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I own a 2011 A6 Grand Sport Convertible. Mileage is currently 47,500 miles. I recently had the coolant flushed and replaced, brake fluid flushed and replaced and the rear differential fluid drained and replaced at my local Chevy dealer. The work was done by their Corvette specialist who has been there for 20 years. I trust them with this type of work and get the correct GM OEM fluids. As normal they do an inspection and come up with additional work they suggest that should be done. Their Corvette specialist said my harmonic balancer is wobbling more than it should be and suggested I have it replaced. Quoted $1,750.00.
I took my Corvette to a local Corvette specialist shop that I have had work done before to get a second opinion. They inspected it and confirmed that the outer ring is starting to separate from the inner ring and suggested that I have it replaced. They said there is no rush but recommended to have it done. They are ok with me providing the harmonic balancer, which would be a Power Bond PB1117N and an ARP bolt. What is the part number of the ARP bolt? Where is the best place to buy the Power Bond harmonic balancer and ARP bolt? Is Amazon an acceptable source? The Corvette specialty shop cost is $1,100.00 if I provide the harmonic balancer and ARP bolt. They will be replacing the front main seal.
Id get everything from summit personally I'd avoid amazon. 1100 sounds pretty high still for the install. 21CMS here in dfw did mine for 600 a few years back (4 hours labor).
If you already have the balancer and bolt, that's one thing. If you don't, I'd get whoever you decide to go with to provide a quote that includes the balancer and bolt of your choice. Then if their price for the parts is pretty much what you could get them for, why take the risk of providing them yourself? Been down this road too many times with the installer blaming the parts that I provided when something goes off the rails.
If you already have the balancer and bolt, that's one thing. If you don't, I'd get whoever you decide to go with to provide a quote that includes the balancer and bolt of your choice. Then if their price for the parts is pretty much what you could get them for, why take the risk of providing them yourself? Been down this road too many times with the installer blaming the parts that I provided when something goes off the rails.
The Corvette speciality shop wants to put in an OEM GM balancer. I asked them why with all the reported failures and problems with them. They said they have had good luck with them and no complaints or reported failures from owners.
The Corvette speciality shop wants to put in an OEM GM balancer. I asked them why with all the reported failures and problems with them. They said they have had good luck with them and no complaints or reported failures from owners.
Why would they replace a bad designed balancer with another bad design balancer, oh wait a minute, you’ll be back again sooner or later.
Go with Summit, ARP bolt and oil seal and that will be the last time for that.
So the ‘specialty’ shop inspects your OEM balancer and determines that the inner and outer ring are starting to separate and then want to replace it with another OEM balancer because they have had no reported failures from owners. Except they agree yours is failing. What’s wrong with this picture?
So the ‘specialty’ shop inspects your OEM balancer and determines that the inner and outer ring are starting to separate and then want to replace it with another OEM balancer because they have had no reported failures from owners. Except they agree yours is failing. What’s wrong with this picture?
No problems or reported failures with the new OEM balancers they installed after removing the original OEM balancers.
If you already have the balancer and bolt, that's one thing. If you don't, I'd get whoever you decide to go with to provide a quote that includes the balancer and bolt of your choice. Then if their price for the parts is pretty much what you could get them for, why take the risk of providing them yourself? Been down this road too many times with the installer blaming the parts that I provided when something goes off the rails.
This is how I am looking at it. I get a 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty. I typically put on 6,000 - 8,000 miles a year on my Corvette. I live in Wisconsin so my Corvette goes into storage for 5-6 months a year. That means that I will most likely have a 6-7 month warranty while I am actually driving my Corvette. I would assume if I buy the balancer that the balancer itself would not fail in 6-7 months. If it was installed wrong, the Corvette speciality shop would be responsible for the labor (90% of the cost) to replace it. Don’t see much downside for me providing the balancer.
Buy what you want ... but DON'T replace your wobbling OEM harmonic balancer with another replacement piece of **** OEM balancer.
I have no intention of doing that. I have read so many forum posts regarding C5 and C6 harmonic balancers, that my eyes are bulging out of my eye sockets. The consensus is if you are using your Corvette for cruising and pleasure driving only, the PowerBond PB1117N is the one to buy.
I got the Fluidampr as per the request of my mechanic. Paid a little more for it, but he said it’s pretty much among the best and I will never have to do it again. I did all the pulleys and tensioners while he was in there. It was a bit extensive and a little costly but, like I said, I will never have to worry about it again. Once I saw the horror videos about the balancer, I was afraid to drive the car. That was no way to live. I don’t even think about that thing anymore now.
Why do I need a race performance balancer when I only drive my car for pleasure?
Because the OEM style went bad while using the car for street use. I just did this and went with the Summit racing balancer so I would never have to do it again. "Bullet proof, heavy duty, etc". You are spending > 1K on installation, why wouldn't you do it?
I own a 2011 A6 Grand Sport Convertible. Mileage is currently 47,500 miles. I recently had the coolant flushed and replaced, brake fluid flushed and replaced and the rear differential fluid drained and replaced at my local Chevy dealer. The work was done by their Corvette specialist who has been there for 20 years. I trust them with this type of work and get the correct GM OEM fluids. As normal they do an inspection and come up with additional work they suggest that should be done. Their Corvette specialist said my harmonic balancer is wobbling more than it should be and suggested I have it replaced. Quoted $1,750.00.
I took my Corvette to a local Corvette specialist shop that I have had work done before to get a second opinion. They inspected it and confirmed that the outer ring is starting to separate from the inner ring and suggested that I have it replaced. They said there is no rush but recommended to have it done. They are ok with me providing the harmonic balancer, which would be a Power Bond PB1117N and an ARP bolt. What is the part number of the ARP bolt? Where is the best place to buy the Power Bond harmonic balancer and ARP bolt? Is Amazon an acceptable source? The Corvette specialty shop cost is $1,100.00 if I provide the harmonic balancer and ARP bolt. They will be replacing the front main seal.
I just had the balancer replaced on my 12. Got the Summit Racing with ARP bolt from Summit for $230 total. My local shop charged me $750 for the labor plus a new belt. Total under a grand.
If you already have the balancer and bolt, that's one thing. If you don't, I'd get whoever you decide to go with to provide a quote that includes the balancer and bolt of your choice. Then if their price for the parts is pretty much what you could get them for, why take the risk of providing them yourself? Been down this road too many times with the installer blaming the parts that I provided when something goes off the rails.
Unless you really know what you're doing, let the shop buy the parts. That way, they can't blame a bad/wrong part if they chose it and bought it.
Well, I'd like to ask.
Although perhaps the best statement in this thread is to take the advice of those who have replaced...so use the Power Bond.
My question is about vibrations and balancing.
I understood the OEM balance has small plugs/ weights that are inserted into predrilled holes in the balancer for balancing the balancer to the spinning motor.
To balance, I thought one used the OEM plug location and just swap the weights over to the same position on the new OEM balancer.
I further understood the entire reason for this rubber-bonded OEM balance was to reduce NVH (noise/ vibration).
I do not recall any aftermarket balancer addressing this balancing.
My question:
Are these OEM balancer inserted weights necessary if one is concerned w/ NHV?
Without the OEM balanced balancer, is there a consensus of members that they have noticed some difference in rpm smoothness?
04-28-2023, 06:26 PM
Harmonic Balancer
