Dave88LX

I don't know enough about these cars to give him a good answer, so I wanted to run it by you guys.

Kid across the street has this '97 Civic EX. I've helped them fix a couple things on it. Asked me to look at a thrown belt. Crank balancer is wobbly as hell. I get under the car and it's loose. Back out the crank bolt to take a look at it. Key is gone. To test, I can't tighten the bolt tight enough to make the balancer stop wobbling. As if something's worn or ground down between the crank and balancer. I don't know enough about these particular cars to know how it all works.

I told them I would just get rid of it for whatever they could get. Yesterday they asked if they should buy a replacement crank pulley for it because they wants to get it driveable. I said I doubt it, but that I'd ask my Civic smart people.

Looks to me like the keyway on the crank is broken out too. I'm thinking there is too much material ground away and the bolt his bottoming out. I'm pretty sure the answer is "Take the first offer you get."

Thanks.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UvA...ature=youtu.be

ezone

^That looks uuuuuugly. ^

Looks like the balancer is trash, for one.

Looks like it has possibly eaten into the surface of the crank timing gear, as evidenced by the stepped appearance of the gear area where the balancer would make contact with it.
And the plastic timing cover looks melted like the balancer had moved inward to rub it.

My biggest concerns would probably be

What happened to the bolt, who left it loose? Any thread damage?

Is the timing gear fit now loose on the crank snout? Has its key and keyway been compromised?

Is the crank snout now worn down where the balancer has been slipping/spinning? The balancer can't have wobble upon installation, it must spin straight and true, and round (not off-centered).

If the balancer area of the crank snout isn't worn down from letting the balancer spin, just how much damage is there in the keyway? All it's really gotta do is keep it all lined up until the bolt is tight. The important part is the timing gear (unless someone really needs to retime the ignition).

At work, to make this a job that can be guaranteed, it would probably need a crankshaft, balancer, timing gear, cover, and all the other parts to do the job, and would probably be cheaper to just plop another used engine in it.

HTH?

Dave88LX

That helps tremendously, thank you. I already advised them to just get rid of the car for whatever they can get for it. It's not worth the bill to have it fixed, and they don't have the mechanical ability to fix it themselves.

Who left the bolt loose?

Probably the same people they bought it from who changed the timing belt.

Neighbor's ad:
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/4566173032.html


That air filter tube and timing cover alone would have made me RUN from that car. Judging by everything else under the hood, I would not vouch for the quality of the repair work on that timing belt replacment.

ezone

Wow.

I guess that just goes to show, one wrong person with a few wrenches can make an entire car completely worthless in a very short time.

Poopies

iTrader: (4)

Funny, I don't see anything about the pulley in that ad...

ezone

....


1+1+1=?





You're right though, nary a word about it.