Curious crank damper/pulley movement


GT@50

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 14, 2019
1,008
Issaquah
Installing belts
Adjusted oil pump belt tension and tightened.
Squeeze belt by hand and notice the crank balancer moving, about .008.
I've never noticed this before. It's not leaking. I don't see any witness marks on the crank bolt that would indicate movement. I'm not THAT strong!
I put an 18mm socket on the bolt and gave it a light tug. Doesn't appear to be loose.
Has anybody observed this before?


vid of movement
 
Dang, that looks like real movement to my eye.
 
Interesting. If you hang the ratchet on the crank bolt, does the ratchet move as well? If so, that would indicate that the crank is moving that much as well, which, I highly doubt. Did you use a dial indicator to measure the play?
 
I'm not sure about the GT, but most crank balancers (Harmonic dampers) consist of a steel inner hub and an outer pulley with rubber between them. Is the rubber flexing?
 
When my dial indicator was on the pulley it was pretty hokey so hard to get a real measurement, I just wanted to prove to my eyes what I was seeing.
With a socket on the bolt, I think I see movement too. I'll have to get my other dial indicator to prove it though.
The oil pump drive pulley bolts inside the crank pulley. I can't see under it, and I don't see rubber for a damper outside of it. But, with the crank bolt moving......call me Superman?
 
OEM rubber isolated harmonic balancer... normal.
 
OEM rubber isolated harmonic balancer... normal.
Kinda figured, just never noticed before. Thanks