probably a harmonic balancer

[mickah]

G'day Guys (and Girls)

My mums VN has started making rattling noises when idling and the rubber inside the harmonic balancer is all wore. I'm pretty sure it?s the harmonic balancer but I thought I'd just post to double check. If so is the best option to buy a new one or can you get away with getting a second hand one?

Cheers, Mickah

 

[mickah]

oh yeah and my mum wants to know if its still drivable in its current state.
cheers, mickah

 

[VpV6]

Sounds like the harmonic balancer, if you can see that the rubber has collapsed inside it.

I personally wouldnt drive it, since if it completely collapses the fan belt and balancer will both go flying across the engine bay.

2nd hand is O.K. if you dont have the $$ for a new one, just make sure that the rubber looks like its in good condition. As always there is an element of risk there though. Of course, new is best.

Good luck!

 

[Harts_94VR]

Yep, sounds like the harmonic balancer.

Get it fixed straight away, if it damages your crank angle sensor you'll be up for more money than you already are.

I got a reconditioned one for $215 a couple of years ago - it chose Thursday afternoon, right before the Easter long weekend, at 4:55pm to go ballistic - it sounded like I'd replaced the V6 with a jackhammer.

And I had planned to go on a driving holiday that weekend!

Lucky for me a parts shop in my area stayed open for me till I could ride my pushy around there and get another one, and I was still working on the car until 11pm so I could go on that damned holiday...

I must have done something right, it travelled the 500km we did over 4 days without a hitch, and has run fine ever since. They even gave me a refund on my old balancer ($35, considering the mess it was in I'm amazed I got anything for it!)

 

[brock/owna]

before you go spending money grab a long metal bar and place it on different sections of the motor from idler pulley to harmonic balancer and the other end at your ear c if the knock is louder in any place it will help u track down the noise

 

[Harts_94VR]

before you go spending money grab a long metal bar and place it on different sections of the motor from idler pulley to harmonic balancer and the other end at your ear c if the knock is louder in any place it will help u track down the noise

Possibly a little difficult to do that trick on a moving part like a harmonic balancer...

If it's stuffed it will be pretty obvious, it will be shaking madly and the rubber inside it will be a mess. And it will sound like the engine is about to explode. Sticking a metal rod up against it won't help you hear that any more clearly

 

[brock/owna]

Possibly a little difficult to do that trick on a moving part like a harmonic balancer...

If it's stuffed it will be pretty obvious, it will be shaking madly and the rubber inside it will be a mess. And it will sound like the engine is about to explode. Sticking a metal rod up against it won't help you hear that any more clearly

pls dont tell me u think i meant on a moving part cos if u did i want a pic of u trying
next to moving parts is ok or be really smart and get a stethascope like i have and i am only going on past experiance mine was shot to hell all rubber perrished but no noise but as i said just going on past experiance

 

[steweyau]

I bought a new one from repco for about $130 including an oil seal. If you haven't got the time, breaker bar or puller see a mechanic (There are some great instructions for using and old belt to keep the balancer still while trying to undo it on this site).

My take on the old one was that the rubber was not mission critical in that it wouldn't fall apart. I drove 400 km with it stuffed on the advice of a holden mechanic.

The rim on mine moved about 1 cm aound the centre.

cheers
stewey

 

[Harts_94VR]

pls dont tell me u think i meant on a moving part cos if u did i want a pic of u trying

Sorry dude, I was being sarcastic...

Anyway here's some pictures of mine, firstly the replacement one that's in the car now, and the buggered one that came out of it. It was seriously fubar, and it was actually painful to put your head inside the engine bay it was that loud, seriously jackhammer death rattles coming out of there.

In this case, no fault finding was necessary. This thing would have leapt out and bit me with little or no provocation, the way it was shaking around.

 

[brock/owna]

no need to say sorry dude i sorta figured that lol