harmonic balancer

Hey guys

I'm fixing a 91' buick regal for my mom. The harmonic balancer wore out and I went to a wrecking yard to get a new one. The guy wasn't sure what year it was off of but he wanted 5 bucks and the part was already removed so I bought it. I got the old one off my moms car and noticed even though it looked the same it was different...there is a peice on the back of the pulley that looked like a counter balance of some sort so I thought it wouldn't be a problem, but it was much wider than the old peice...now the car trys to start but won't. I got thinking this counter balance peice must be what trips the crank sensor...am I right? Also I had be creative using a two jaw puller to get the part off cause the harmonic balancer puller I have doesn't seem compatible with these pulleys...is there a special one I need to get...I just need some advice...I've never worked on a DIS ignition and don't know much about them..

Thanx in advance

First of all, what engine do you have 3.1 or 3.8? There is a huge difference between the balancer on the two engines. Also, Buick went from a “Slip fit” balancer to a “Press fit” somewhere around 1989-91. The fact that the two look similar, means nothing, other than both are a harmonic balancer!
Save yourself a lot of pain and suffering and get a "NEW" balancer,
(not junk yard new):nono: and with the correct part number for the car. :grinyes:

What did the original balancer look like, pic #1, or pic #2?
BTW: Pic #3 is the type puller you need.:popcorn:
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/8484/harmonicbal31bm7.gif
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/9702/harmonicbal38ff3.gif
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8205/balancerpullergg0.jpg

sorry about that...its a 91 regal custom with a 3.8...the original looks exactly like pic 2..however the one I put on the car didn't look like pic 1 either...pic two has 4 "spokes" on the pulley, whereas the first has only three. Both balancers I have have 4 spokes...on the second pic the peice that looks kinda like a counter balance right near the bottom of the pulley is where the two balancers differ...the piece on the original pulley was not as wide as the replacement I installed...is that piece what blocks the sensor and tells the ecm what the timing is?

(http://www.harborfreight.com/) Be careful, only install the correct balancer on the crank, otherwise you could ruin the crank!
The 3.8 would use a DORMAN Part # 594005 or ATP Part # 102072
OEM part # is 25534911, 24501201
Harmonic Balancer Puller for GM 3300 And 3800 V6 Cylinder Engines (http://www.toolsource.com/ost/product.asp?sourceid=NO+SOURCE&dept%5Fid=500&pf%5Fid=90196&mscssid=X5JJC336D1K38H8ANWPQQ89RRTNH72A5)
Also available @ Harbor Freight Tools (http://www.harborfreight.com/)