TrueGS300

I am fixing up a car with a 1MZ-FE with 234,000 miles (The 3.0L V6). Strong runner with no issues, already did a great deal of maintenance/oil leak repairs etc. Last timing belt sticker was from 92,000 miles so obviously it is time to replace asap. I am wondering if I should replace the crank pulley (harmonic damper) while at it. Unless they have proven to never really be an issue and are considered good for the life of the engine? My concerns about it is that I have lost two engines in the past from the balancer separating and digging back into the timing cover. Neither were Toyota engines though. Wondering if anyone has reported any issues with the OEM balancer. I like to have all my parts ready as I typically order parts from Rockauto and nothing pisses me off worse than having to run out for a part that is overly expensive and a brand I don't like in order to get the job done. I don't however want to waste money on one if they never seem to go bad. I have a lot of other repairs going into the car so no need for wasted expenses.

Arsenii

Hello,

Those can wear out over time, there were cases of the Balancers getting warped a bit, but I am yet to see a catastrophic failure or anything that would cause additional damage, the most I've seen is it causes a very annoying Belt Squeak, unlike with JZ engine where it can cause considerable damage to the Timing Belt Cover. In short, I would keep an OEM part for as long as possible, chances of getting screwed over with an aftermarket are considerably higher, and even if it fails, it won't be as critical as in a lot of other cases.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

TrueGS300

Good information, thank you. Exactly my thoughts, is a new cheaper one even better than the old oem one? I Usually go with Dayco's "powerbond" at a good intermediate price. I think they are pretty much bulletproof, but still an expense I'd like to spare for a car I paid $600 for. I am going to do the complete Aisin timing belt and water pump kit though since you want the best you can get for that maintenance. I'm running an ATI damper on my 2JZ turbo build because of the issues I've had in the past. Destroyed a built Eclipse 4G63T and a built LS6 Corvette engine.