The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Harmonic balancer question

I have an old balancer off a 292 that was in a C-60 truck. HUGE balancer pressed into a 3 belt pulley. The balancer is almost as wide as the pulley.

The balancer has been damaged. It has a split as if it were struck with a large sharp object (I'm sure it happened when the engine exchange shop removed it. Should I find another balancer or would I be able to get away with using this one? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a Fluidampr or anything of that nature. Would I be okay getting a balancer off another used 292?

Thanks!

Don't use a damaged balancer. Period.

Either ship it to a rebuilder, such as damper dudes, or go to the salvage yard and find one that isn't cover with grease (deterioration) and is in decent shape.

I just got a new one thru a machinist. It was made in Australia. Cost about half what the Chevy dealer wanted to special order an OEM one. Just installed it today along with a fresh timing gear cover.
I wouldn't take any chances with a used one. It's too long since that first production run -- the rubber goes bad, and/or the cast iron in the mounting hub cracks. It could fly off the crank at freeway speeds and lunch thru the radiator.

Fred is right on with Damper Dudes! They are great, here is the address.

Damper Dudes
1055 Parkview Av.
Redding, CA 96001

(916) 244-7225

Ronnie

Ronnie - What are they getting to rebuild a damper? It's been a few years since mine was done.

When I first bought my truck the balancer was wobbly. At speeds over 45 mph, I had some engine vibration. I sent it to Damper Dudes to be rebuilt. After the repair the vibration was gone. Based on that, I would never use a damaged balancer..

Including the shipping it was right around a hundred bucks.

Remember the recent post from Jerry in Salt Lake City. His balancer flew apart on the road and fatally injured his radiator. The hundred bucks is cheap compared to a radiator re-core and possible engine damage due to excess vibration.

I'm on the third damper on my 292. The outer ring has never broken, but just wanted to leave as fast as they could. I now have a air conditioner pulley from a Camaro 250 on the front of the damper. The pulley will trap the balancer ring the next time one lets go. Someday I may even put a air compressor on there and make real use of the pulley.

Fred
Not sure about stock, I had them build a serpentine damper for a 235 I was experimenting with and they did it for $100.00!

Ronnie

ftyler, amen to getting that damper fixed or replaced. I had an aquaintence who was killed while driving down the road when a passing vehicle threw a damper that went through his window and hit him in the head. What a way to go!