Harmonic Balancers?

[CWA1976]

What is a good balancer/dampener to use? I have Dart Little M, 350 mains, 153 tooth flex plate, eagle forged crank 3.875 stroke, internal balance. Does anyone have preferences or are there any to stay away from?

Thanks, CWA1976

[want-a-be]

ATI is second to none. Steer clear of the fluid dampners.

Don

[lun40119]

I am with Don on that one.......ATI

[luv2pla]

I just took one of the Summitt Bracket Racing SFI dampeners off my engine - in pieces. It only had about 15 races on it. I will not go that route again.

[Trmnatr]

What is a good balancer/dampener to use? I have Dart Little M, 350 mains, 153 tooth flex plate, eagle forged crank 3.875 stroke, internal balance. Does anyone have preferences or are there any to stay away from?

Thanks, CWA1976


The only options you have are ATI or ATI :D

They are the only one to use unless you like buying new parts all the time :D

[BERT]

WOW I used a fluid dampener on my previous motor and my new motor and have not had a problem.

[want-a-be]

WOW I used a fluid dampener on my previous motor and my new motor and have not had a problem.

I've seen several of these wear out the insides and the engine developed a very bad vibration. One actually took out the front of the block.

Don

[87 Silverado]

I have 3 ATI's , each for a different engine and I wouldn't take my money back for any of them.

[Awesome Bill]

If your engine is balanced correctly, you don't even need a dampener other than bolting on your accessories. Did you know we don't use them with blowers? Why not? Did you know the more belts you have on the front for accessories lessons the need for a dampener? We run stock cars years ago with just a hub TDC'd and only weighed 1lb. We always run a mechanical water pump with a big thick belt! Never seen a bearing even look like it was hurt. Fluid Dampeners are some of the best dampeners in the world and people who have used them in correctly balanced engines have no problems. I will say if they are cold, as with any fluid style dampeners, they need to be warmed up before run.

ATI is one of the best elastomar style dampeners, but so is GM, Ford, Chrysler etc. I don't like it when someone bashes a very good product when they don't know what they are talking about because they don't even understand what a dampener does! IT DOES NOT BALANCE ANYTHING, IT ONLY ABSORBS SOME HARMONICS AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN AN ENGINE CYLCE if there are any to absorb @ all. I have used the Offshore stuff like Summit has and in my entire engine building career, I have only had 3 Dampeners fail where the elastomar failed. Never seen a fluid one fail, they are sealed!

What I have seen is the press fit any where from .005 to +.005. Assembly procedures are the most common problem with Dampeners. I have even watch on Speed TV them use a larger hammer to drive the dampener on! What a joke if I ever saw one.

If you have used an ATI, you would know it is a Honed to fit procedure as with every other dampener in the world. The tolerances have to be checked at least and it most cases the .001-.002 press fit is critical. So when you bash another product, have it right. And in most cases the bashing is not justified because most of the time the assembler did not even check the installation procedure or even knew there was one!

[want-a-be]

We run stock cars years ago with just a hub TDC'd and only weighed 1lb.


IT DOES NOT BALANCE ANYTHING, IT ONLY ABSORBS SOME HARMONICS AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN AN ENGINE CYLCE if there are any to absorb @ all.

I have used the Offshore stuff like Summit has and in my entire engine building career, I have only had 3 Dampeners fail where the elastomar failed. Never seen a fluid one fail, they are sealed!



If you have used an ATI, you would know it is a Honed to fit procedure as with every other dampener in the world. The tolerances have to be checked at least and it most cases the .001-.002 press fit is critical. So when you bash another product, have it right. And in most cases the bashing is not justified because most of the time the assembler did not even check the installation procedure or even knew there was one!


How does a dampner dampen the harmonics of the engine with only the hub on it? I did that too before I learned why dampners were ran in the first place...also with zero bearing problems. But I wouldn't do it today. The harmonics are more damaging to parts like the crank then the bearings imo.


I never said that the inside of the dampner failed I was saying the press fit failed. Oh and the 2 on 1 engine was running 4 v belts and a drysump. Oh yes...I do have some nifty tools called Dail bore gauges...from about 1/4" all the way up to about 8 "s. I also use them on everyhing I put together. :rolleyes: You're not the only one around armed with a lil' knowledge.

Only one, of the many, reasons I like the ATI dampners is cause I like to hone the final press fit myself. I am pretty good at honing everything that needs it.

Oh and I wasn't Bashing any product...just giving out what I have seen myself.


Don

[CWA1976]

Thanks Everyone for the replies.
Nobody mentioned anything about the Rattler good or bad?

Thanks, Vince

[lun40119]

Never used one, have heard mixed reviews................

[want-a-be]

Thanks Everyone for the replies.
Nobody mentioned anything about the Rattler good or bad?

Thanks, Vince

The ONE I saw, the first year they came out, was tried out of a Pro Stock engine... Darrell Aldermans actually. The Dyno Cell looked like a grenage went off inside it everywhere the thing fung it's parts. Yes, I was there during that pull and saw it for myself. Pulled what was left off pressed the ATI back on and finished the Dyno session.

They may have lined out a few problems from then,...but I'd stay away from them. JMO...ATI...second to NONE!!!

Don

[Awesome Bill]

If there is nothing to absorb because of a well balanced engine, then you have nothing to worry about. V belts absorb that stuff as well as a number of things. If your engine is out of balance, a dampener will not help it live, you know that. A dampener was designed to give that really smooth feeling while riding down the road. Even new style drive shafts have them now. Any type of spinning mass will produce harmonics in certain rpms. A dampener will cushin this along with rubber mounts. This is so the drive feels nothing. Put poly mounts on any engine and your nice smooth auto now feels like it is being shook apart. Especially with a torque arm Camaro or Firebird. Why? Any one who uses that many belts on the front of a dampener with those types of rotating mass is junk asking for problems. That little snount was only designed for p/s, a/c, alter, etc.

I will say better crank material is out there as well as a BBC post with blowers and supercharger stuff. I do use a crank support where I can. But a dampener is just that, something that dampens. We use a dampener every time I cut a rotor in the shop. Same principle. To say one is better than the other is up to you. I know Warren J used Fluid Dampeners for a long time and maybe still does!

[rbrduck71]

Wow! A Little Misinformation Can Go A Long Ways, Dampners Are Almost As Voodoo As Converters!
Rubberduck