BrawnyDog

The pulley popped off the harmonic balancer.
I've already removed the old one, as I'm putting on the new one do I need to replace the keyway? The one on there looks just fine, and I don't want to booger it up by removing it and damaging anything. Can I get away with not replacing the keyway?

dzywicki

Been there, done that. I have seen the damper come apart on two different cherokees. The rubber separates and the pulley comes forward. I was able to get them off without removing radiator by working from underneath. It's a pretty cheap part and worth replacing on any cherokee that is still on the original. I need to do it on my wife's 99 before it separates on it's own. Seems like preventative maintenance on any cherokee at this point. I think I used the Dorman one: part #: 594-018.

agreen

You don't really need to replace the key. I think mine came with a new one, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. Unless it's chewed up because the hub was loose, it doesn't really wear.

BrawnyDog

while there is no doubt that I have an exhaust leak, it turns out that that noise that was under the hood was the harmonic balancer the whole time. The thing now sounds like it came off the showroom floor.
thanks guys, I appreciate all your input.

Roler

Yep. Bad pulleys can cause the weirdest noises, including where it seems to come from.
Thanks for coming back with the confirmation.