, I just tightened the belt tensioner for the alternator/waterpump belt, and it solved the problem.

 

[pixelfuture]

well it's not a hose problem. it's a brake problem. the sensor is making th noise. guess it's time to change the brakes.


anyone kno where i can get some decent ones for a good price?

 

[Attack Eagle]

I have been happy with my EBC greens for general street duty.
I thikI paid 69 at PEPboys.


I only suggest them b/c they are quiet, they work a bit better than oem, they don't cost a bundle, and you CAN find them locally.

 

[shallowshowcase]

my harmonic balancer has gone out and has beat out the bolts on my timing cover and has tore it up, i got new covers before i found the balancer problem...

my 'noobie' question is: is the harmonic balancer the same as the crank pulley? cause it is a pully on my crank, so im only assuming... just wanting to know cause advanced auto was stupid when i tried asking them when i tried to order the part

 

[versatilx1]

yeah it is your crank pulley

 

[ZachM31]

i ordered mine from a dealer, $145 shipped... kind of sucks... but at least i know it will be good for a while, i heard a squealing noise, so i checked belts, and then found that i could move my crank pulley back and forth (the outer part, the middle part stayed still.. so i knew something wasn't right... but hey, at least it didn't eat into your covers really bad and take out your timing belt..you would have been pissed then...

 

[shallowshowcase]

it did eat out my cover and shook out all the bolts. i also see its called an underdrive pulley too... i almost thought all these were different pulleys since each site calls them something else.....