Harmonic Balancer

[Guest Dazz]

Hi,

I'm Dazz and I am new here. I'm a female and back in college for a second time working on a bachelor's degree in Marketing. And yes.. my hair is dyed red.. lol.. I've been without a car for a few years now. happed to have some extra funds left on my student loans. So I began looking for a car to drive for school etc.

After weeks of looking at cars that were basically peices of poopoo, I came acrross a newly listed car for sale in the newspaper. A 1989 Reatta Coupe, automatic, with a 3.8L. I paid $1,150 for it on Friday to this couple living in Toledo. The man said his wife had owned the car for 12 years. Said they bought it in 1994 or 1995 from a man she knew who worked with her at GM.

I had heard a tad bit of squeeking when I looked at it and the man said it was just a belt squeeking, that there was nothing at all wrong with the car.

The next day I drove it for about 20 minutes, stopped at the gas station for smokes, came out and it wouldnt start. After setting for about 45 minutes it started up without too much problem and I drove it home. By the time I got home (which wasnt really all that far) The car was making a very annoying ratteling noise. The noise was comming from near the motor.

After letting it set til evening, I started it and it ran smooth as could be. Took it out for a spin and about 15 minutes later it was making this hellayshish clanky rattle sound.

I called the couple I bought the car from that night. The man finally called me back the next day (on Sunday). He still kept saying there was nothing wrong with the car, that his wife had dove it everyday to and from work with no problems.

Sunday afternoon a good friend of mine came over and we looked at the car in the daylight. He thought the water pump might be the culprit due to a heater hose that was dripping a little bit of fluid near its clamp, and due to the sound he thought he heard when he turned the water pump.

I didnt have much money left to work with after paying 6 months worth of insurance on Saturday morning. But I had enough to buy a new water pump and did so.

Yesterday(Monday) my friend came over with his tools so we could install the water pump. But, when he took the belt off the pulleys, he discovered the water pump was turning just fine without any noises. The Harmonic Balancer below it however, would turn a good bit in both directions and then it would just stop.

We then took my water pump back for a return, and inquired about a Harmonic Balancer. $100 the salesman said. He brought one out for us to look at, and low and behold that one didnt turn at all.. He said its not supposed to turn like my did, that being mine turned ment it was bad.. that the bolts inside must either be broken or the holes oblonged out enuff that it was allowing that outer section of the harmonic balancer to turn.

Being that I loaned my brother $60 to tow his van the other van night and he hasnt paid me back, I only have $40 right now. Should be able to buy the Harmonic Balancer later this week or this weekend tho. But no idea how I could pay anyone proffessional to install it!

I was told one must use a Harmonic Balancer Puller to remove the part, and that great care must be taken to ensure the Control Sensor inside doesnt get damaged (otherwise I will be out another $150 to buy that).

Anyone here have any idea if there is another way to get it out carefully?

And if not, where can I can a harmonic balancer puller and for how much?

Also.. what are the chances of there being more damage to something else in the motor due to the harmonic balancer being bad? (I have no idea how long that man's wife had been driving the car with it being bad.. assuming it was bad before I bought it)

I am pleased to find out my car is a collectable car and that there is a forum here devoted to the Reatta. I do plan on keeping the car and fixing it up. I love the car, and its in pretty good condition body wise and interior wise etc.

Thanks to all who reply.. and sorry if this was such a long post.. I just wanted to include a bit about me and my situation too so you all get to know me a bit.. Cuz I am sure you will be seeing alot of me here on the forum...lol

Also wondering if this man or his wife may have used this forum at all in the past to discuss this car or anything. Their names are Dennis & Jayne and they live right outside the Toledo Ohio Area in Sylvania.

[Jim]

The harmonic balancers do go bad on the 3800 engines like in your Reatta and there is a good chance it was not bad when the previous owners had the car. You do not need a puller to get the balancer of the crankshaft as once you remove the bolt holding it on it will slip right off. The hard part might be getting the bolt to break loose. Sometimes they have come loose with just an impact wrench and sometimes I have had to put some vise grips on the flywheel to hold the engine. I have also successfully got the bolt to break loose by using the starter method. Last Saturday however as I was about to take a Reatta to the crusher I tried everything I could to get the bolt to break loose and was unsuccessful as I thought I would break my 1/2 inch drive bar with a two foot pipe extension. I gave up and left the balancer on the car and it is now on its way to Japan to be made into a Toyota. You can drive the car but it will make a lot of noise. It may also start hard but I don't belive it will cause any damage. I would get it fixed asap though.

I do have several Reatta parts cars and have a good harmonic balancer available. I normally do not post my prices on the forum but if you tell me you will try and give up the smokes I will sell you a good used balancer for the $ 40 you have and that will include shipping.

