This is topic Harmonic Balancer in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


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Posted by 92greenlx (Member # 4734) on :
 
There is a black seal that appears to be coming out of the back of my Harmonic Balancer. Is it bad? Time to change it out? This is the stock one. Plus I am having a slight vibe issue.
 

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Posted by BlueOvalRacing (Member # 1531) on :
 
Yes that's bad, yes it's time, yes that's the vibration
 

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Posted by asskickn88 (Member # 4957) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by BlueOvalRacing:
Yes that's bad, yes it's time, yes that's the vibration

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and you forgot: do it now before you do engine damage.
 

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Posted by 92greenlx (Member # 4734) on :
 
Thanks guys!
 

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Posted by 92greenlx (Member # 4734) on :
 
I am going to replace it with an OE one. Will a bad Harmonic Balancer also cause some power loss?
 

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Posted by BlueOvalRacing (Member # 1531) on :
 
If you set the timing with that balancer, the outer ring has most likely spun and the timing will be incorrect. Be sure to reset your timing after the install.
 

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Posted by a50sn95 (Member # 527) on :
 
Please fix this before you drive it much more.....(I would not until it's changed.)
You don't want this to happen to you:



 

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Posted by Luke87GT (Member # 21) on :
 
I had the same thing happen to me about 3 months ago. If you have a stock motor, just go to Kragen or Autozone and get a replacement. They are $60. Then rent the balancer puller and you could replace it in a couple hours.

You should do it sooner than later because you don't want to have that thing come apart on you at 5K+ RPM... If it does pop of on you, it is all contained, but it could hurt your bearings and for sure will make a lot of noise...
 

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Posted by 92greenlx (Member # 4734) on :
 
a50sn95,
What were your sysmptoms after that crack if I may ask?

Thanks everyone for the info. I am going to buy a new OE replacement balancer either today or tommorow and install it either tuesday or wednesday!

As dumb as it may sound, I did not know how serious this was! Thanks again everyone!

Jimmy
 

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Posted by a50sn95 (Member # 527) on :
 
The only symptom was the sound of silence, and a slightly nausiating feeling in the pit of my stomach, followed by a sharp pain in the wallet at the machine shop.
It broke the crank at the #2 journal, took the #1 main cap and block in that area out, bent up the oil pan, split the timing cover and water pump. This WAS an SFI balancer that the machine shop says appeared to have been moving around on the crank. My guess is that is was MY fault. I had lost an accesory belt (it cut off one groove, but still worked. I got a replacement, and it had the same problem. I thought it was my power steering pump out of alignment, since I had just had it off. I think the balancer bolt back out, and the Supercharger put enough pressure on the pulley to pull it forward until it came off the key, and then it spun on the crank. I noticed a tiny vibration, and then a big bang followed by the rest of the symptoms above....
Here's another angle:

 

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