Harmonic balancer temporary repair

**Sneaky** · 6th April 2018, 08:04 PM

I have a 99 Disco 2 TD5.
In may 2015 I had my alternator bearings seize - original alternator with 300 000 km's so not surprising.
I was almost home so drove it home and checked it out....The belt was broken and the harmonic balancer had the rubber in it separate from the metal so it was clacking very loudly as they do when they break.
I live 75 km's from any help or shop and no means of transport so I managed to find some old bearings that fitted from old items in my back shed so got the alternator back up and running.
I had to work the next day and couldn't miss work so I had to get it running.

After a few drinks I had an idea how to patch it. I made a template up from paper and used spray paint to mark the shape on an old bald tyre from an old Falcon. I then spent the next few hours cutting out 3 pieces of tyre with an angle grinder (more smoke than a burnout!) and a hammer and chisel for the hard corners. I ended up with 3 pieces that fitted nicely and glued them in with super glue - just to be sure - after it dried and every thing put back together it worked. I did a test drive around my block (didn't want to take on the road after the drinks) and no vibrations or any issues I could find.

It has been almost 3 years now and due to poor finances it is still in the car and running just as good as the original. It has done 144 000 km's with it like this.
I don't recommend that people try to cut up tyres to do this - lots of damage to your fingers from the steel belts etc.
BUT if some enterprising person on the forum has a balancer that is not fitted to a vehicle - they could measure it and get some old rubber conveyor belt and have it laser cut in the perfect shape.

That way you could make up a kit with 3 rubber pieces and a tube of super glue as an emergency patch for when you are in the middle of nowhere. If mine is still going that means that it would at least get you out of trouble.
It only needed the fan, belt and the weight on the front of the balancer removed to fit them - so it would be an easy roadside fix.

I hope this helps somebody.

**tommo12** · 8th April 2018, 07:25 PM

Love it..

**Graeme** · 8th April 2018, 08:18 PM

My TD5's pulley had the balancer section with the rubber bolted onto the pulley with the 3 bolts so simply removing the bolt-on section was all that was needed, which appears to be the same with your pulley. What purpose do the pieces of rubber serve?

**Bohica** · 8th April 2018, 10:05 PM

The bits of rubber, soak up the non continuous roation of the crankshaft into a smoother, more continuous, less jerky circular motion to drive the water pump, power steering etc.

**Sneaky** · 9th April 2018, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by Graeme

My TD5's pulley had the balancer section with the rubber bolted onto the pulley with the 3 bolts so simply removing the bolt-on section was all that was needed, which appears to be the same with your pulley. What purpose do the pieces of rubber serve?

When the rubber is no longer stuck to both halves of the balancer - the 2 metal halves of the balancer move and bang into each other - the rubber stops the movement and also helps with vibration. See the red arrows in the attatched picture. When it continuously bangs back and forward like that it risks breaking the pulley etc.
I also put the weight back on afterwards in case you were wondering.
Cheers

**Graeme** · 9th April 2018, 05:57 AM

Your pulley must be of different design to the ones that I had as mine were solid for the pulley with the bolt-on section containing a rubber sleeve and floating outer section.

**crash** · 9th April 2018, 10:17 AM

I will have to have a look in the shed at my spare balancer.
I had a noisy balancer, and after I put the replacement one on discovered all that was wrong was the three bolts on the balancing ring were loose.

**Sneaky** · 9th April 2018, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by crash

I will have to have a look in the shed at my spare balancer.
I had a noisy balancer, and after I put the replacement one on discovered all that was wrong was the three bolts on the balancing ring were loose.

If you have a spare one - and have the time - maybe you could do some measuring to make a "proper" template for other people to use. I know that old conveyor belt material is cheap and should be able to be laser cut so would be ideal to make these rubber parts from - also laser cutting them would ensure that they are all the same weight for balance purposes.

All I know is I wish I could have had these bits pre made as cutting them out of a tyre was a real pain.

**Graeme** · 9th April 2018, 01:45 PM

It appears that your pulley is after-market, not the original LR version.

Here is a link to one that seems to be the same as your one.
LAND ROVER DEFENDER TD5 CRANKSHAFT PULLEY AND DAMPER LHG100580 BRAND NEW 2 YR GT | eBay

**Tins** · 9th April 2018, 04:06 PM

That's actually bush mechanic ingenuity. I love it.

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