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Re: crankshaft pulley Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: crankshaft pulley, bg, Mon, 11 Jun 2001 09:17:42 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The ring doesn't seal anything. The other name for the main pulley is the 'harmonic damper'. There is an inner and outer section of the pulley, with a rubber ring sandwiched in the middle. This rubber section damps out vibration, and the engine runs smoother. This trick is done by a lot of manufacturers. One problem is that over time, the rubber disintegrates, and the inner and outer sections can rotate independently. The usual first symptom is an amazingly loud squeal at startup that goes away after a few seconds. The squeal goes on longer and longer each time. If the rubber ring dies, the outer section of the pulley can back into the engine, which is actually the oil pump. It can chew through the face of the oil pump with disasterous results.
One trick (as aero guy says) is to draw a chalk or paint mark across the face of the pulley. Start the car up a few times, and see if the line is still straight across. If the inner and outer sections have shifted any, replace the pulley. If not, just keep an eye on it. It *is possible* for the pulley to come apart with no warning, but usually you get the startup squeal, and you'd definately see some shifting of the paint mark.
The pulley failure does happen, but not every day. I've replaced two pulleys on my cars, one at 80K on a 9000 and another at 120K on a 900. But I had a 9000 with 140K and the original pulley. So I'd just keep an eye on it. If you do replace the pulley, you might as well replace the main oil seal directly behind it. And if you're doing the main oil seal, you might as well replace the oil-pump O-ring (seals the oil pump to the timing chain cover). This adds around 40 minutes to the task, but it's worth it.
Good luck!
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