Pontiac G8 Forum banner

Balancer wobble.....

4K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  Clay McGuill 
#1 ·
Well........looks like my balancer started wobbling. No strange noises but its clearly wobbling. To avoid any potential issues, Im gonna have it replaced with a Powerbond. Ive read other posts and there doesn't seem to be any issues with the accessories (AC, cooling, etc) not working properly.

If anyone knows otherwise.........please let me know.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Many of us including myself have done the same swap for the same reasons. I went with the Powerbond 25%/10% (accessories/AC respectively) UDP with the updated Holden A/C bracket and all has been good for me. Everything else on the engine is stock so far except for my DC Power 270XP alternator, which still works very well with the UDP. My lights don't dim at all with it (they did with stock alt on stock HB) when my car audio system is on, though the 270XP was overkill for my system anyway which helps.

So yeah, all should be good with stock, unless you've got a system or otherwise want to pull a lot of current from the alternator at relatively low RPM.
 
#3 ·
I believe I have one, the crank bolt, and belt that I won't be using. I forget which name brand though, but it's a 25% UDP.
 
#4 ·
My balancer has a wobble and I'm considering the powerbond also. I plan on running around 1000 watts worth of stereo though, so it may not be the best decision for me.
 
#5 ·
Anyone know how hard this is to do yourself? Any instructions anywhere? Getting it done by the "pros" is WAY to expensive!!
 
#6 ·
Anyone know how hard this is to do yourself? Any instructions anywhere? Getting it done by the "pros" is WAY to expensive!!
I just replaced one for a customer.
His car had 66000 km's and only symptom was wobble.
You do need the correct puller & new bolt.
You have to fit the new balancer with the old bolt, then remove the old bolt & fit new bolt for final tensioning.
There is no woodruff key, the balancer & crank are like a "cone" fit.
If you dont have the correct tools strongly recommend taking to reputable mechanic or dealer for repair.
You should only get charged one hours labour.....
 
#7 ·
http://forum.***********/showthread.php?t=30435

and others...quick search will provide all of your answers.

If you do not have, or are unwilling to buy, the following - don't try this yourself.
3 jawed puller - a decent one. The HF ones tend to break
A way to hold the crank still - some use a screwdrive at the flexplate, some use other means. Read up on how others do it.
A longer metric bolt to start the new pulley on. As an alternative, you can heat the new pulley and press it on.
A new bolt is a must. These bolts are single use. Or get the ARP bolt, which is reuseable.
 
#8 · (Edited)
#11 ·
To pull the stock balancer, go to Autozone and get the HB puller that is labeled for use with Chrysler. It works VERY well for our balancers. They have it for their "loan a tool" program. No need to buy one. It looks pretty similar to the OTC linked above. I didn't use any specialty tool at all for installation.
 
#15 ·
One bolt only. Yes you need a new one (either a stock GM bolt, or the ARP 234-2503)
Torque specs are different. The stocker gets fully seated, then torqued to 37 ft-lbs. Then tightened an additional 140 degrees of rotation.
The APR bolt is torqued to 230 ft lbs.
 
#13 ·
Stay away from HF pullers had one that broke on me the other day and I almost lost an eye.
 
#14 ·
They difinately didn't quote me on hours worth of labor!
 
#16 ·
Dealer quoting 5.5hrs for swapping the balancer? Does that sound accurate?
 
#17 ·
It sounds like your going to have to have somebody R&R this item. Based on reading previous posts in this thread, it looks like *if* you could find a good reputable shop/mechanic that indeed has the correct tools for the job, maybe 2 hours at the most on this (or at least try to find a different GM service center that is more realistic about the total time needed to do that job). Just show up with the balance-er of choice, along with the correct OEM or ARP bolt in hand an let him have at it.
 
#18 ·
Thanks - i'll shop around. I did read somewhere on here that someone had a faster, easier method, but I cant find that discussion again, ill keep searching...
 
#19 ·
Just changed mine today because of wobble (174,000 miles). To remove the original bolt, I heated it with a propane torch for a few minutes, then my stubby impact wrench zipped it right off. Used the tool mentioned above from Autozone, to remove the damper, it worked great. Replaced the front main seal also.


Getting the new balancer on is a pain in the ass. You've got to "persuade" it onto the crank far enough for the bolt to be able to engage the threads in the crank, then you've got to come up with some way to prevent the crank from rotating - there's nothing on the front of the engine to wedge a screwdriver or extension or bar or whatever, but since my car was up on a lift I was able to remove the small round metal inspection cover at the bottom of the transmission bellhousing and blocked the converter from rotating with an old screwdriver against the side of the hole.


I tried using a "balancer installation tool", but the center jackscrew was too large in diameter to fit into the crank snout, and not long enough to engage the crank threads, so once I had managed to get the balancer far enough on the crank with a few love taps from a deadblow hammer, I used the old bolt to pull the new balancer into place, and cranked down on it to about 240 ft-lbs to fully seat the balancer. Then I removed the old bolt (again), put some red Loctite on the new bolt, and fastened it to 37 ft/lbs. That was easy enough, but the next part wasn't - tightening the bolt an additional 140 degrees of rotation. Doesn't sound like much, but it took my big breaker bar, a length of cheater pipe, and just about all I had to get the bolt rotated that much.


I freaking DESPISE TTY hardware, the bull**** procedures you have to follow, and the waste and expense of throwing away hardware after only one use - all because GM thought they could save a few pennies per vehicle by not putting a keyway on the crank snout. Yes, I know I could upgrade to an ARP bolt and just torque it and be able to reuse it, or pin the balancer to the crank to keep it from spinning (I've done both on other LS engines), but the point is, we shouldn't HAVE to do all this crap just to keep the crank pulley from flying off. GM *****ed this **** up, and that's the truth.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top