My Harmonic Balancer needs replacement - the outer part visibly wobbles like a motherf---er, there's noticeable vibration and the front oil seal (ie. in the timing cover) is passing a lot of oil. I think the car has spent too much time sitting - so the static belt load has caused distortion. Anyway - whatever - I think it's knackered.

I've done the balancer on my ED before myself - took a couple of hours and I did it without removing the radiator - hardest part oddly enough was fitting the new one - I had to heat the c--p out of it to get it to engage on the shaft - BUT I'm really over working on the car so am looking at using a mechanic. So I'd really appreciate knowing if anyone has recently had a balancer replaced by a workshop - how much did they charge for labour??

from what i remember the avg price for labour in $80 per hour you recon it took a few hours so maybe around the 200 mark but no offence im sure they would do it quicker tools r out they will have it jacked up in no time my guess would be $150 in labour plus parts

brother inlaws ed took 20 mins and my ef took 10 mins

When I did my ED it was a very relaxed effort with no urgency - I personally reckon a workshop should be able to turn it around in an hour and a half from driving in to driving out - but I'm after any actual experiences with what workshops are likely to do.

Also - from memory the shaft seal (in the timing cover) can be pulled and replaced in situ - can anyone confirm?

OK, ended up doing it myself - got it done no sweat - didn't give me any grief unlike the ED when I did it several years ago. The seal on it's own is readily available from Repco, Auto 1 etc. and is easy to replace in situ (I hadn't been sure if they came separately or only as part of a timing set).

How much was the replacement balancer? So to replace front seal, you dont have to take timing cover off? Is this the same for an EF.

Don't take any notice of my sig - my current ride is an EF (will change the signature soon) so it was the EF I've just done all this on. The Balancer was about $140 from Repco and the front seal was $18 also from Repco. This was a Powerbond balancer - I was quoted $110 + $45 shipping for a Ross Toughbond heavy duty balancer but needed it straight away so grabbed this Repco one.

The seal is pulled out and refitted from the front (outer) face of the timing cover (with the balancer removed of course) in situ - ie. you don't have to remove the cover - just carefully use a screwdriver to diagonally lever at various places around it's inner circumference - I used a second larger screwdriver as a fulcrum - you have to work around the end of the crankshaft which has a key in it for the balancer - be careful not to dislodge the key and knock it inside the cover! By looking at the new seal you'll see what you're trying to accomplish as far as getting the old one out - ie. the outer contact face is ribbed polymer material. Be careful not to score the inside of the case recess either - ie. look at the new seal - to remove the old one you want to be levering with the end of the screwdriver inside the housing of the seal itself - not getting behind it's outer edge and gouging the cover.

The new one I just carefully tapped in using a short 3/8 drive extension as a "punch" - ie. after thoroughly cleaning the recess, work the new seal into place evenly by tapping on various points around it's circumference - be real careful tho because it's the type of seal with a spring around the inside to hold tension against the shaft - so if you slip with your "punch" and blip the inner seal part you may well dislodge that spring (you also of course don't want to split the seal!) - try real hard not to let that happen - if you do slip then have a real good look to make sure that spring hasn't come adrift or the seal has been split. The PROPER way to seat it of course would be to use a piece of tube with outer circumference a poofteenth smaller than the outer diameter of the seal and inner diameter enough to fit over the end of the shaft (taking the key into account as well unless you temporarily remove it - best not to disturb it if it's stayed in position happily).

Actually you should also make sure the old spring has come out with the old seal - if it was left behind floating on the shaft it probably actually wouldn't do a lot of harm but best to make sure it's out.

ok thanks, that puts the picture clearer in my head. I've currently got a big oil leak out the front. It's been resealed once but that didnt stop the problem. I have a suspicion that the original balancer was left on and just the seal replaced or maybe they havent put sealant around the bolt/washer and key? Ive been told its crankcase pressure doing it but the leak is quite bad, and it comes out even when driving under 3000 revs.

I'd like to give it a go myself, but i'm not technically minded as much as i've never taken serpentine belt off before. If i follow the workshop manual, it tells you to disonnect battery, drain radiator (etc etc) all the unnecessary stuff. It's a real pain in the a** when everything else is working great.

The thing to watch for is that the oil might actually be comingfrom higher up - ie. above the water pump, under the pwr steering pump mounting. The lower front part of the head has a sealing face onto the top edge of the timing cover and they very very often leak here. The "correct" seal for that join is variously a rubber gasket sort of thing or a cork gasket and I've also seen some sort that has adhesive on one side. The only one I've seen that was dry as a bone was assembled with no seal/gasket there at all and was sealed up with Black Max afterward. If that's where it's leaking it will run down and then across and really look like it might be the forward seal.

Disconnecting battery is pretty much totally unnecessary, and if you can fit the puller in without removing the radiator then you're laughing - but if you need to pull the radiator it's not very difficult - but make sure you do it with the engine STONE COLD. If you do it while the engine is even slightly warm I can just about guarantee the thermostat housing and/or cover WILL leak - if not the water pump and/or even the head gasket! It's a very bad thing to let gaskets exposed to coolant dry out - and it's surprising how much and how quickly they will do so if the engine is even a little bit warm. Ever had "something else" start leaking after a radiator place has worked on the car? (ie. within a month or two) - it's because they've had it drained out while still warm or even hot.

To drain the radiator just put a catch tray of some sort underneath and be ready with a mop and let it go from the bottom hose - don't bother f@rt about chasing the drain plug - it's a right bastard if the dinky rubber seal on that drain plug (which is plastic) ends up being shagged or you inadvertantly bugger the threads putting it back in.

can someone show me a photo of the puller so i know what to buy

http://www.v6z24.com/mods/howto/images/ ... lley11.jpg

under $20 from most auto stores.

this one i bought from my local parts shop for $15, supercheap were $34 for same thing.
there was a metal swivelling point on the end but i cut it off with 10mm of thread also so it fits and works with the radiator in.

ok thanks a bunch fellas

ive always been curious, can someone show me a picture of what the balancer actually looks like?

I made my balancer puller and use a Commodore strut bolt for an installer, and made an oil seal installer too. I'm lucky/fortunate to have a lathe to make my tooling.

 

 

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