Need some opinions on the Sport's Harmonic balancer repair
Jul 31, 2015 16:32:40 GMT -5
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Post by redraif on Jul 31, 2015 16:32:40 GMT -5
Originally I hijacked another thread, but I figured as I had some more questions it would be better start my own. 2001 Sport 3.0L Auto 4x4 243,000 miles.
So some of you saw my other post, but to explain what occurred to the others who have not...
Was rolling home from rescuing my stranded son when his Honda had a rear wheel bearing go out.
Happened at 11pm July 21st... Pulled off the interstate at our exit and suddenly the belt started squealing. The battery & brake light came on and went back off. ON and off again, then came on solid. The brakes got really heavy then. I had to go about a 1/8 mile to a gas station. The sport pushed on and got us safe into a spot on the edge of the lot. I assumed I threw/broke a belt. Shut him down and popped the hood. The belts were on but the V belt was really loose. I pushed on it and saw the lower pulley wobble. Called a buddy and he said it was the harmonic balancer. Maybe the bolt backed out/broke.
AAA couldn't get a tow rig to us till after 2AM!
Towed it to my buddies house. He jumped right on the repair. He said the HB bolt backed out, sheared off the key way on the balancer (woodruff key?) not the crank pin, and bent the timing cover a little. He stayed up all night and repaired the dang thing! He texted me at 6am and said the Montero was A-ok. He made a new key way from scratch, cleaned up the spline and fixed the housing. HOLY CRAP! I get up and the car he loaned us was gone and there sat my baby in the driveway. I started it up and the bolt looks steady and solid. Motor sounds good. No wobble from the balancer.
So far I have not driven the Sport as I was concerned about the repair with the original parts being reused. I asked my buddy if he had a thought about what caused it... The timing belt was replaced not terribly long ago. 15,000-20,000 ago. He said it looked like someone originally ran it in with the wrong socket size and might have assumed they torqued it enough but did not. I asked about what things looked like when he took it apart. He said the crank pin was fine. The pin that locks the hb from turning was the one he remade (woodruff key?). (hope I understand this right) Seems pretty common to shear it when this happens.
I started researching the Sports repair online, maybe its ok for the time being? People have had to make new (woodruff keys?). That is not catastrophic. Bolts have backed out and been tightened back down to proper specs and have been fine as long as they are torqued right. So I checked with my guy... he said he definitely torqued it down enough. He said probably too much. I said 135ft lbs and he said definitely more then that. Will this cause an issue?
I plan to get a new H.B. and upgraded HB bolt and swap it out. I do know balancers don't last forever and do need to be replaced.. Mine is probably original. I told my guy I needed to swap the parts to new. He said the Sport should be fine for now, but it needs more then the HB & HB bolt. He also said that when we replace the HB and HB bolt, that I should replace the lower timing gear. Is this a wear item? It is rusty and looks original. I said I was not going to drive it till I swapped parts, but.... I'm down to just the Sport right now as my driver. Borrowed Mom's car temporarily, but its not ideal. My buddy can't help me dig in that far and swap parts till after my wedding. He is helping with making stuff for the wedding also. Jack of all trades! The other catch... we are setting up for the wedding ourselves and I need the sport to move the big stuff to the venue. It might even have to pull a small enclosed trailer with logs.
What do you guys think? Do you think I'm ok to drive it till the wedding and make the repairs after? It would be doing 50 miles a day M-F commute travel... After the wedding, I will get the civic its tires and then get the parts for the Sport and we can take a weekend to do the repair. While I'm digging in with his help I will fix that dang valve cover leak too. Its leaking at an alarming rate. Just since its oil change I have had to add 7 quarts. Its maybe at 1500 miles since the oil change... UGH!
So some of you saw my other post, but to explain what occurred to the others who have not...
Was rolling home from rescuing my stranded son when his Honda had a rear wheel bearing go out.
Happened at 11pm July 21st... Pulled off the interstate at our exit and suddenly the belt started squealing. The battery & brake light came on and went back off. ON and off again, then came on solid. The brakes got really heavy then. I had to go about a 1/8 mile to a gas station. The sport pushed on and got us safe into a spot on the edge of the lot. I assumed I threw/broke a belt. Shut him down and popped the hood. The belts were on but the V belt was really loose. I pushed on it and saw the lower pulley wobble. Called a buddy and he said it was the harmonic balancer. Maybe the bolt backed out/broke.
AAA couldn't get a tow rig to us till after 2AM!
Towed it to my buddies house. He jumped right on the repair. He said the HB bolt backed out, sheared off the key way on the balancer (woodruff key?) not the crank pin, and bent the timing cover a little. He stayed up all night and repaired the dang thing! He texted me at 6am and said the Montero was A-ok. He made a new key way from scratch, cleaned up the spline and fixed the housing. HOLY CRAP! I get up and the car he loaned us was gone and there sat my baby in the driveway. I started it up and the bolt looks steady and solid. Motor sounds good. No wobble from the balancer.
So far I have not driven the Sport as I was concerned about the repair with the original parts being reused. I asked my buddy if he had a thought about what caused it... The timing belt was replaced not terribly long ago. 15,000-20,000 ago. He said it looked like someone originally ran it in with the wrong socket size and might have assumed they torqued it enough but did not. I asked about what things looked like when he took it apart. He said the crank pin was fine. The pin that locks the hb from turning was the one he remade (woodruff key?). (hope I understand this right) Seems pretty common to shear it when this happens.
I started researching the Sports repair online, maybe its ok for the time being? People have had to make new (woodruff keys?). That is not catastrophic. Bolts have backed out and been tightened back down to proper specs and have been fine as long as they are torqued right. So I checked with my guy... he said he definitely torqued it down enough. He said probably too much. I said 135ft lbs and he said definitely more then that. Will this cause an issue?
I plan to get a new H.B. and upgraded HB bolt and swap it out. I do know balancers don't last forever and do need to be replaced.. Mine is probably original. I told my guy I needed to swap the parts to new. He said the Sport should be fine for now, but it needs more then the HB & HB bolt. He also said that when we replace the HB and HB bolt, that I should replace the lower timing gear. Is this a wear item? It is rusty and looks original. I said I was not going to drive it till I swapped parts, but.... I'm down to just the Sport right now as my driver. Borrowed Mom's car temporarily, but its not ideal. My buddy can't help me dig in that far and swap parts till after my wedding. He is helping with making stuff for the wedding also. Jack of all trades! The other catch... we are setting up for the wedding ourselves and I need the sport to move the big stuff to the venue. It might even have to pull a small enclosed trailer with logs.
What do you guys think? Do you think I'm ok to drive it till the wedding and make the repairs after? It would be doing 50 miles a day M-F commute travel... After the wedding, I will get the civic its tires and then get the parts for the Sport and we can take a weekend to do the repair. While I'm digging in with his help I will fix that dang valve cover leak too. Its leaking at an alarming rate. Just since its oil change I have had to add 7 quarts. Its maybe at 1500 miles since the oil change... UGH!