Harmonic balancer questions

M

mr-fixit

Founding Member

Jul 19, 1999

466

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17

Malvern,Pa.

Mar 21, 2008

#1

• Mar 21, 2008

• #1

Guys,
I am shopping for a balancer for my 351W. I thought I needed the 28 oz version, but I am finding that some are listed as 28.2 oz. (Summit catalog, Pioneer/Powerbond versions) What's up with that? Also I see Romac makes a lighter performance series, 6 lbs versus 10 lbs. Any advantage to the lighter weight? I would think the lighter version would not be as good dampening vibration.
Thanks, Rick

 

C

chromedog

New Member

Jan 13, 2006

554

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worlds center for speed

Mar 21, 2008

#2

• Mar 21, 2008

• #2

not sure about the 28 vs. 28.2 issue, but a lighter balancer will let your engine rev a bit quicker...

 

rbohm

Founding Member

Apr 12, 2002

6,698

550

204

tucson,az

Mar 21, 2008

#3

• Mar 21, 2008

• #3

when ford set the balance factor, they rounded off the numbers to prevent confusion, thus a 28.2oz balance factor becomes 28oz. with the later 5.0's that have a 50oz balance factor, you actually have a 34oz imbalance on the dampner, and 50oz imbalance on the flexplate/flywheel, but they choose to use 50oz to avoid confusion.

 

V

vc351w

New Member

Dec 24, 2005

19

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0

SoCal

Mar 23, 2008

#4

• Mar 23, 2008

• #4

Alignment issues

Be aware that some balancers require adapters to line up the pulley. I bought the Ford motorsports "sportsman" balancer for my 351W. I cannot get the pulleys to align. I will have to remove the pulleys/balancer and take them to a machine shop. The balancer adapter will need to be machined to correct the mis-alignment.

BTW, the engine is a Sportsman block with a factory 1970 front dress set-up in a Mustang Mach 1. PS, A/C .

 

D

D.Hearne

New Member

Sep 29, 2000

11,730

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south louisiana

Mar 23, 2008

#5

• Mar 23, 2008

• #5

Ford Racing lists a pulley spacer to use with those balancers.

 

V

vc351w

New Member

Dec 24, 2005

19

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0

SoCal

Mar 24, 2008

#6

• Mar 24, 2008

• #6

D.Hearne said:

Ford Racing lists a pulley spacer to use with those balancers.

Click to expand...

Yes, they do. I bought all three of them. Figured Ford would get it right, but no such luck. I purchased the short block, balancer, pulley spacers, and water pump from Ford. I'm using the original alternator, power steering pump, alternator brackets and power steering brackets.

In fact I measured my old balancer, and matched the new balancer and spacer to it with a side-by-side comparison. Still the alternator belt gets tossed.

I will have to save up for a March set up I guess.

 

D

D.Hearne

New Member

Sep 29, 2000

11,730

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south louisiana

Mar 24, 2008

#7

• Mar 24, 2008

• #7

Sounds to me like you just need to eyeball the alignment, instead of all the measurements. I did a custom alternator bracket job with my 331 when I installed it in the Comet and it performs flawlessly. The waterpump is a std rotation, late 88 Crown Vic aluminum pump, pulleys are 70's 351W units (machined the outer two sheeves off the crank pulley) and the alternator bracket is one I fab'd from 3/8" aluminum plate. With the alternator pivot bolt in the passenger side head's outer accessory hole, I used a stock Ford spacer and only needed a thick washer behind the alternator pulley to line it up with the other two. Balancer is an early 70's 302 unit.