When to replace harmonic balancer in your car?
It is important that you replace the part as soon as possible because driving without it will cause severe damage to other components and the vehicle might become undrivable. This will only burn a larger hole in your pocket so it is better to get it replaced rather than going for the naïve option of letting it be.
What causes a crankshaft harmonic balancer to fail?
Separated harmonic balancer. If the rubber layer in the harmonic balancer dries or wears out, it can cause the entire harmonic balancer to completely fail by separating. If the harmonic balancer separates, the engine belts will usually come off and the vehicle will be left without engine accessories.
What are the symptoms of a bad harmonic balancer?
They are usually made of rubber and metal, which easily absorbs any harmonic vibrations that could harm the engine otherwise. Usually a problem with the harmonic balancer will produce a few symptoms that can alert the driver of a potential problem that should be serviced.
What is the purpose of a harmonic balancer?
The purpose of a harmonic balancer is to dampen the harmonic vibrations that all engines produce. On many engines, the harmonic balancer is integrated into the crank pulley. They do not fail often, but excess engine vibrations and misaligned timing marks are among the symptoms of a bad or failing crankshaft harmonic balancer.
How do you change a harmonic balancer in a car?
There is no specific way of changing a harmonic balancer in a car as almost every engine is different. You should research out on how to exactly replace the balancer in your particular model. First off, you will want to remove the belt from the crankshaft pulley and remove the mounting bolt off.
What happens if your crankshaft harmonic balancer slips?
Detached Harmonic Balancer The destruction of the various layers of rubber and metal can ultimately cause the crankshaft harmonic balance to slip from its position. This is very dangerous and if it happens, firstly your engine timing will be affected which will immediately cause the timing belt and other related belts to come off.
What happens if you separate the harmonic balancer?
If the layers separate or slip, the timing marks, which are usually stamped into the front of the pulley, can shift and thus throw off the placement of the timing marks. This will make it difficult, if not impossible to properly time the engine with a timing light. 3. Separated harmonic balancer
Can a bad harmonic balancer cause an engine to shake?
If the harmonic balancer gets too old or fails and can no longer properly absorb the harmonic vibrations, the engine will shake excessively. The shaking will become even more pronounced, and therefore dangerous to the engine at high speeds.