stupid harmonic balancer. im pissed.

I made the assumption that I needed an installer, every youtube vid I saw used an installer, and I asked on here if I needed a puller or installer, and no one replied. So I assumed I needed the installer to press it on. I think the dealer did the same thing and screwed it up to begin with. That's why it the old one was cracked when I removed it. I couldn't budge the key even then, and it looked to be sticking up, now that I think about it. But it wasn't budging so I left it alone and tried to slide the new one on,, or should I say force it on. It would slide on a little and stop.. at this point I assume it was hitting the key. I then assumed it needed pressed passed this point, so I used the installer, and forced it, and fubared it all up. Never needed a puller or installer, I just assumed I did because I couldn't find any information about it. so how do you make sure the key is pressed down and not going to just gouge into it?

 

sounds like you should not be tackling this kind of a job.....

 

its actually very easy. But everything made it seem like you are supposed to press it on. That's the only thing I did wrong. I work on all my own stuff. Have for many years now, if I have the tools and such, I just started doing it all myself. This was not at all a hard task, I just made it hard, and made it worse because I couldn't find any info about it. And everything seemed to imply it needed pressed on with an installer

 

and apparently the dealer did the exact same thing when they replaced my front seal 8 months ago. After they worked on it is when I started having issues. And pretty sure they are the ones that cracked my old one by running it up on the key the same way.

 

Take a look at that key. It has to be angled up after all of this. Needs to be angled back downward. Isn't hard to do either.

 

OP....I can understand your reasoning. EVERY harmonic balancer Ive had to remover or replace took a gear puller to remove and a install tool (or block of wood and a hammer) to install. (But then again my engine rebuilding experience is all with American V8's)
Sounds like you learned a lesson the hard way. (and you arent alone there either......it seems to be the only way I learn too)

 

it was angled up and jammed stiff when I pulled the old one off. I tried pulling it out and was going to replace it because I had a new one, but it didn't really move with a pair of needle nose, so I just left it alone, thinking it was fine. I had to pick around on it for a while and get metal shavings out from around it to get it to move after I ruined the new one. I'm just glad I didn't go buy a 250+ dollar balancer from a dealer, and then ruin it.

 

well, its back together. Dang that was so easy. Not leaking. no special tools needed. All because I thought it required being pressed on. had to fight getting the key in there and pushed down far enough. but other than that it slid on fine. Didn't seem to get rid of the vibes I was hoping it would though.

 

Can you elaborate a little on what the vibration felt like? I'm noticing one when starting the truck cold in park. I thought it might have been some kind of motor mount or something else. But I can definitely feel a wobble.

 

Similar to blowing our your mouth and humming at the same time. But its still there.

 

I'm about ready to drive this truck off a cliff. Belt is squealin again somethin awful. Was fine before I replaced the balancer. 1 day after the new balancer, the 3 week old belt is squealin, No clue why. That will make 4 belts in 2 months

 

Seized up idler? I had one that was chirping when cold. Replaced 2 and it went away.

 

everything spins freely. Only squeals on the ribbed side. The flat side is all that runs on the idlers. I can hit it with water and it goes away for a second. Spraying the flat side does nothing. I cant exactly pinpoint where the sound is coming from but seems to be the power steering pulley or the water pump. Seems to get worse as it warms up. I just don't get it. Its pretty terrible now. It starts as a very very slight chirp. and slowly gets worse and worse til its a constant squeal. I got another belt on the way. I don't know what else to do.

 

I did figure out it seems to be making the noise right where it enters the water pump off of the tensioner. if I just barely push on the edge of the belt as as comes off the crank onto the tensioner pulley, it stops.. I'm talking just barely any pressure. As if its somehow misaligned just that much. Which doesn't make any sense. Is it possible the tensioner pulley is somehow worn/sloped, to cause it to be wrong? it makes no sense honestly.

 

another reason it doesn't make sense is with the other balancer wobbling, this belt didn't make any noise. Never squealed until I put on a new balancer. The wobble should have caused a least some noise, This whole ordeal has become a huge headache.

 

I'm seriously hoping the old balancer just wore the belt bad. and a new belt will fix it. If it doesn't I got no clue what to do

 

Crazy question, but did you get the key in when you put it on this last time. If some how the key got misplaced the balance won't be clocked correctly and would make a terrible vibration. Some times they are weighted to overcome engine harmonics.

 

yeah the key is all lined up. Once I got it pointed down far enough for the balancer to go on, it went on no problem.

 

If you get about a 4 foot length of garden hose or old heater hose and stick one end up to your ear you can use it as a stethoscope to pinpoint which pulley the squeal is coming from.

 

Replaced the Tensioner, and put a new belt on this evening. That wasn't fun. But so far its quiet, but a brand new belt was always quiet for a few days. I guess ill let ya know in a week. Don't even know if the tensioner was bad. but it didn't seem to be lining up right onto the water pump off of the tensionor pulley. The body of the tensioner seemed to have an ever so slight tilt to it.. who knows. Nothing like throwin money at stuff