My 1990 740 had the harmonic balancer replaced on the front of the engine about ten years ago. I installed a Scantech aftermarket unit instead of a Volve OEM part thinking, "what could go wrong?" Well, plenty. While replacing the timing belt last week, we found that the metal core of the balancer had disintegrated. The rubber sandwich and outer pulley was intact but the metal surrounding the crankshaft had apparently fatigued and fallen apart, damaging the crankshaft in the process. We installed a new Volvo OEM balancer and shimmed it with thin steel strips before tightening it down, but the damage was such that this fix has some potential of failing. We'll see what happens.

In my experience: the Volvo OEM part is almost always the best solution even if it costs more. Aftermarket parts are built to cheaper standards and can fail much sooner. In this instance, I think that Scantech's supplier (Chinese?) used cheap steel subject to fatigue. And fatigue it did.

The Volvo 240 OEM strut mount PN 1272455 apparently fails within a year of install. See here:

Volvo OEM strut mounts .. early Failure?
http://www.forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=315522

At the end of the article, the only lasting solution, unless someone else knows better, are the steel camber strut plates.

Hope that helps.
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.

I think that most aftermarket parts are junk period. Volvo, Ford, Honda, Chevy, Farmall, you name it. OEM parts can be much more expensive but I hate doing the same repair twice because the replacement part failed.

Greg

hi steve- good point. dont like doing a job with poorly made replacement parts then having to do the job over again only a few years later, nor do i like being reduced to poverty by clip joint dealer prices, particularly volvo which seem to be severely exhorbitant. although drying up, used oem parts from junkyards have given me good experiences although most have been with dodges. replaced the balancer in a slant six 60s dart with one from a much later model dodge. it worked fine and only $6. does any consumer protection agency supervise shoddy manufacture of foreign built car parts? chinese auto parts have almost become a stereotype.thanks tons oldduke

Hey oldduke... don't you wonder where the Volvo dealer will get that part from? Hope it's dusty and shelf-worn and not from their Classic Part supply chain?

As for the anecdote, I've got one too. Only replaced one B230 vibration damper with a new part -- the one which depends on the crank gear nub to index and 44 foot pounds + 60 degrees to torque properly -- and it was on a 940. Replaced it with a Scan Tech 14 years ago. The 940 now belongs to a brother in law who has been driving it to work every day up until he retired last month.


--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

There are 10 different kinds of people.
Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

hi arty b, yes i have wondered that exact question. interesting anecdote. good picture about how these balancers generally wreck- by the center ripping out the rubber slip joint. that seems to be caused by general deterioration of the rubber ring but in older tanks an engine that reverse fired or locked could cause it too. never heard of this latter failure in a volvo though. think im on the volvo dealers s list b/c i ask them where the part im thinking of buying was made. one of their dimbulbs told me he didnt know and couldnt find out. get a load of this another crumb told me id have to buy it to find out. must have thought he was pelosi. among the dealers i think only mercedes and bmw are bigger price gougers. lucky for me i can maintain walk away power. btw have heard many slanders about scan tech parts. seems your brother got a good one. keep up your good work. thanks tons oldduke