Hello all - ran into an issue that appears to have grown. I have done the VAP Stage 4 tune and after a bit of some time, it appears that the OEM vibration damper has worn out. Lots of wobble, terrible noise, and occasional pop. It sounds like the component has fully failed. I have tested all of the other pulleys and replaced a couple to isolate the issue. After looking through the repair manual that is floating around, it doesn't look like the damper is serviceable. The manual appears to make this statement: "The crankshaft pulley/vibration damper is not a serviceable component and must not be disassembled."

However, the manual does make mention the need to remove the crank pulley and some components that have to be replaced. Beyond that, there doesn't seem to be much guidance as to the damper itself. I am wondering if anyone has run into this issue and what the remedy is. I do not see any instructions on how to properly replace the damper and am wondering if the whole crank, and thus the engine, may be ruined as a result. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

The lower pulley and damper are incorporated together as item #2.

 

Yikes! That's not handy if not serviceable...

 

Just wanted to post a follow-up in case anyone needs it. The vibration damper is considered the full assembly; crank pulley + damper. The damper itself cannot be serviced (taken apart) unlike ones in larger applications. I always assumed none were serviceable and all had to be replaced, hence my confusion in the repair manual. If you see wobble after installing the lower crank pulley, you will need to replace the damper. It might be a good idea to go ahead and do both at the same time. I also recommend inspection of the friction washer (3), timing chain drive sprocket (4), woodruff keys (5), and the oil pump drive sprocket (8) for any damage. The main pulley bolt cannot be reused. A new one is recommended for permanent installation. You can use the old bolt to seat everything properly. The instructions for the repair, including torque specs can be found on page 4268 of the repair manual. Because of the special tools involved, it may be a good idea to have a mobile mechanic or professional shop tackle this one. I am not brave enough lol.

 

The pulley is external to the engine but those sprockets are internal. I expect that to get to them is major surgery, while swapping the pulley should only be a few hours.

 

Yes, I agree - they would be a pain. Looks like the issue has been narrowed by the shop. The aftermarket pulley has separated from itself and has completely failed. Here is a video from the shop if anyone is interested in how it failed:

 

Yikes, a whole bunch of us have the VAP lower pulley. Is there something different about the Stage 4 lower pulley?

 

Not that I can tell to be honest. Looks to be the same lower crank pulley from their website specs (as far as I gather at least). I did reach out to Velocity AP to get their feedback on the issue. I'll respond here later with their findings in case anyone needs it.

 

Just replying here in case anyone needs it. VAP is replacing the pulley with expedited shipping, which I really appreciate. Part should be here on Friday and most likely installed early next week. I'm awaiting pics of the full extent of the damage and how it failed.