Decisions, Decisions ... SB Harmonic Balancers

[yellow rose]

When these question come up, I wonder at how all those tens of millions of standard dampers ran and rarely had problems. The big enemy of the stock ones is just the deterioration of the rubber... or chinese made replacements. That is all that worries me on new ones; the cheap manufacturers don't seem to understand or care to match the rubber durometer on a lot of rubber replacement parts.

I ASSUME most of the guys on here are performance oriented. As I've said, the rubber damper is much cheaper to produce.

Chrysler spent big $$$$ and they opted for the Fluidamper. I knew I'd never run an ATI when I was making 650ish at 8000 and we were seeing bearing issues. So I called ATI and told them the bobweight and RPM and power. They gave me an off the shelf damper.

I pulled the ATI off, beat it with a hammer so it couldn't be pulled out of the garbage and used by some cheap fool and bought a FD.

Issues done. I eventually was making over 700 at 8200 and the FD never failed.

Junk is junk at any price.

The only other damper I'd try is the Innovaters West. But I'm old enough that my R&D days are done.

 

[nm9stheham]

I pulled the ATI off, beat it with a hammer so it couldn't be pulled out of the garbage and used by some heap fool and bought a FD.

So tell me, how much did you like the ATI? LOL

 

[yellow rose]

So tell me, how much did you like the ATI? LOL

So much I refuse to install one.

If your name is Greg Anderson or Warren Johnson they build them custom. For the low life scum (especially in 1990 with a small block Chrysler) you get off the shelf junk even when they no it's not correct.

 

[nm9stheham]

I knew I'd never run an ATI when I was making 650ish at 8000 and we were seeing bearing issues.

BTW, what kind of bearing issues showed up in this case?

 

[yellow rose]

BTW, what kind of bearing issues showed up in this case?

You could see in the bearings the crank wasn't happy. I should have taken pictures but it was a long time ago. You could feel it in the car. It would go in and out of balance is my guess but ATI never offered any help.

It's hard to explain it, but you know it when you see it. I should go search and see if I find anything like it on google.

 

[nm9stheham]

Thanks.. so like premature and uneven wear or scoring?

 

[yellow rose]

The other thing was weird bolts and nuts coming loose. Never had an intake bolt come lose in my life. Also, rocker stand bolts would come loose. Which was a good learning tool because a few years later I started using a couple of cam lobes I designed (with help from a math nerd friend) that were not only power losers but valve train killers. Even with 7/16 double tapered pushrods it would beat the adjusters loose from some kind of harmonics issue.

 

[yellow rose]

Thanks.. so like premature and uneven wear or scoring?

It showed up in number 2 and 4 mostly. At first I thought the cranks was bending but after you looked at it long enough you could figure it out.

 

[Krooser]

Well in post 19, You did!

I guess it's because they have stores in Mexico...

 

[dusterdoug]

I've had TWO Summit SFI balancer failures. The rings came unbonded from the hub, for info. I will NEVER buy another one.

 

[Marcohotrod]

Chrysler=made in usa

 

[moper]

Use an SFI approved balancer if this engine is anything you really care about. The cheap stock/non SFI ones are a crap shoot and might just slip, or trash the engine.

 

[gregsdart]

I am guessing that a SFI sticker is only a guarantee they won't explode or seperate? It would not be tested beyond that ,,,,,,, too expensive I assume. So IMHO just because it gets aDD I tag, there is no guarantee it will do a good job or not slip, etc.

 

[Krooser]

I am guessing that a SFI sticker is only a guarantee they won't explode or seperate? It would not be tested beyond that ,,,,,,, too expensive I assume. So IMHO just because it gets aDD I tag, there is no guarantee it will do a good job or not slip, etc.

An SFI sticker is only a guarantee you have a sticker IMHO. Has anyone here (me included) ever contacted SFI to verify a part is legit?

 

[nm9stheham]

It says that certain test standards are met by the product, and certain 'good' materials and processes are used in the product, and certain other 'bad' materials and process are not used. And it also requires certain design features that restrain or 'contain' the inertia component from flying off.

SFI Spec is here:
http://www.sfifoundation.com/wp-content/pdfs/specs/Spec_18.1_061799.pdf