Harmonic Balancer

[95yj]

Same motor as other posts. New 5.7L longblock. After running around on the water for less than an hour at different speeds (all under 3K rpm), when I got back into the marina and looked over the motor, I noticed the harmonic balancer had a distinct wobble to it. Probably had that before I took it out. Everything is bolted to torque specs, so the HB is out of wac.

This can't be good for the motor. I used a HB puller and not a gear puller when I swapped parts to the new block, but who's to say what the last guy who had the boat did.

How much wobble is acceptable? Is there any way to fix this or do I have to buy another one?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Now I wonder if your timing is right.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

I think this Explains your Timing Issue........

It Sounds like the Balancer Slipped...................

 

[95yj]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Wow, I had that same thought.

Now I gotta figure out how to get a new balancer shipped down here ASAP. I'm getting tired of looking out my front window at the boat. It looked a whole lot better in the water today.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Atleast you're not looking at 2' of Ice at the Dock,.......

Like some of Us...............

 

[95yj]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Couldn't resist posting a picture from the seatrial yesterday. Notice no ice on the dock?

Is it as bad as I think it is to run the motor with a wobbly harmonic balancer?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Is it as bad as I think it is to run the motor with a wobbly harmonic balancer?

Well,.......... Other than Risking Catastrophic Failure,.....??..??....

This is looking off My dock last Sunday......

 

[Don S]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Is it as bad as I think it is to run the motor with a wobbly harmonic balancer?

If it was mine, I would put a new harmonic balancer on before I ran it again.......... Unless you have a lot of money you don't need :^

 

[LuckyPenny]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

You may need more than a new HB. Right now; playing doctor doom, I would think you are going to have to pull the engine, drop the pan and timing chain cover. you may get off lucky, but if the HB was so far out of balance that it effected the timing, it may have torn up the chain or sprockes on the crank or cam. Check the Cam Sharft raceway to see if it is out of round, or bearing torn up . Also, check the bearing caps. and bearings. and not lastly, pull the Dirtr. and check the gear

it does not take much for the HB; if it was so far out to be visibly noticeable, to tear up an otherwise good engine.

I still do not understand how, unless you tore a chunk out of it removing it from the old engine, how it could be this far out of balance.

 

[95yj]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

I don't think it's that far out of balance. It just has a little wobble in it that is visable. The timing issue came up from another post about the same engine where when I first got the engine running and set the timing by ear, a timing light showed that it was at 12 dbtdc. Turned it back to 8 dbtdc and the motor ran terrible.

Right now the boat is in my front yard again. I'm waiting for a new balancer to show up as it shipped on Friday.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the old one off without pulling the motor again. I don't have a lot of clearance in front of the engine and I don't think I can get the puller in there, plus the guy I borrowed the puller from is off island for a month and nobody sells pullers here.

 

[flashback]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Bondo, not to change the thread, but are you ice fishing out there?d

 

[Bondo]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Actually,........ I had Just Winched a Mooring Block out there,+ took it for a Float Test,................
It Failed...........

We had 5 Tip-ups just to the right of the picture,........
Not that we were Fishing,......
We just took the Bait out for alittle Exercise for a couple of hours........d

 

[LuckyPenny]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

I still think both threads are linked. You had (are you still having a problem?) with the engine that refered to timing. You also said that the HB was set right and torqued to the correct spec's. If the balancer is torqued correctly and you can see it wooble, and you ran it like that. I just see it NOT tearing things up. The purpose of the Balancer is to smooth the action of the Crank, preventing it from destroying the bearing and caps.

Since you seem to have to pull the engine anyway, it might save you time, greef and money to drop the pan and check it for metal shavings. You did not say, but are you noticing a leak at the front or rear seals. If you are that is a late sign.

good luck

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

A little wobble is not that bad when it's visible.Just keep your eye on it as you throttle up.If it REALLY wobbles just shut it down a bit.

DHP

sometimes I just can't help it.

 

[95yj]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

The engine has a half hour on it. No leaks in the front main seal. Never ran it over 3000 rpm. The wobble doesn't get any worse as the revs get faster. When I noticed it, I brought the boat back in and have had it shut down until the new balancer arrives.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

If the balancer is torqued correctly and you can see it wooble, and you ran it like that. I just see it NOT tearing things up. The purpose of the Balancer is to smooth the action of the Crank, preventing it from destroying the bearing and caps.

If you run an engine with the balancer shifted, you run the risk of a broken crankshaft among other things.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

I believe you can buy a new harmonic balancer from an auto parts store. The auto parts store should have a puller that you can borrow too. If not, they sell them for like $20. Or you can buy a puller for $10 from www.harborfreighttools.com

 

[95yj]

Re: Harmonic Balancer

Thanks cptkid, but I live in Aruba and we can't buy stuff like that here. I'm going to cut up a piece of steel and buy some bolts to make a puller tool.

The balancer is costing me $75 worth of shipping and is taking 7 - 10 business days to get here.