As the title says, my wifes 99 ws6 balancer appears to be on its way out after 140k miles. Noticed a belt squel and thought it was the ac pulley/tensioner. While looking I noticed the balancer has a wobble to it. Took the ac belt off and squel was still there.

So my question is, what to replace it with? I feel a $400+ ATI is alittle overkill. Any good "OEM" Brands or maybe a "step up" from oem without going past $200? I'm not looking to go underdrive or anything like that.

 

Sent you a pm.

 

Jegs brand: black label PowerBond.

 

Be careful with getting aftermarket balancers. If I'm not mistaken you will have to rebalance the crank if you get a certain kind of aftermarket balancer. I could be wrong but that's just what I've heard on certain builds.

 

Never overkill when it comes to engine harmonics. I would buy the ATI anway and when next time comes around just send it to ATI for a rebuild.

 

On my LS swaps I use a stock replacement from NAPA. Never had an issue.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I will bookmark this post. I think I was jumping the gun alittle on top of being alittle paranoid.

I ended up taking the ac belt off and the squel went away. I thought I replaced the 2 pulleys and belt when she got the car but after pulling the belt and seeing the horrible condition it was in.... it was obvious they were all shot. I'm still keeping an eye on the balancer and I'll look into that jegs brand as well.

 

I use a Fluidampner in all my cars.....it does not get much luv here.....but I think it is the best available

 

I don't think you need a new balancer, sounds like the squeak was pulley or belt related (which is quite common at that mileage). There are two idler pulleys and two tensioner pulleys, and all four are very prone to making noise as they age and the grease wears off their bearings. This is the usual source for belt system squeaks on these cars.

 

what?

 

I used the powerbond 25% balancer for the 01SS

 

You could be wrong because you are wrong. So you propose a full teardown any time you replace the crank damper?
BTW they're not called balancers because that's not what they do, at least in the case of LS engines. The fact that they're normally NOT keyed to the crank should make this obvious.

 

I kinda wondered about this whole deal from the first time I saw it.

It's a YYYYYYYUUUUUUUUUUUUJJJJJJJJJJJJJJE leap of ... something ... to get all the way in one mighty leeeeep from "belt squeals" to "what brand of damper". That's like, "I coughed yesterday" to "Doctor give me a lung transplant NOW I'm dying of tuberculosis should my new one come from a male or a female donor" all in one breath. (or lack thereof)

OP: Have you tried the simple stuuuuuupidd stuff people without a brain like me, that have to take things LOGICALLY and RATIONALLY and IN ORDER and ONE STEP AT A TIME, do when our belt squeals? Check it for tightness? Listened to everything about it with a piece of heater hose stuck in your ear to see what's ACTUALLY "squealing"? Take it off and make sure all the things it drives - WP, alt, tensioner, idler, PS pump, AIR pump - turn freely? Looked at alignment (which a bad tensioner or idler can throw wack)? Tried a new belt?

Reminds of the people with "mystery coolant leak" jumping straight to "what brand of head gasket is best" before they even see if their hoses are still any good.

 

Chirp, chirp, chirp....Squeak, squeak, squeak..... A Continental Multi V-Belt eliminated all of that on my car like magic.

 

Gotcha, my mistake.

 

I had good luck with Powebond. They used to be a popular upgrade around here 10-15 years ago.

 

I have an ATI on my engine, they do usually require a "hone to fit" though.

 

I've seen where it states this in the instructions but so far I've installed one on an LS1 and a Callies dragonslayer without having to do this.

 

Mine took a few passes with a good cross buff, just enough to take the coating off the ID and was good to go(Callies Compstar). I have seen a couple that needed a GOOD hone, nothing that needed a lathe or mill though.

 

I did. I made a post above but I tried the belts first. When I took the ac belt off, squel went away. I thought I replaced the pulley/tensioner/ belt when the wife got the car but when I got under there...nope.... it looks prettier old. So I ordered the parts.