vibration dampner question

[K5dreamer]

hey all, ive been reading that the 6.2L and 6.5L diesels have a known problem with the harmonic balancer (vibration dampner) coming apart and causing crankshaft failure. Is this a serious enough problem that it would be worth getting an aftermarket unit as a preventative measure? or should i just keep an eye on it and wait for visible signs of failure before replacing it?

 

[454k30]

if its coming apart then it is probably not something you can monitor without pulling it off and checking it for cracks, maybe even having someone do a dye penetrant inspection. I would say that if you are truely worried about this buy a new one and replace it. If there is a window of failure, say 40-50k miles then replace it that often. I am not personally familiar with this problem but I sure would rather replace a balancer every so often, rather than a whole crank.

 

[u2slow]

Some 6.5TD info is here:
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140023

From my understanding the balance on the 6.2L is the same, so it may just be a matter of updating the accessory drive to serpentine.

I am researching these vibration issues more lately since having smashed the clutch in mine 2 weeks ago.