Harmonic Balancer

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68 Coronet RT

68 GTS # 508 in Registry
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Anyone replace your stock harmonic balancer with a aftermarket one ? Who makes a good quality balancer around $300.00
 
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What does fair price mean? If a junk one was 10 bucks and a good was 500 why would you even waste the 10 bucks?

Doctor of thinkology, I really do believe I know the difference between a 10 balancer and a 500 dollar one. Maybe I should have worded my post a little differently so you would have understood my post. How about this, who makes a good aftermarket Harmonic Balancer around 300 bucks.
 
It will depend on your engine build. A stock build you could use a stock replacement damper. Strip car I would recommend an ATI Super Damper. Well built street build you should use a Fluid Damper. 65'
 
It will depend on your engine build. A stock build you could use a stock replacement damper. Strip car I would recommend an ATI Super Damper. Well built street build you should use a Fluid Damper. 65'
Thanks, it's nothing wild but a nice street strip build
 
Just state what size engine it is and it's use.......we can give you a better choice
 
internal or externally balanced.....dont be shy tell us what you got...lol
 
Just state what size engine it is and it's use.......we can give you a better choice
340 stock block with ported X heads, ported Edelbrock performer RPM intake. Edelbrock 650 AVS-2, Pertronix ignition system. Stock exhaust manifolds automatic with 3:73 posi gears. Hughes Engine Cam kit 518 lift 224 duration
 
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Trick Flow, TFS-19010, $175 at Summit. I just needed to clear coat it, The paint seemed a little thin!

Jeff
 
Yes I don't know why they didn't coat them with something better, but I had the clear and was really no problem.

Jeff
 
Doctor of thinkology, I really do believe I know the difference between a 10 balancer and a 500 dollar one. Maybe I should have worded my post a little differently so you would have understood my post. How about this, who makes a good aftermarket Harmonic Balancer around 300 bucks.


I was trying to find your budget. That was my point. As I've posted many times, and the reasons for it, I never use an elastomer style damper. Ever. I don't care what name is on it.

If you are willing to spend that much, I've seen some new Fluidampers for sale here on FABO. For around the money you want to spend. I'd have zero issue buying a used one, as long as the hub isn't fractured at the key way.

You can always buy a new Fluidamper Chinese knock off. I'm running one on my current engine.

The issue with ANY elastomer style damper is that it starts to loose its effectiveness almost immediately. Age, heat and use causes the rubber to break down, and with that break down, the damper loses its effectiveness. They also have a much more limited RPM range than something like a FD or an Innovators West type damper.

Chrysler spent a ton of money evaluating dampers and they settled on the FD. That should say something.

The elastomer damper was used by the factory because they are cheap to make and work well enough for an engine they knew most of the time never saw RPM's over 3500-3800. If that.

Just my .02.
 
What year is your 340, is it a 72.5 or a 73? All of 'em prior to that were internal so your choice is gonna be limited if your swinging that big old cast crank 340 damper around. FD's are neutral balanced so you cannot be using any current balance weight on the nose as it will be replaced with a neutral FD balancer. Some others include bolt on weights but they are not fluid. Pioneer and Pro-Comp come to mind but the 2 weights are for 360 and 5.9 Magnums IIRC.
 
What year is your 340, is it a 72.5 or a 73? All of 'em prior to that were internal so your choice is gonna be limited if your swinging that big old cast crank 340 damper around. FD's are neutral balanced so you cannot be using any current balance weight on the nose as it will be replaced with a neutral FD balancer. Some others include bolt on weights but they are not fluid. Pioneer and Pro-Comp come to mind but the 2 weights are for 360 and 5.9 Magnums IIRC.

1968 stock block 340
 
I think 68 is internal. Either way I have a trick flow it came with removable weight. External keep the weight, internal remove it. Be careful some of the ATI super dampeners create the pulley alignment issues.
 
1968 stock block 340
Are you using the original crank or an aftermarket crank? If it is the '68 or other early 340 crank then it is internal balance. If that is the case, the original damper can have 1-2-3 small drilled holes in the outer edge to balance it. If a later 340 crank for external balance, then the damper will have an obviously imbalanced cast-in shape on one side.
 
Are you using the original crank or an aftermarket crank? If it is the '68 or other early 340 crank then it is internal balance. If that is the case, the original damper can have 1-2-3 small drilled holes in the outer edge to balance it. If a later 340 crank for external balance, then the damper will have an obviously imbalanced cast-in shape on one side.

It's the original 68 crank
 
The 68 crank was internally balanced. 1972 model year was when the low compression, externally balanced 340s appeared. You should be using an internal balancer unless something was changed.


72 engines had lower compression and smaller intake valves, but the cranks were still forged and internally balanced. In 73 they went to cast cranks and external balance.
 
I think 68 is internal. Either way I have a trick flow it came with removable weight. External keep the weight, internal remove it. Be careful some of the ATI super dampeners create the pulley alignment issues.



YEP, Do I need a longer bolt?

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A friend of mine just went through this with his ATI dampener. He decided to have a stock pulley shortened, but I think you can go with a March pulley that is to short and add a 3/8” spacer from mancini to get the right alignment. Now his was a 440 block, but I think it still is an issue with the small blocks. March has some good info on what the stock measurement is.
 


I think the bolt for the crank is the same length. Measure from the bolt face on both and they should be the same.

IOW's, the damper is just thicker from the bolt face out. Hope that makes sense. I've never seen any damper that was thicker take a longer bolt.

Belt alignment is a different issue. You'll have to do some work to correct that.
 
I remember somebody awhile back using a pulley from an older big block Mopar. 66340SEDAN comes to mind for some reason, I think he used a FluidDamper on his 340 and that older pulley made the belts line up.

Jeff
 
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