What is this and do I need it??

[Keyser Soze]

A friend and I are doing a drivetrain swap in his 74 Scamp and I came upon this bolted to the bottom of the original trans. Can I just not put it back on??

 

[tyler_s18]

i think it is a balancer. idk tho. i would think if it wasnt needed ma mopar would of saved on manufacturing it and just not had it lol. but i am curious as to wat it is and what it dose

 

['74 Sport]

Is that metal or what? It might make a nice wheel chock. :toothy8:

 

[tyler_s18]

i know on my 904 that came outta the 75 scamp it was bolted to the tranny tail section after the mount on the bottom. it didnt have anything on it or look like it connected to anything and i cant remember doing anything with it when i removed the tranny. thats y i was thinkin just a weight or balancer

 

[kanders]

I've seen those before too, made out of steel right? I believe it's a vibration damper of some sort. Now a comment from somebody who actually knows something? LOL

 

[tyler_s18]

ya lol. o welcome to the site i hope you stick around and ask more questions there is a lot of knowledge here and we all like to help out. i bet someone will chime in with the knowledge u need by tommorow night:-D

 

[kanders]

Hey, I didn't notice your location. Man there are a lot of us Albertans on this site! Where are you located? Kev

 

[Badart]

It absorbs vibration from the tail shaft and drive line.

 

[mopar340dave]

That is correct.

It works the same way a rubber strap on a brake drum/rotor does when you cut them.

 

[bOb shingler]

i agree, it's a harmonic damper to smooth out the drive train harmonics.

 

[fishy68]

The guys are right it's a vibration dampener to smooth out driveline harmonics and no you don't have to have it. You may or may not notice any diff. without it. If your lucky enough to have a smoothly operating system it doesn't make a diff. If your not so lucky it may help things feel smoother running down the road.

 

[avarageerod]

Now that I've heard everyone else's answer, I'm going to say its a vibration dampener:cheers:

 

[clhyer]

Here is what I found awhile back on my car. The long bolts that attach the weight to the transmission go through rubber grommets. My grommets were bad, probably eaten up by tranny fluid over the years. The grommets are unavailable from the dealer, but, you can buy the whole weight with bolts and grommets for about $100. I found that tractor trailer air line hose is the perfect size - correct inside and outside diameter, plus, it is pretty resistant to oil. You need about 1 1/2 inches of it. I was able to get a small piece for nothing from a local shop.
C

 

[green1]

harmonic damper; never understood why later mopars needed it; maybe the cast cranks.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Alright then, I'll put the heavy chunk of steel back on. I'm from Bonnyville by the way.

 

[mod5v]

I left it off on my last build and noticed no vibration or noise. Like others said some may need it others not. I would leave it off but keep it in case you had a drive train vibration or noise that you can't make go away the conventional way.

 

[gts340]

I think it also smoothed out the "bump" felt when the trans shifts gears. Helps to make the car feel more refined. I've never put one back on.