Harmonic balancers dampen vibrations between the crankshaft and the drive pulleys, keeping the engine free of excessive vibrations. Overtime, the harmonic balancer will wear, causing the crankshaft pulley to wobble. This causes the drive pulley belt to become unstable and possibly fall off the drive pulley causing your vehicle to lose power. The process of replacing a harmonic balancer should be a standard part of routine maintenance on your vehicle to prevent drive train damage.
Open the vehicle hood. Spray penetrating oil on the center mounting bolt of the harmonic balancer -- located near the front lower section of the engine block. Allow the penetrating oil to sit on the mounting bolt for six to seven hours.
Remove the drive pulley from the harmonic balancer by loosening the tension bolt located near the alternator or on a dedicated tension pulley.
Match a socket to the size of the center mounting bolt. Attach the socket to a 1/2-inch drive ratchet handle. Set the direction on the ratchet to loosen counterclockwise. Slide the socket onto the center mounting. Loosen and remove the bolt from the end of the crankshaft.
Align the two outer bolts of a pulley puller with the threaded holes of the harmonic balancer. Turn the center puller bolt clockwise to force it against the center of the balancer. Turn the center bolt clockwise with a socket attached to the ratchet handle. Remove the pulley from the harmonic balancer after removal.
Align the new harmonic balancer with the crankshaft. Thread the center mounting bolt through the harmonic balancer and into the end of the crankshaft. Tighten the center mounting bolt with a matched socket attached to a torque wrench to the torque specifications provided with the new harmonic balancer.
Attach the drive pulley belt to the harmonic balancer. Tighten the tension bolt to tighten the belt. Close the vehicle hood.
