I need help. Drive belts pulley issue

P

powersandlorimer

New member
Hi,

Let me preface this by saying I'm not much of a mechanic or car person.

I started my 1997 Toyota 4Runner today. I heard a loud noise like a card in bicycle spokes. I shut the engine off and popped the hood to take a look, down near the center of the fan, the center piece of one of the pulleys had come completely loose and the fan was grazing it when it rotated. I pushed it back in place and started the engine again to see if that would get me to the garage, but I heard the same noise and a thud - the thing fell straight out. Pictures here:

https://imgur.com/a/H65Ia

I'm wondering three things - 1, is it safe to drive without this piece a short distance to the garage? 2, I just had the rack and pinion replaced, could this have been tinkered with during that process? 3, what is this piece?

Thanks so much, I appreciate the help!
 
Register to hide this ad
powersandlorimer said:
Hi,

Let me preface this by saying I'm not much of a mechanic or car person.

I started my 1997 Toyota 4Runner today. I heard a loud noise like a card in bicycle spokes. I shut the engine off and popped the hood to take a look, down near the center of the fan, the center piece of one of the pulleys had come completely loose and the fan was grazing it when it rotated. I pushed it back in place and started the engine again to see if that would get me to the garage, but I heard the same noise and a thud - the thing fell straight out. Pictures here:

https://imgur.com/a/H65Ia

I'm wondering three things - 1, is it safe to drive without this piece a short distance to the garage? 2, I just had the rack and pinion replaced, could this have been tinkered with during that process? 3, what is this piece?

Thanks so much, I appreciate the help!
Click to expand...

Wow. ok. That's a 1st. Is that off the front of the lower pulley, which is actually the harmonic balancer. It kinda looks like the balancer separated. I believe they have some hard rubber or something in them and are fused together. Yours looks to have broken that bond (I think) Nonetheless, that balancer/ pulley is one piece and should not separate into pieces.

Definitely not safe to drive.

Not caused by the rack and pinion replacement.
 
[MENTION=107674]JRZEE2000TR4LTD[/MENTION] What would happen if I attempted to drive it a few blocks? Am I looking at a tow?

The part (harmonic balancer...) has a rubber seal around it that's deteriorated. And yeah, it kind of seems like it separated and popped right out. Actually when I pushed it back in, I tried duct taping it to hold it in place, but the tape didn't hold.
 
powersandlorimer said:
[MENTION=107674]JRZEE2000TR4LTD[/MENTION] What would happen if I attempted to drive it a few blocks? Am I looking at a tow?

The part (harmonic balancer...) has a rubber seal around it that's deteriorated. And yeah, it kind of seems like it separated and popped right out. Actually when I pushed it back in, I tried duct taping it to hold it in place, but the tape didn't hold.
Click to expand...


Honestly, I don't know. Doesn't look like it is held on by the pulley bolt so it looks tight. Belts look like they're still in place. Maybe the crankshaft will be imbalanced. I really don't know. If you're just a few blocks from the garage then the tow wouldn't cost that much. If it were me, I might tow it but I'm only looking at a couple pictures on the internet. If you bugger your crankshaft, you'll need a new motor.
 
If you did not have far to go and you drove at low rpm's I'd drive it if getting it towed was a problem.

I'm guessing it's been slightly of out balance for short while anyway.
 
I'm no expert, but I wouldn't run the engine if the harmonic balancer wasn't "in balance". I would think that would transfer a vibration (no matter how small) through out your whole crank \ engine and wear on bearings, seals, and anything that needs to have tight tolerances.

Input anyone?
 
I wouldn't run the engine like that, (just me) You could chance it, but just know you are at risk for serious damage.

Good news, not a hard or expensive job to repair it. Just need a new harmonic balancer.
 
Ya I wouldn’t recommend driving it like that. That’s really strange that the rubber got that bad to completely separate like that. Did you have any prior warnings before it came completely off? Vibrations felt through the cab or just the bike spoke sound when it actually came off?
 
