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Harmonic Balancer notch not lining up with TDC

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by cyriouslydylan, Jul 15, 2022.

  1. Jul 15, 2022 at 1:27 PM
    #1
    cyriouslydylan

    cyriouslydylan [OP] Active Member

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    Hey all,

    I am undergoing a timing belt/water pump replacement in my 1996 Tacoma 5VZ engine, and am running into an interesting issue when reinstalling the new harmonic balancer. The notch in the harmonic balancer does not line up with the 0 on the outer timing belt cover, even though the timing mark on the gear and pulley and everything all aligns properly. Some pictures:
    Old harmonic balancer vs new one:
    [​IMG]
    You can see the notches are not in the same position based on the key on the balancer itself"
    [​IMG]
    Everything is TDC:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    The timing cover with the gauge:
    [​IMG]
    When the balancer is installed (it can only go one way due to the key), the notch doesn't line up: [​IMG]

    Video describing the situation:
    [​IMG]

    I basically am just looking for confirmation that the notch on my harmonic balancer is in the wrong position. I think this is for a few reasons:
    Camshafts and Crankshaft are all TDC
    The balancer can only go on one day due to the key
    The two balancers have different notch locations

    Thanks for any insights!
     
  2. Jul 15, 2022 at 1:28 PM
    #2
    cyriouslydylan

    cyriouslydylan [OP] Active Member

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    https://imgur.com/2fqrGkG not sure if it's allowed to link directly to Imgur, but this is the video describing the situation. The alignment of the marks are off just due to me cranking it over to confirm alignment, and then removing the crankshaft bolt, it shifted a little.
     
  3. Jul 15, 2022 at 4:15 PM
    #3
    Bivouac

    Bivouac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    Northern Lehigh Valley Pa
    Vehicle:
    2000 Tacoma 5 speed 3.4
    Remains to be seen I bought the tires and wheels the rest came along
    the outer mark was stamped in the wrong position.

    all the other marks are lined up.

    quality of parts gets worse all the time.
     
  4. Jul 15, 2022 at 4:25 PM
    #4
    Bishop84

    Bishop84 Well-Known Member

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    I wouldnt worry about it. The big thing is the keyway and the timing belt mark. Both are good.
     
  5. Jul 15, 2022 at 5:24 PM
    #5
    cyriouslydylan

    cyriouslydylan [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
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    Thank you all, I thought that might be the case but since this is my first attempt at a timing belt I wanted to be sure it was right before I put everything back on.
     

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