I just received the Pro Products Powerforce+ 90012 balancer for my engine and what a severe disappointment. The little moisture pack inside the carton broke open and ground the paint on the damper, looks like somebody dragged it in the gravel. Missing the loctite tube also. Paint is micro thin, and the etch marks for timing marks are only lines in the paint, doesn't look like it would stand years of use, I can easily scrape it off with a fingernail. Sending it back for a refund. Not impressed for the money even if it was undamaged. Has anyone fitted the much better appearing Pro Race brand for the earlier xternal balance 360 on a magnum? They mention theyre not for magnums but I figured with some calculations and figuring it may be possible to machine the external bolt-on weight down to the correct weight for a magnum, or are there other options besides an OEM type?
Quality Harmonic Balancer Options
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cryplydog
Well-Known Member
I like BHJ Products balancers for several reasons and 1 is the cost and they are American made.
Divenut
Well-Known Member
I recently installed a ProStreet balancer on the 340. Seems like a decent product.
Pat
Pat
Does that one for the 340 also have the removable weight on the back inner hub?
Divenut
Well-Known Member
My 340 is internally balanced, so this one doesn't have the weights. But they do offer a model for the externally balanced LA.
Pat
xLURKxDOGx
"An angel fat, at satan's feast"
Same one I've got on my magnum and Commando, nice product.
Plymouth 65
I'll be in the shop
I
I would not recommend you "TRY" to modify the external balance mass. That balance mass is sized and located so the the center of gravity is established from a specific point and angle on the crankshaft. I have designed a few of these types of dampers. If you get it wrong, you will end up with vibration and high stress in the crankshaft. Not sure what your build is performance wise, but I would recommend a Mopar Performance or one of the better brand name dampers. 65'
Plymouth 65
I'll be in the shop
One additional note, I see that is a viscous damper. Just FTI, viscous dampers cannot be balanced or balance checked as an assembly. You can only balance the components prior to assembly. Viscous damper inertia rings are free floating with clearances for the bearings. Also, the silicone fluid fill is not 100% of the volume. The silicone will not be evenly distributed which effects the balace. When the damper is spinning the inertia ring will self center and silicone will distribute evenly. Fluid damper and CAT make good dampers but are pricey! 65'
That is something to consider and research further, the particular race pro model is the sport version, 34278, elasomer bonded, solid outer ring, specs say it comes with the removable weight for external balance pre-magnum 360, or the weight can be removed for neutral balance. So the setup options and weight attatchment is the same as the pro products version, it just doesn't have the extra weights for the magnum or others. I weighed the Pro products balancer with no weights (neutral) then weighed each weight w/attachment bolts by themselves. Theres .06% difference between the pre-magnum weight and the magnum weight. The idea is to machine the removable weight down
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WSUTARD
Well-Known Member
I just installed this one on my 340 as well. Seems like good quality.
We used an SFI on Eddie's 340 that was nice... Came with the weight on the back for the 360, you just unbolt it for the 340...
They do look nice!
ATI Superdamper. Expensive but worth the money. Used one on my mini-stock Ford race motor for years. Went from a rebuild every season to a rebuild every other season, and bearings showed next to no wear. Engine ran much smoother and got more RPM under race conditions.
bdusted440
Well-Known Member
the magnum engines are internally balanced remember that. Or I think the proper term is neutrally balanced.
Actually, ATI makes one for internally balanced small blocks.
The magnum is external balance and as far as the various external balance aftermarket balancers with bolt-on weights go, it has its own specific weight, and the early 360 and the cast 340 each use specific weights. As far as I've seen only the low quality Professional Products versions come with the three different weights. Pretty sure I'm going with the Pro "Sport" version w/ modified weight.
The Pro Race external balance damper comes with a weight for the pre-magnum 360, it weights .92 lbs. One can also buy a weight for magnum 360's, it will bolt to that balancer, and weights .56 lbs. You can also run that balancer with no weights, for neutral. For whatever reason the Pro Sport version for external balance also uses a weight of .92 lbs for the pre-magnum 360, or you can run it with no weight for neutral balance. Probably will call them to find out why they don't offer a .56 weight for magnums......
bdusted440
Well-Known Member
if you put a la external balance torque converter in it will shake the car apart. ask me how I know.
replicaracer43
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Magnum 5.2s are neutral ballance, 5.9 magnums are external ballance and the weight as noted, is different from the LA 360
bdusted440
Well-Known Member
same flex plate on both. 318 mag and 360 mag don't have a la weighted torque converter. they use neutrally balanced torque converter. was not talking about harmonic balancer.
replicaracer43
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It's NOT the same flex plate on both, the 360 magnum is EXTERNAL ballance and has a weighted flex plate. I never said anything about the convertor
I guess for this particular thread I should have mentioned what the engine is! 408 stroker that requires a 93-up 360 magnum balancer, and a pre-magnum weighted flexplate so I can use a neutral convertor. The flexplate is no problem. The balancer is another thing. The one on eBay for $68 not gonna cut it, the MP one is on backorder and way too much for what it is, the two Pro Products models would work but Im not impressed with the China quality, Magnum Mopar version I havent heard or seen anything on quality level, and then there's the $360+ Pro Race version that would be nice but out of my price range. So the Pro Sport it is, and the heavier removable weight it comes with will be machined down to the correct weight for a 360 magnum.
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