can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

I've done a compression test with good results and ran all codes and only get a few emissions codes and the car runs really rough at idle but makes stable vacuum and also revs up sorta bad (sounds like hesitation but still revs freely).

anyway, I've had a HELL of a time trying to time the engine as the balancer marks were way off. I assumed the outer ring had possibly slipped and confirmed it today when I took everything off to get to the balancer and when I put my HANDS on the outer ring it came off the center ring...by hand...1/2" lol. I believe that's a telltale sign right there. anyway, I just about broke my left middle finger trying to get the balancer off without a puller [:'(]so I'm done for the day trying that until I go pick up a puller tomorrow.

anyway, when trying to time the engine, the marks were almost 120* degrees off from where they were supposed to be. Would the outer ring being off by this much cause the car to run so badly?? considering how they are balanced it honestly makes me think this is highly possible but I just wanna make sure.

RE: can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

being off it would cause a vibration..replace it and retest it and why in the heck would you ever try and think you can pull the balancer off by hand??:eek:no if ands or buts always need a puller!! good luck and ice that hand!!;)

RE: can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

lol, you wouldnt imagine the luck I've had with balancers and being able to just grab them and slip them off the snout :Duntil...this time :(

RE: can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

^^^^^I've never been able to do that on a ford 302;)

RE: can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

Just did mine yesterday and I didn't plan on it slipping off, but with ratchet on the puller it was off in minutes. When mine went bad the timing was not reading correctly, but was not wobbling. A couple days later I noticed mycar was shaking at idle, i popped the hood and the balancer was wobbling around causing the engine to shake.

RE: can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

I couldnt stand it, had to go buy a new balancer and puller setup. I got the old one off and compared it to the new one and it was off by at LEAST 120 degrees. tossed the new one on and as soon as I cranked the engine up it was glass smooth and took me about 10 seconds to correctly set the timing at 10 btc.

car runs SOOO good now, couldnt be happier lol. I thought it was the balancer all along but it wasnt until I pulled on it today and it did what it did, that proved it to me :)

RE: can harmonic balancer cause rough idle?? revving??
 

good job!! glad to hear it's fixed:D