When in doubt, SHUT IT DOWN! (long post)

Posted by Darren in TN on September 20, 2003 at 07:01:02 from (67.32.196.220):

Good morning, all.

I realize this is a bit off-topic since this is really a truck story (which occurred just last night), but I think everyone can learn a little something from it.

I was driving home late last night in my 86 Bronco and started hearing a very light tap, like a fan blade tinking against something. There was no place to pull off, so I slowed down to about 40mph and drove another 2mi to a place I could pull well off the highway. By that point the 'tink' had become the loudest knock I'd ever heard. Sounded like the engine was coming apart, even at idle. I shut it down and looked it up and down with a flashlight. Finally found the source of the knock-- the harmonic balancer had come almost completely apart. I had my wife get the part, then spent a couple hours replacing the balancer. When I got it off I found that the outer weighted drum had slipped off the inner drum (which is held fast to the crankshaft with a VERY heavy bolt) and recessed far enough to literally mill a 1/4" deep x 3/4" tall x 2"long notch into my timing cover. We had debated trying to drive it home so I could work on it there, but in hindsight even an extra mile or so would have spelled disaster for my timing cover and who knows what else. So the moral of the story is if it sounds or feels a little bit off, shut it down and find out why! Those extra hours spent may save you a lot of money, pain, time, and even a little skin off your neck. Y'all be safe out there.

There's a picture of my balancer linked to this post-- it's about 90kb and will take a little while to load. Wish I'd gotten a photo of that timing cover, too.

Darren

• Photo of my harmonic balancer

Follow Ups:

• Re: When in doubt, SHUT IT DOWN! (long post) Dale in IN 15:06:11 09/20/03 (0)
• Re: When in doubt, SHUT IT DOWN! (long post) Chris Brown 15:00:29 09/20/03 (0)

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