Faulty Harmonic Balancer?

[damo03]

Hi All,

I've got a mate with a VR 3.8lt berlina who has a rattle at idle coming from either the water pump or the harmonic balancer. It has the damn awful rattle at idle but at any other revs it dissapears.

Unfortunatly for him, he took advice from RACV and replaced the waterpump, powersteering pump and idler pulley without fixing the problem. I had a listen and my guess it's the harmonic balancer. I'm not familiar with the VR engines (non ecotec) but I'm guessing its behind the crank pulley? Does anyone know if this problem sounds like a harmonic balancer and do they go on these engines often? I'd hate him to replace it without needing to after all the cash he has spent so far.

Cheers.

Damo

[delcowizzid]

harmonic balancer is the front pully at the bottom of the engine.if its not that it could be the timing chain tensioner broken if it sounds more internal

[greenfoam]

The V6 balancers fail at just over 200,000ks like clock work, and what you describe surely sounds like one to me

[BlackVT5.7]

I agree with what Greenfoam has said, mine failed in my old VR, worst sound ever once the rubber had rotted away on the balancer.
Its not the most expensive fix, but ideally you need a hoist to get the nut off the front of it.

[Dayvo]

The V6 balancers fail at just over 200,000ks like clock work, and what you describe surely sounds like one to me

Exactly , The one on my VN shat itself at 198,000 kays .

[damo03]

Thanks for the replies. Can anyone recommend a place in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to take it to get the balancer changed? As most of you probably know, it's hard to get a good mechanic (that doesn't charge like a wounded bull). My mate is based near ringwood.

[strgas]

Al's Autoworks
32/ 200 Canterbury Rd Bayswater North VIC 3153 - get directions
ph: (03) 9729 6802

Good friend of mine and wont rip your mate off tell him that Peter from auto gas refereed you .

[bigneilsen]

i took mine to get harmonic balancer changed a few months ago, take it in with a new balancer. mechanic looks at it. says its not the balancer its water pump. so i go buy a water pump, he installs it. ticking sound still there. so he says ok lets change the balancer. and would you look at that all fixed.

stupid mechanic.

[damo03]

Al's Autoworks
32/ 200 Canterbury Rd Bayswater North VIC 3153 - get directions
ph: (03) 9729 6802

Good friend of mine and wont rip your mate off tell him that Peter from auto gas refereed you .

Thanks for that. My mate, took it there was impressed, and will return.

Damo

[mynameisearl]

Thanks for that. My mate, took it there was impressed, and will return.

Damo

was it the balancer?

[damo03]

was it the balancer?

Yep sure was.

That was my first impression when I heard it...I can't believe the racv guys told my mate it was the alternator, then the power steering pump. Admittedly it did sound like it was coming from the top, but when you listened carefully it sounded a bit lower in the engine. Plus, the sound it was making was consistent with what guys here mentioned to be a harmonic balancer, and it disapeared when it was revved above idle.

Damo

[Zuicider]

you would be surprised but alternator shafts bend from time to time