I had my harmonic balancer replaced about 2 weeks ago due to it loosening up. This week (approximately 500 miles later) my belts start to squeak badly. As I open the hood and check the belts, the timing belt is partially chewed and wrapped around the fan (right after the water pump pulley) and the power steering pump pulley is loose and about to fall off.

Is this something that could have happened as a result of bad work on the harmonic balancer?

I'm thinking this one should be on the shops dime.

 

The timing belt is chewed up?

Isn't the timing belt down under the timing cover so you cannot see it?

Its possible they didn't tighten any pulleys back down, or forgot one. I would definetly not drive one more inch, and I would call them.

 

Be more specific... you say you only opened the hood to check the belts. Like DC mentioned, you can't see the timing belt this way. You have to remove the timing belt cover. There are three belts that you can see just by opening the hood. Alternator, Power Steering, and Air Conditioner.

Has the nut that holds the PS pulley onto the shaft fallen off (never put back on by the shop), or it's just backed off slightly. There was no reason for them to remove the power steering pulley (or even loosen the nut) if all they did was replace your harmonic balancer, but it seems suspect that it's now loose, 500 miles after they touched the PS pump.

 

It was the PS belt that is chewed up and he Alternator belt that is loose. I didn't have enough time before the tow truck got there to check all the nuts and everything. The belts had been squeaking, but I figured it was just the normal belt squeaking like I had before.