96 outback Harmonic balancer broke off!!

[67Bronco]

My 1996 subaru outback 2.5 harmonic balancer broke off the crank shaft

 

the timing belt gear is fine w/ no dammage

 

is there a way to fix this problem? possibley drill holes into the harmonic balancer and timing gear and add expansion pins to hold it in place?

 

doin some wishfull thinkin I know

 

Thanks for any input

[Fairtax4me]

Exactly which part broke?

The outer section (the part that drives the belts) breaking loose is common and all you do is replace the balancer, assuming that it didn't grenade and take out a bunch of other stuff with it.

If the bolt came loose and allowed the balancer to start wobbling around that is also common and is a bit more involved repair but is doable.

[67Bronco]

The crankshaft that holds the harmonic balancer in place w/ the key broke off completely allowing to spin..

[Olnick]

What do you mean by "broke off the crankshaft?" Can you describe the present condition of the harmonic balancer, the crankshaft snout, the key and keyway slot?

[Fairtax4me]

Can you post a picture of it? If the crankshaft itself broke you have a serious issue there but I don't see that happening. I think you've experienced the dreaded loose harmonic balancer pulley bolt. Usually happens within a few months after someone has changed the timing belt. The bolt doesn't get torqued down correctly and ends up backing out. This lets the balancer wobble around and it chews the key and the inside of the balancer to bits.

Again, very common, lots of info about it here.

[67Bronco]

Yes this is very rare for the crankshaft snout that holds the harmonic balancer on the crankshaft completely sheard off to where the harmonic balancer is no longer attached to the crankshaft only to be held onto by the bolt itself... i have no pictures yet this incident i guess is very very rare....

[davebugs]

I think folks here are thinking it's all too common when the last person to do a timing belt or WP job is clueless about how tight the nut on the crank pulley/harmonic balancer gets torqued.

 

That's why the questions and requests for pics.

 

 

Not so much rare, as tragic due to ignorance.

[johnceggleston]

and usually correctable, and since it's a 96 is non-interference no real harm done.

[Fairtax4me]

So you're saying that the part in the center of this pic is broken off?

 

 

The whole balancer assembly does come off of the crankshaft easily when the center bolt is removed.

[Olnick]

and since it's a 96 is non-interference no real harm done.

 

The OP said it's a 2.5, john. I believe all EJ25 dohc engines are interference.

[idosubaru]

harmonic balancers do fail and allow the crank to spin within them so to speak. it's not unheard of. we can help you fix that, that's my guess as to what actually happened. all you need is another harmonic balancer. pictures will help us see how much damaged it caused and how to proceed in reattaching the new balancer.

 

i think there's a communication lapse, hence the request for pictures. communication on something like this is really tough when you only have words. be as descriptive and precise as you can because so far it's getting muddied by assumptions.

 

in the first post you say "the balancer broke off"

you're also saying the "crankshaft broke" - which is highly unlikely and confusing. those are two separate parts, both did not happen.

 

i think just the balancer broke off - the bolt is still attached to the crankshaft, holding the remaining piece of metal onto the front of the shaft right? if that's the case then this is an easy fix.

[johnceggleston]

The OP said it's a 2.5, john. I believe all EJ25 dohc engines are interference.

 

right you are, i missed that. i have 2.2L on my mind.

[Olnick]

i have 2.2L on my mind.

 

That means your mind is in the right place!