JerriVette

I was thinking since the labor to replace harmonic balancer means taking off the nose and steering rack...I might just as well pick up a used e force and have it put on ..

The car has been utterly reliable.

I wouldn't do a s/c but I'm being quoted 7 hours labor to just take out the harmonic balancer...

Should I just have some tuner put a preowned e force 549 hp setup at the same time...

I see they are selling for around 3900 dollars..used.....buy a harmonic balancer, have it keyed and pay the labor for the supercharger install..

I think most of the supercharger installation is pulling the nose and the steering rack anyway..

Right now I just get about 5 minutes of real light belt chirping first start up in the morning and then the rest of the day the belts are quiet so I'm in no real rush to fix this little birdie noise for a few minutes in the morning..

I think I've had it for awhile and if it gets worse I'll move on it...but 7 hours of labor for 5 minutes of really light chirping seems over kill..

That said...

If I'm dropping the coin for the eventual harmonic balancer should I consider a preowned e force slapped on for a light 549 hp..

My cars a 118k mile z51 manual and it's plenty fast for me...a little more wouldn't upset me although as the miles show..this is my daily driver..

Anybody think the seals etc are too old to take a light boost 549 hp e force..?

I drive in rain, snow and need the car with minimal down time...both for install and service.

I have no patience for cars sitting in some shop except for oil changes once every 6 k miles...

Be honest as I have a handicapped kid and have no time for a sports car that isn't change the oil, buy tires and add gas...

I was thinking a new rear mid engine c8 in a couple of years as the hysteria over the new rear mid engine corvette calms down to a few bucks off msrp..so I'd like this car to continue to be trouble free for the next few years..

With the miles on the vehicle already resale of course is not an issue....

I just don't want to be a slave to corvette service and repairs....part of my enjoyment of this car presently has been it's utter reliability with just proactive service on the vehicle..and the cars throwing down about 450 flywheel hp for fun..

I figured 549 hp since such a large part of the labor bill is being eaten up just replacing the harmonic balancer anyway...I'd try and find some preowned kit for sale, pay the few extra hours for the rest of the supercharger install and call it a day.

With the 549 hp kit you don't have to bother with adding fuel etc so I figured I'd keep it on the lower side of cost and overstressing the drivetrain and engine components that have 118k miles...

Would an extra hundred ponies over stress what has been an utterly reliable vehicle? I'm not getting into rebuilding anything...I don't have the patience...and would the service be good as a daily driver all year long on the east coast..

I know I'm not alone in considering this on their nice c6 s that we've owned since new or for years..

Leave the car alone or?

What say my corvette brothers..

schpenxel

I've got a 2005, 200K miles on it, ECS supercharger on it since like 150K, 13-14psi of boost, cam, meth, E85... it's fine. The motor will handle it fine if the tune is decent. But I've also done a lot of work over the years that it sounds like you have zero interest in whatsoever.

I do think a basic Eforce setup would be very reliable. Will it be as reliable as stock? Probably, but no on can say that it will be for 100% sure

If you truly want it to stay 100% as reliable as it's been so far I would leave it alone.

JerriVette

Thanks for the insight....I have just done proactive maintaince over my 118k miles..

I usually never wait for a problem to occur. If I think something is rearing its head I proactively have my tech fix whatever is needed...with the exception of this little bird chirping 5 or ten minutes that only appears at the first start up of the day..

To spend 7 hours labor to rid myself of a little AC belt chirp that lasts all of 5 minutes has me wondering should I just pick up a preowned e force and have it installed since the tech would be 1/2 the way there removing and replacing the harmonic balancer...

Probably doesn't make sense to most...but whether I spend a grand fixing a harmonic balancer or 5500 or so to have someone put a preowned e force has me thinking...

I may do nothing as the sound is so slight and doesn't actually affect the engines reliability until the sound becomes louder and more consistent...

I thought I'd keep my eye out for a 3900 dollar E force as recently sold down in Toms River nj..

I'm sure you can appreciate my slight logic....

I'm never going to wrench anything myself...and I believe your saying there are small issues that popped up from time to time that will require a more hands on approach..

Six-Gun-Todd

7 hours seems excessive to do a harmonic balancer swap....I recall the ECS method taking me 2-3 hours all said and done.

bmfvette

Have you been told that the balancer needs to be replaced? Can you physically see the balancer wobbling or tell that it has moved in any way shape or form to make your belts squeak? You may just need a tensioner. When's the last time you had the belts replaced?

You should reread your 1st and 2nd post. The answer you seek is right in front of you.

0HorsePowerAddicts

I would say 7 hours is on the extreme side also. We bill 4 hours for us to change the Harmonic balancer and some cases its done a little quicker. There are other options out there instead of a supercharger, you could do a cam and gain a pretty good bump in rwhp for about half what a supercharger would cost.

schpenxel

2-3 hours is moving, 3-4 is doable if you know what you're doing. 7 is how long it takes a GM monkey to do it

IMO

typeav

PETA would like to investigate this

schpenxel

Make that 9 hours

JerriVette

Yes...the harmonic balancer has for years looked as if it wobbles a bit for years. My world class GM tech told me for years it was within spec.

I believe we changed the tensioner and belts within the past 40k miles ..

It's not urgent to replace the harmonic balancer ...according to by GM world class GM tech...he didn't even bring it to my attention but rather I asked after the first startup of the day pickup of the vehicle and drove off and heard the light chirp..I brought the corvette back after a few miles and he said it would be a scenario of if I wanted to do it at my convenience..

Fwiw...I did a cam , gears and headers in my last corvette z06 and it made durability over 65k miles a real pain in the butt...

I wouldn't do that again..just base pd off my less than desirable ownership experience of a tuner shop that Has since gone out of business...I'm sure that had a lot to do with it...

I thought a supercharger install would cost between a thousand and $1500..

The dealer was suggesting 800 to 900 in labor to just do the harmonic balancer..

My crazy logic thought..hell I should just slap a preowned e force supercharger if my labor costs for the harmonic balancer were running so high.

I appreciate all the real world insights guys...

Seriously the little chirp for the first start up in the morning only exists for the first start up..and even then it's barely noticeable for five or ten minutes ..

It's such a non event..I can't imagine rushing to fix this...

I'll keep an eye or rather an ear on the chirp and if it becomes a continuous chirp I'll fix it..right away..

I'll double check the last time I actually had the tensioner and the belts changed...but I really don't think it was too long ago..

I'll keep an eye out for a e force supercharger pre owned and get a real quote on an installation with a preowned kit...as sometimes shops can or should get a few extra dollars for installation when the kits preowned..

I really don't need the extra power...the car is fine a small it is..

I just had a moment of time where I thought if I was spending 900 in labor to remove and install a harmonic balancer I might as well sport the extra 600 in labor to slap a preowned e force kit that cost in the area of 4 grand on the forum.

I thought I'd pass on the 599 ho it to avoid the coin to improve the fuel pump as I'm not really hungering for more power etc...and thought the 549 would justify the labor etc..

Thanks for all your insights guys..

I realize I'm not a member of the supercharger crew as many here are much more knowledgeable..than me..

Thank you for tolerating my inexperienced questions and possibly incorrect assumptions..

Have a nice evening guys.

.