Q: I have a bad harmonic balancer causing the serp to lose tension and Ground Control to Major Tom.

asked by on September 16, 2016

The web-app didn't give me the option of selecting the exact model of my car. It's a 1997 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series V8 Auto. I had a mechanic look at it, and he told me that he wasn't sure which size harmonic balancer I would need until he took it off (harmonic balancer, that's right up there with flux capacitor!) He showed me where the "ridges" had worn away, or fallen off (why aren't they machined out of one piece of steel?!) and explained that the ridges had simply fallen off or broke off in pieces. He then proceeded to call his go-to auto parts store and they said they had two different sizes, and the cost difference is $98.99 for one, and $59.99 for the other. Can I use either size?Here are the two sizes, for the $98.99 one: Oil Seal Diameter: 1.875 Inch O.D. - Match To Original - Crank Bore (In): 1.250 Inch and the $59.99 one: Oil Seal Diameter: 1.75 Inch O.D. - Match To Original - Crank Bore (In): 1.249 Inch. Would the cheaper one work? What's the difference?

My car has 172000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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