Engine balancing question

[Taz92gt]

Getting ready to rebuild a donor motor for my car. 306 with forged pistons (stock rods and crank) and a main gurdle. I'll be getting new heads if the GWB stimulis plan goes through, I gotta do my duty for the country. I don't know what balancing im going to need if any as this is my first rebuild. Also any other pointers would be apreciated.

 

[347HO]

Depends on what balance option you go with.
Zero
28oz imbalance

Zero or neutral balance will cost more due to the extra steps and material required, and how your pistons/rods/rings/bearings affect overall bobweight.

28oz imbalance should on average 180.00. It's best to take your stuff to a very reputable shop, one in which you've had a chance to talk with a few of their customers.

 

[Rick 91GT]

Going 0 or Internal is not worth it on a stock rotating assembly, it will cost a fortune in Mallory/heavy metal to make that happen.

Your stock motor is 50oz, your balancer and flywheel have to match which they do stock. Since this appears to be a budget 306 just take the new pistons, wrist pins and rings along with 1 set of rod bearings to the machine shop, along with your crank, and 1 old rod/piston. Stock pins are pressed on to the pistons so you will need to have the old pins pressed out and then have the new pistons installed on the old rods. I would recondition the rods while they are out and add ARp rod bolts....any good machine shop can do this with no issues. Expect to pay around $150-175 for balancing, plus labor to press off the old pistons and install the new ones, have the block tanked, bored/honed, cam bearings and have the mains checked to see if you need an align hone. All said and done your looking at $600 plus.

 

[347HO]

If it's within your budget, consider balancing to 28oz. My reasoning... putting a budget on a build = less power and taking weight off the rotating assembly increases engine acceleration and that is a good thing to happen.
You don't have to have the most power to be quick, you just have to accelerate faster than the other guy.

 

[Taz92gt]

Thanks for the advise, this is kind of a budget build but when I do things I like them done right. Im looking at spending around 1200-1500 on all of it assembled, as im still in school "nursing" and graduate in may, so then I'll have plenty of money to through on some heads and a Kenny bell by this time next year and I hope it will last for a while as a weekend driver.