Harmonic Balancer Replacement- Toyota quote

Hi all,

After three trips to Toyota due to a chirping belt that they couldn't correctly diagnose, they've come to the conclusion that I need a new harmonic balancer on the front of my crankshaft. They say the rubber is worn out and is causing vibration thats resulting in a chirping "belt". They've just quoted me on a replacement- $420 for the part and a high end of $500 for the labor. This seems ridiculous from what I've just read. I know it can be a difficult process... but $500 in labor?? Is there an aftermarket part they can use instead? Should I go elsewhere? Thanks in advance!

1995.5 2.7L 4x4

 

I have no experience with this on our Tacoma's but I've replaced several on my Corvettes and F-bodies; replacing the HB on our LS engines is a real thing.

With that being said, when the engine is running, you can look straight down and see it wobble slightly; if it wobbles then the rubber has truly deteriorated and the HB needs replacing.

Check yours out and tell us what's going on.

 

I'd try my luck with a used take off before paying $500 for an OEM part but that's just me.

Are you handy enough to remove this yourself?

 

It sounds like they are throwing parts at it. A bad HB seems like a (relatively) easy diagnosis, especially for some so-called Toyota experts.

Have you already paid them a bunch of money?

I would have them apply whatever you've already paid for them to NOT fix the problem. I certainly wouldn't want to pay them to replace a bunch of parts they didn't need to. You should only pay for what actually fixes the problem.

 

I’ve only paid for the intitial belt adjustment. They haven’t charged me for my last two appointments because they were only labor.

 

Okay, that's cool.

Not too long ago I had some electrical issues with a company truck. The mechanic I took it to, one we always go to, kept changing his story. One day it was this, so they'd order the part, then it wasn't something else, so they'd order that part.

I normally trust the guy, but it started getting kind of fishy. So I went in and told him straight up that I was considering taking it somewhere else, because we were on the 3rd "solution" to the problem.

He told me: "if this isn't the solution, I'll do the whole repair for free."

That's all I needed to hear. Especially with electrical problems, I can see chasing gremlins. But he stood by it and (re)earned my trust.

 

Sounds very similar to my situation. I basically made them guarantee that this will fix the problem. Hopefully this will be the end of it

 

Get it in writing.

 

The going online price for a new OEM 2.7L pulley is $213.11. The rubber damper will deteriorate over time just like hoses, belts, and tires. The dampers usually start making a squealing sound on acceleration like a loose belt -- but its not a lose belt. The noise comes from the inner pulley spinning inside the outer pulley.

I've replaced a couple on my other vehicles that use this rubber damper approach. One was preventative maintenance since I could see the rubber starting to crack during a front main seal replacement.

Be sure the FRONT MAIN SEAL is replaced along with the new pulley. Eventually, I will need to replace the one on my Tacoma 3.4L. Its just one of those rubber parts that doesn't last forever.





Here's a picture of an outer pulley ring after it separated from the rubber damper.

 

Thanks for the help! So are harmonic balancer, crankshaft pully, and crankshaft damper all the same thing? And are the two parts in this photo interchangeable?

 

I see the terms used loosely and often to describe the same part when all come in a single unit. Though, on one on my vehicles that does not use a rubber damper, the belt pulley and harmonic balancer are completely separate parts. It's best to verify the part with your vehicles VIN to get the exact part number.