I have encountered a noise which sounds consistent with a harmonic balancer in the early stages of failure. While I know the racket is only going to get worse, what happens if I let it go? Does it just keep going until the noise drives me to push it off a cliff, or are there other forces at work that want to do me in as well?

Are you sure it is the balancer or could it be one of the other accessories?
Is it tight/running true or any slight wobble to it?
Either way, if it is the balancer or anything else for that matter I would want to replace it ASAP.
Otherwise you might be listening to Elvis shortly.." A whole lot of shaking going on"

Is it supercharged? I know the supercharger will wear the Teflon off the rotors and cause a rattel at idle sometimes.

Nope, NA.

Here is a vid of it.


It'* either the HB, or the tensioner pulley. It looks like the rubber may be blown out on the HB though, and I did have some play in the drive belt.

A quick way to tell if it'* the balancer is to pop off the belt and start it. If the noise is still there you know it'* the balancer making noise.

^ ya remove the belt as William mentioned.
I did notice though the sound is more like tensioner to me and about half to 3/4 way through video, it looked like it was moving a bit side to side.
If you have an auto stethoscope just put it on the outside on the tensioner pulley bolt...

Looks like your water-pump pulley to me, the sounds I am hearing have vibrations I can see with that pulley.
Not sure if it is the pulley, or the water-pump causing it though, I think you can buy a new pulley for like 20.00
DORMAN Part # 300934 , butthen again that pulley does not look like the same one as you have on your car, it may be a dealership part, I did find one on E-Bay though..
GM Buick 3 8L V 6 Engine Water Pump Pulley 24504931 1995 2000 AAA 3 11931 | eBay


But if it is the bearings in the water-pump causing it you will have to replace that, my money is on the water-pump bearings causing it, the pulley itself is most likely ok.
You can get a cheap water-pump, but I always recommend this AC Delco one, it comes with the aluminum framed gasket, and stamped steel impeller.
ACDELCO Part # 251718
Amazon has it cheaper than Rockauto, and they have free shipping.
This is the same one I put on my 96' PA..

Have you checked the bolts on the water-pump pulley to make sure they have not loosened up any?

A month has rolled by, and the noise has worsened. It also flung the rubber out of the balancer.

My soul dies a little every day, but the car keeps rolling.

To save myself, I am looking to get it repaired.

Rockauto offers the following prospects that I will likely use:

More Information for DORMAN 594034 $61.97
Lisle Corporation $27.79

Now, it sounds like the job is relatively straight forward. You pop the belt off, you remove the bolt, you slap the puller on, yank the old one off, you put the new one on, then lock down the bolt.

Sure, it sounds good on paper, and I know it will take an act of brute force to get the bolt out, but I am curious how effective a 1/2" impact gun would be in this situation? Or do I need to borrow a 24" breaker bar, and phone a friend? Also, is there another tool needed to mount the balancer? Or just bolt it down?

Is there anything else in the area that should be looked at while down there?

LOL, like you said, "looks good on paper".

I would go with the impact. Not some cheap off the wall one either. Use an IR. They'll rip the nuts off of Godzilla.

Installation is just like you said, tap it on with a piece of wood and use the bolt to pull it back on the rest of the way.