I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

[Nittany]

Dazz,

Welcome to the Reatta forum!! As you have already figured out, we are a community of Reatta owners who try to help each other out. Regarding the post above from Jim Finn, we all really appreciate that Jim keeps us supplied with parts and info at a very reasonable price . . . beware there are others on Ebay/etc. that are not as reputable. Might be worth giving up the smokes . . . LOL

[Richard S]

Dazz, Jim's is a good price. If, after investing the labor, you feel more comfortable with new, try checking on ebay. there are several advertised, such as,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/88-90-PON...sspagenameZWDVW

If I remember right, I accessed the balancer bolt from under the car. Put some liquid wrench or the like on overnight, and fixed the flywheel with visegrips or some such. You don't say how many miles the car had on it when you got it. Replacing the balancer is not going to cure the problem you are having with hot starts.

[Guest Dazz]

Thanks Jim.. I will let you know about getting the Balancer from you. Not sure yet if I really want to go the used parts route or not.. especially if I can find it new and its not too unreasonable price wise.

You say I can drive the car like it is.. But I thought having a bad balancer could cause the crankshaft to develop cracks which could result in the crankshaft failing. I mean, the balancer is there to prevent all that excess vibration.. and even though its a heavy part..even race car drivers usually keep their balancers on their cars.

Anyhow. I wont be driving the car until its fixed anyways.. Even if it didnt hurt anything to drive it like this.. its making alot of pretty loud noises and sounds really awful.. and I'd rather not sport my new used car around town and have people think I am driving a peice of poopoo thats on its way to a junk yard..lol..

[Jim]

Thanks everyone for the nice words.

I would be reluctant to buy one of those cheap ones on ebay as I suspect they are made in China, as is maybe many of the ones at the auto parts stores. I recently changed one on my sisters car. It was fairly new but the rubber let loose from the metal and I think it was one of the cheap replacements. If a new one is purchased I would get a good one.

[Guest Dazz]

hi and thanks Richard..

My Reatta has about 121,000 miles on it.

Yeah, I knew the Balancer had nothing to do with the hot starts.. and I plan on addressing that issue after I replace the balancer and the leaking hose.

[Richard S]

Dazz, at that mileage, if you are going to replace the hose, which means draining the radiator, you might as well check all the hoses. If the rubber feels soft, you are probably ready for renewal. Since you will have the belt off, take a close look at the small hose up there, and check the belt itself very carefully. Before refilling, you will probably want to flush the system making sure your heater is on full blast while you run the flush. It is a good idea to put in a sealer when you refill. Hoses and belts, if not most parts, are considerably cheaper on-line [such as autopartsgiant.com or rockauto.com], and many of these allow you brand choice including ac delco. This works as long as you are not dependent on the car and can handle the shipping time, which for these particular vendors has been pretty fast in my experience.

[Guest Ranger]

Hi, I bought one of the inexpensive balancers on eBay. It wasn't the correct size for my '90. They did accept a return but I was out the shipping costs each way.

Good Luck

[Richard S]

I really don't know much about the construction of the balancer, so I don't know what the difference between a knockoff and a branded one might be. I too bought one of them for my 90 when it had about 180k, and 30k later it is still working fine. It is hard to imagine how they could send you the wrong one since the same one is used on so many different GM cars with the 3.8 motor. But that kind of problem is certainly a consideration in any mail order transaction. Where it is vendor error, I prefer a replacement since they have to eat the shipping, and I usually demand a credit for the return shipping.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

With my experience, if the balancer hasn't been off of the car in the "past ever", you ought to become friends with a plumber, like me, and obtain a 48'' pipe wrench to grip balancer.

Have you taken some pix of your Reatta yet?

[DAVES89]

You know there just might be a couple nice guys in Minnesota,don cha know dere hey. Good of you to help her one time hey! Good for you Jim. Oh and by the way, the Packers are winning games they have no business winning. But I'll take the wins anyhow! Kind of like the Bears back a few years ago when they were doing the same.

[Machiner 55]

Welcome to the forum. My son used to live in Sylvania so I know a bit about the area. Too bad you live 4.5 hours away. Too far for me to drive to help. Anyway... I recommend that you use the search function on this board. Type in Harmonic Balancer and newer than three years and older than one week for the time frame and you'll have plenty of info on the subject.

Good Luck.

[Guest Dazz]

Thanks Reatta John.. And Thanks to everyone else who replied I know its been a while since Ive been here. I still don't have a new Harmonic Balancer.. have been having money problems and am between jobs right now. Auto parts store wants $100 for one.. Someone here offered one for 40, but i dont even have that..

anyhow again thanks to everyone, will try to figure somethin out.

[manikmekanik]

Hi, Dazz

Sorry to hear of 'yer mis-fortune.

Panikmekanik's sister lives in Sylvania, maybe we could drop by 'an look 'yer Reatta over, next time we're out that way. I'll check 'an see if 1 of the parts buckets has a good HB/pulley in it.

I've replaced a couple, at @ $80(new), thru NAPA, and AutoZone. Both supplied me with Dorman parts, not Chinese knock-offs.