Small shock absorber

[89REATTAJIM]

Is it safe to do a "Test drive" with the shock removed??

[JFranklin]

Drive carefully and watch out for potholes and speed bumps!

[89REATTAJIM]

Thanks, I figured as much. I should have clarified it's the little shock in front of the harmonic balancer.

 

 

[Ronnie]

5 hours ago, 89REATTAJIM said:

Is it safe to do a "Test drive" with the shock removed??

No problem. '88 models didn't even have one.

[89REATTAJIM]

Thanks Ronnie. I now need a replacement "Crank Position Sensor Bracket". My old broken one has a pin that goes into the block between the two mounting bolts. The new ones I see available do not show the pin. Is the pin supposed to press out from the old one and reused? If anyone has a bkt available, please advise. TKS.

[dship]

1 hour ago, 89REATTAJIM said:

Thanks, I figured as much. I should have clarified it's the little shock in front of the harmonic balancer.

 

 

A number of folks don't bother to replace it.  It is an engine vibration damper.  There are potential replacement dampers: Bilstein # 116 240 05 48; Stabilus SG403 004 or, 230 33036 366.  I believe they are Mercedes Benz dampers.

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, 89REATTAJIM said:

Thanks Ronnie. I now need a replacement "Crank Position Sensor Bracket". My old broken one has a pin that goes into the block between the two mounting bolts. The new ones I see available do not show the pin. Is the pin supposed to press out from the old one and reused? If anyone has a bkt available, please advise. TKS.

To be honest I don't know. Never had any experience with that.

[DS_Porter 89 Burgandy]

  The alignment pin ensures that the crank sensor is in the correct position so that the timing pulse ring does not rub or contact the crankshaft position sensor. Without the pin the adjustment can be tricky. A matchbook thickness on each side of the pulse ring is 

a good guage.

[Ronnie]

Sorry about my last post, DS_Porter 89 is right. I misunderstood the question about the pin. I thought it was about a pin in the shock absorber since you were wanting to leave yours off and I'm not familiar with the shock..

[2seater]

I have left the shock and bracket off on the last two I did. It makes it way easier to do the belt and the crank sensor alignment is much more visible. I am sure that GM added that damper for some good reason because they aren't likely to just throw money away, but I have not found a deleterious effect to the removal. If you look at the geometry of it, it must be doing something pretty subtle. The shock is centered on the crankshaft and the mounting for the bracket is only a few inches off center without any real leverage. I have seen similar setups on other cars, as well as pickup trucks but in different configurations. Regarding the '88 not having one, it doesn't have the spider type bracket on the transaxle bellhousing either, so it does make one wonder???

[padgett]

In the period GM was fanatical about vibration. A number of 91 'verts were not sold because of cowl shake.

[dship]

The small shock was introduced to reduce engine vibration.

[padgett]

Woulda thunk the balance shaft did that. Guess not enough.

[jonlabree]

That shock you guys are talking about, was put there for a reason. GM does not put doodads on their cars for looks.

If you take it off and if you drive the car hard, you can expect to have transmission problems down the road.

just-saying.