They do fall apart from time to time. Sometimes it happens because a dufus attempts to remove the high-torque crank bolt using a pulley holder with too short pins to engage the HB. They need to be long enough to engage the metal holes in the disk at the rear that is keyed to the crank. If too short, it becomes a tool for breaking the rubber part into two pieces. Then it's only a matter of time until it self-destructs on the road just as yours did. When was your timing belt/water pump done, and who did it?

I would not drive it like that. It might well survive the trip--but if it doesn't belts at speed may wrap around things and loose sheaves may destroy your radiator.
 
If you take off all the belts and the pulley, you can can start it and drive it a bit (couple minutes). Though, you won't have a charging system or power steering. The water pump is driven by the timing belt, so your motor will be fine. You'll want to charge your battery after moving the truck.

-Charlie
 
phattyduck said:
If you take off all the belts and the pulley, you can can start it and drive it a bit (couple minutes).
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing if it was my rig. Using a tow truck would be the proper way of moving the truck. Or having a friend to pull you would be good too. But sometimes that way is too expensive or not feasible.
Taking all the drive belt off and moving it would be my next option.

The Jeeps 4.0L harmonic balancers are notorious for coming apart like my jeep did. Not so much more for Toyota, but...it does happen.
 
I had a harmonic balancer separate on another vehicle of mine once (it's actually called a torsional vibration dampener) but I didn't see it because it as concealed under a fancy dampener cover - took me a little bit to figure it out but once I did I replaced it and all was well again.

It's not ideal to drive it like that but it won't ruin the engine if you're just going to get a new one real quick or drive it to the shop in town. I would avoid highway speeds though.
 
I got the new balancer and am planning to have it towed to the shop I normally go to. I read on other posts it needs to be bolted at 217 ft lbs, but I asked my mechanic if he had the tools to match the torque and he said he doesn't. Should I just have him replace and then drive to a dealer and have them torque it to the right spec? [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] [MENTION=28808]psraff[/MENTION] [MENTION=139000]phattyduck[/MENTION] [MENTION=95183]octanejunkie[/MENTION] [MENTION=107222]HiLife[/MENTION]
 
octanejunkie said:
If your mechanic can't torque something to spec, find another mechanic
Click to expand...

Werd.

That said, what you propose would work for the job you need right now. I just can't envision a real mechanic without a torgue wrench that will do 250ft-lbs. I would hesitate using him for anything really critical.

I would love to hear the comments at the dealer when you bring that one in.
 
Last edited:
powersandlorimer said:
replace and then drive to a dealer and have them torque it to the right spec?
Click to expand...

I'm hoping the shop you always been going to was being sarcastic with you saying that they don't have the proper tools to torque balancer bolts. Then again why would they say that to you? Nowadays 217 ft pounds of torque and higher for a car's torsional harmonic balancer bolt is the norm. I find it hard to believe they don't have that basic tool.

It's not advisable to drive you car if the bolt hasn't been torqued properly, the bolt will work loose and drop the harmonic balancer, balancer bolt, belts and lower timing gear somewhere along the road.

I'm hoping they were joking with you. Find another place to go to have your balancer replace if they wern't joking.
 
[MENTION=107222]HiLife[/MENTION] He definitely wasn't joking. He said "I don't have a wrench that can torque to 217 ft lbs. Best bet is the dealer. No one will have that tool but the dealer." The same guy was pushing me to buy the OEM balancer from the dealer which was nearly $600.

I actually wrote this place off ages ago after they replaced my power steering pump and then a few days later my rack and pinion started leaking...seemed too coincidental. I've been going to a great shop in Long Island since but I'm in a pinch and can't tow that far. I think I'll ask around as I just moved to a new neighborhood, hopefully find someone else that has a proper wrench. Might get a street cleaning ticket in the process but probably better than another total hack job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 283 (members: 0, guests: 283)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,311
Messages
3,554,082
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top