Friday, January 24, 2014
How to Replace a Harmonic Balancer
Harmonic balancers dampen vibrations between the crankshaft and the drive pulleys, keeping the engine free of excessive vibrations. Overtime, the harmonic balancer will wear, causing the crankshaft pulley to wobble. This causes the drive pulley belt to become unstable and possibly fall off the drive pulley causing your vehicle to lose power. The process of replacing a harmonic balancer should be a standard part of routine maintenance on your vehicle to prevent drive train damage.
Instructions
- 1
Open the vehicle hood. Spray penetrating oil on the center mounting bolt of the harmonic balancer -- located near the front lower section of the engine block. Allow the penetrating oil to sit on the mounting bolt for six to seven hours.
2Remove the drive pulley from the harmonic balancer by loosening the tension bolt located near the alternator or on a dedicated tension pulley.
3Match a socket to the size of the center mounting bolt. Attach the socket to a 1/2-inch drive ratchet handle. Set the direction on the ratchet to loosen counterclockwise. Slide the socket onto the center mounting. Loosen and remove the bolt from the end of the crankshaft.
4Align the two outer bolts of a pulley puller with the threaded holes of the harmonic balancer. Turn the center puller bolt clockwise to force it against the center of the balancer. Turn the center bolt clockwise with a socket attached to the ratchet handle. Remove the pulley from the harmonic balancer after removal.
5Align the new harmonic balancer with the crankshaft. Thread the center mounting bolt through the harmonic balancer and into the end of the crankshaft. Tighten the center mounting bolt with a matched socket attached to a torque wrench to the torque specifications provided with the new harmonic balancer.
6Attach the drive pulley belt to the harmonic balancer. Tighten the tension bolt to tighten the belt. Close the vehicle hood.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
How to Remove the Harmonic Balancer in a VR6
A VR6 engine is a family of six-cylinder engines that Volkswagen developed in the late 1980s. It appears in a variety of Volkswagen cars, such as the 1992 Passat. The VR6 engine uses a harmonic balancer, also known as a vibration damper, on the crankshaft to minimize the vibrations that occur when the crankshaft turns rapidly. A central bolt attaches the vibration damper in this engine directly to the crankshaft. You will typically remove the vibration damper to gain access to the crankshaft seal.
Instructions
- 1
Record the security code for the radio so that you can connect the battery after removing the harmonic balancer. Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench. This prevents you from inadvertently starting the engine, while removing the harmonic balancer.
2Remove the splash shield for the front wheel wells with a socket wrench to gain access to the vibration damper. Some vehicles with a VR6 engine also require you to disconnect the lower engine shield to access the vibration damper.
3Hold the crankshaft pulley in place with Tool No. 3273. Detach the accessory drive belt that the crankshaft drives.
4Disconnect the central bolt on the crankshaft with a socket wrench. Remove the vibration damper from the crankshaft.
