As I am still struggling to identify a constant vibrating of my motor and the way through my steering wheel up my arm into my brain, making me forget my wife's birthday (GUYS! This excuse actually works!)...I now HAVE to ask here again:

I removed my Dist cap, removed Sparkplug #1, Stuck mah finger in #1's hole to check for compression cycle (NOT expecting my hand to be blown back! You don't have to stick your finger into the hole to a seal. Scared the crap out of me.).
I got my woman to bumbp the engine until I DEFINATELY felt that Cylinder 1 was on compression top. Check the rotor on Distributer which also pointe at the correct mark. Check the harmonic balancer and no mark visible. Not even close to the TDC mark on the engine.

Did this a couple of time and WHEN the marks finally lined up perfectly...the rotor was not in the right position.


Due to a forced start a couple of month ago IS it possible that maybe something jumped and is out of timing now?

It does not misfire (at least I hear no loud bang besides that of my neighbors at times...and that is a bad visual), no loss of power that I can tell (the Durango is just WAITING for there to be the slightest amount of lose dirt and it wants to spin it's tires.).

Someone told me via e-mail (not from here. it was a book mechanic) that it would be my harmonic balancer and that I would need a new one.

I understand the reason for a Balancer and what it is supposed to do...what bothers me though is that the marks on the balancer AND the TDC marks on engine will not line up with the mark/rotor on the distributor.

What ARE the signs of a bad balancer?
Could the timing be off so far that the marks would not line up?

Thanks for any help and advise!

(need a mechanic in yuma, az)

 

Bad balancers can be easily confused as a misfire. Bad balancer can cause extreme vibrations from the motor easy way to tell if its a misfire or not is to have engine running then disconnect an injector connector if the engine runs rougher then reconnect connector and move to the next one if you find one that you disconnect and it does not effect how the engine is running then you have a misfire. But if they all effect how it runs then you don't have a misfire and is most likely the balancer you can check the balancer by inspecting the rubber that seperates the balancing ring from the hub if it looks pooched out any where then it is definately a bad balancer and must be replaced to prevent damage to the bearing in the lower end.

 

I will do that this weekend.
Trying to get someone in this town to check my timing as well since I just can't get all parts to align correctly.

Going to clilmb under the car and check.

Thanks for the reply.

 

The timing is computer controlled if it was off timing enough to where the computer had to correct it too much it would set a check engine light. Also if you were to try and check the timing with a timing light and the pitted ring on the balanced had slipped it would appear the timing is off because the mark would have moved.

 

Since I could never line up the rotor and balancer and a mechanic was never able to read the timing with a timing light I believe that the Harmonic Balancer has slipped causing the timing marks to be off, causing the whole vehicle to vibrate.
A closer inspection tomorrow morning will bring more to light...I hope.

More to come...