Awesome insight and intelligence

[jasond]

Hi guys thought it was time to join the group as my black 07 Z51 needs a harmonic balancer. Great advice and tips on how to keep it running. Thanks Jason

 

[CCO]

Glad to have you along Jason -- A wobbly balancer is a common problem on C6's.

I wondered who the heck you were talking about with that heading...."Awesome Insight and Intelligence" -- Come to think of it there are some awesome members here who are quite smart ......

Let us know how the balancer repair goes.

Colin.

 

[jasond]

Thanks hope to get it fixed next week still debating on OEM or aftermarket. What are most people using if they need this repair??

 

[Crusher]

Go aftermarket...ATI balancers are really good. Most people doing this repair like the ATI unit

I have an 07 Z51 also, my factory balancer is still going strong..Keeping my fingers crossed .... If it ever does go bye bye I will be putting and ATI in

 

[Keith Tedford]

Manny Dasilva showed me the one he replaces the factory stuff with. It certainly looked like a quality piece. The major expense is the labour to tear half of the front of the car apart to access the balancer. It's something like $1100 installed for a $300 piece. Give him a call. With three model years or more of factory stuff giving trouble, I wouldn't be going back for seconds.

 

[Woodstock Car Guy]

Also a common problem on C5's too. Manny did a replacement on mine last year.

 

[Riley P]

Got an ATI super damper for the C5, I doubt there are any real gains but I think it was 10 lbs lighter than stock.

 

[Fitzy]

Pardon my ignorance.....but i'm no mechanic....can someone please enlighten me on the function of the Harmonic Balancer and why it wears out (and what quirks you notice when it starts to fail).....

Adam

 

[buckhorn76]

what the harmonic balancer does is dampen crankshaft vibration. normally the reason for one going south is age or chemical. i'm not familiar with the ls engines but this is what would be the main cause on a gen 1. without the crank damper the crankshaft would vibrate much like a tuning fork.

 

[Riley P]

There is a rubber ring separating a metal outer ring from the hub on the LS harmonic balancers that fails and the balancer starts to wobble. Worst case scenario is that the balancer comes apart. This would cause some good destruction in the engine compartment and I am not sure of how the engine would take it but I think it would survive if shut down quickly enough.

 

[buckhorn76]

many years ago i had one let go on the highway. it tossed the belts and made a helluva racket slapping around, but didn't do any damage.

 

[HLN A55]

I love v8 engines but a harmonic balancer doesn't completely make up for an inherently unbalanced engine design. I had an early 90's BMW 7 series and that inline 6 still ranks as one of my all time favorites. The v12 is by engineering definition the most balanced engine design possible if I'm not mistaken. There's a YouTube video of a dime balanced on its edge sitting on top of a BMW v12 while it is started, idling, and then revving and it never even came close to falling over.

I can attest to that personally as I rode in a v12 850i and couldn't believe it.

 

[Fitzy]

thanks for explaining the function......as I learn something new....I now have to forget something....sure hope to hell I remember how to get home for lunch......