GS - 1st Gen (1993-1997) Discussion about the first generation GS300

Harmonic balancer.... should i get it...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-05-09, 11:43 AM
  #1  
kid2rocks
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
 
kid2rocks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: az
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Harmonic balancer.... should i get it...

so the shop calls me and says i need a harmonic balancer... the thing is over 400 bucks just for the part... im second guessing myself... should i get it!!??? damnit.... ill prolly just get it....
Old 06-05-09, 11:44 AM
  #2  
kid2rocks
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
 
kid2rocks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: az
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default oh....

and how important do you think a harmonic balancer is?????
Old 06-05-09, 11:45 AM
  #3  
Caoboy
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (2)
 
Caoboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: CA
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

It balances the crankshaft...just how important do you think that is?
Old 06-05-09, 11:48 AM
  #4  
kid2rocks
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
 
kid2rocks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: az
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

lol so dont be stupid and just get it huh??? lol
Old 06-05-09, 12:04 PM
  #5  
Triple C
Lead Lap
iTrader: (2)
 
Triple C's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 665
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I got an underdrive pulley for a lower cost. It did have a small improvement of performance but primarily when te AC is on when you notice it the most. If i could do it over i would have got a performance harmonic balancer as i think my underdrive pulley made the rest of the accesories deteriorate faster then normal. You do get more power but it aint worth it. BTW i still have it on( 2 years) and everything is working correctly
Old 06-05-09, 12:39 PM
  #6  
moejz
Pole Position
iTrader: (1)
 
moejz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: ca
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

for $400 , it better be a Titan Motorsports one. Seriously and its far superior than the OEm one.
If you can, locate a used OEm one which you can buy for 50 - 100 dollars.

Also do not spend money on the Underdrive crank dampners that you can buy all over for cheap or with pulley sets. Your crank will not like it in the future due to not being properly balanced.
Old 06-06-09, 03:34 AM
  #7  
Duds
Pole Position
 
Duds's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by moejz
for $400 , it better be a Titan Motorsports one. Seriously and its far superior than the OEm one.
If you can, locate a used OEm one which you can buy for 50 - 100 dollars.

Also do not spend money on the Underdrive crank dampners that you can buy all over for cheap or with pulley sets. Your crank will not like it in the future due to not being properly balanced.
I second this, please don't buy the advertised light weight performance ones, you'll just end up killing your motor.
Old 06-07-09, 03:33 AM
  #8  
zazzn
Instructor
 
zazzn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NORCAL/GTA
Posts: 766
Received 10 Likes on 9 Posts
Default

get one form Jaymarks toyota form Jeff watson I just called him i needed one for my mk4.. it' was 250$ form toyota!
Old 06-07-09, 02:45 PM
  #9  
rapollon
Lead Lap
iTrader: (4)
 
rapollon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MA
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I spent $400 with a new balancer install timing belt, installed.
Old 06-07-09, 02:47 PM
  #10  
Wald GS
O.C. Lucky Strike Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
 
Wald GS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: So.Cal.
Posts: 8,675
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

How do you know when your balancer is going bad?
Old 06-07-09, 03:05 PM
  #11  
zazzn
Instructor
 
zazzn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NORCAL/GTA
Posts: 766
Received 10 Likes on 9 Posts
Default

well on my mk4 i heard this nasty screech, I didn't know what it was until i did the timing belt and the front part of the pulley piece fell off.

the rubber usually rots and the pulley piece gives. On my other crank I had a spider crack all the way up the harmonic balancer
Old 06-08-09, 11:51 AM
  #12  
Xcaliber00
Driver
 
Xcaliber00's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

You def want to listen to everybody. Those cheap underdrive crankshaft pulleys are bad for the motor.

After I put a hard 10k miles on my GS3 the original pulley broke (btw it made that screeching sound like zazzn said) so I installed an ebay underdrive crank pulley. Two weeks later I was doing some donuts, which I've done plenty of times before (I know, foolish), and on the way to my girlfriend's house the car started making a knocking sound like I spun a connecting rod bearing then it got so bad it cut off while I was on the side of the highway. Now I need to get a new motor. Lesson learned!

I know the donuts probably made it worse by g-forces pulling the oil to the side of the motor and off of the crank but as added insurance I'm not doing another cheap crank pulley/harmonic balancer.

Last edited by Xcaliber00; 06-14-09 at 12:33 PM.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
MidwestLex
Performance & Maintenance
4
10-13-18 09:29 AM
XxPainxX
Performance & Maintenance
4
05-12-12 01:00 PM
Cleanshots
SC400 / 300 Classifieds
18
03-25-10 04:18 PM
TecnoSmurf
Performance & Maintenance
16
05-20-09 03:15 PM
lexforlife
SC400 / 300 Classifieds
1
01-30-09 04:29 AM



Quick Reply: Harmonic balancer.... should i get it...



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:15 PM.