What causes a pulley to wobble?

If the fan-belt pulleys that bolt to the harmonic balancer are dismounted, bent, or distorted, it may cause the crankshaft pulley to wobble. ... Sometimes, some dirt may get trapped under the pulley. Furthermore, the crankshaft pulley tends to wobble if it isn't appropriately torqued.

1. Is a wobbly pulley bad?
2. What makes a harmonic balancer wobble?
3. How do you know if your crankshaft pulley is bad?
4. Does harmonic balancer affect timing?
5. What noise does a bad crankshaft make?
6. Should my harmonic balancer wobble?
7. How do I know if my harmonic balancer has slipped?
8. Should a crankshaft pulley spin freely?
9. What can a bad idler pulley cause?
10. What's the difference between a harmonic balancer and crankshaft pulley?
11. How do I keep my pulley from spinning?

Is a wobbly pulley bad?

The crank pulley is pretty vital and affects the smoothness of the engine. If its wobbling then its bad. You may get away for years running it this way, or it may damage the main bearings.

What makes a harmonic balancer wobble?

Noticeable Harmonic Balancer Wobble

When the rubber isolator begins to deteriorate, the balancer usually begins to separate, creating a noticeable wobble when the engine is running.

How do you know if your crankshaft pulley is bad?

The most common symptoms of a bad crankshaft pulley are engine vibration and irregular engine idle. It may also result in a damaged alternator, power steering pump, or a failed transmission if you are unlucky.

Does harmonic balancer affect timing?

Another symptom of a potential problem with the harmonic balancer is, misaligned timing marks. If the layers separate or slip, the timing marks can shift. This will make it, difficult if not impossible; to properly time the engine with a timing light.

What noise does a bad crankshaft make?

Crankshaft bearing noise is also caused by low oil pressure which damages the bearing surfaces and could eventually damage the crankshaft itself. This type of noise is usually described as a rumbling or thumping sound deep in the engine when accelerating.

Should my harmonic balancer wobble?

The harmonic balancer should not wobble at all. The heavy bolt that holds the balancer to the crankshaft snout is quite tight.

How do I know if my harmonic balancer has slipped?

There is a scribe mark on the face of the balancer you can see while it is installed. The mark is chiseled across between the center hub and the outer ring. Rotate the engine with a 3/4 wrench and look closely for the mark. If the mark on the hub is not aligned with the mark on the ring then it is slipped.

Should a crankshaft pulley spin freely?

The camshaft and crankshaft pulleys are directly attached to the engine (camshaft and crankshaft) and will only rotate if the engine is running or manually rotating the engine by placing a socket and breaker bar to the crankshaft pulley bolt. ... If you were able to rotate them bare handed, THEN you would have a problem.

What can a bad idler pulley cause?

The pulley spins against the belt wearing down both parts. This wear reduces tension which can lead to belt slippage. Even more noticeable is a cracked or damaged pulley or bearing. This damage interferes with the rotation of the belt causing torn belts, or the belt falling off of the engine.

What's the difference between a harmonic balancer and crankshaft pulley?

Similar they are both Front Crankshaft Lower Pulleys but a Harmonic Balacer has a Rubber insert damper and is weighted to help cancel out Engine vibration whereas a normal Crankshaft pulley is just a solid steel pulley.

How do I keep my pulley from spinning?

At the end of each side of the U is a pin, and a pulley has a hole on either side of it's main nut, so when you put this thing on the pulley, you can hold it to stop it turning while you loosed or tighten the main axle nut of the pulley.