I heard that the balancer on the 56 pass 292`s have a rubber assembly and that the timing marks could move on the balancer when the rubber rots away. My question is, is it repairable? If so who should I check into repairing it? If not where can I find a restoration single groove pulley? I have been looking online and I checked ford-y-block website out and they have a rebuilt one for $120 but that is alittle pricy for me.

Other than that what are the odds of the rubber going out in the balancer and requiring replacement? I guess I am just too used to solid iron balancers so I dont think about them too much.

If anyone has any experiance or knows anything about those balancers and if they have rubber in them for sure and how long they last or if they could be repaired or even where to buy a restoration replacement Id like to know. Thanks in advance.

 

Look two or three threads below this "rebuilding a 239" and there is some discussion on the dampers that may help. Yes the dampers have rubber damping cushions, and after 50 years they are beginning to fail, shifting timing mark. Damper Doc rebuilds them for around $140. Mummert's price of $120 is the best, but last I heard he is out. If yours hasnt shifted you can use it until it does, which wont be apparent until one day you go to time the ignition and get a bunch of coughing, sputtering and backfires. If in the process of rebuilding a motor, it makes sense to rebuild the damper. Many, maybe most of the Y dampers have a fairly deep wear ring from the front oil seal, which can cause oil leaks. The rebuilders install thin sleeves to take care of the problem, or you can buy the sleeves and do it yourself.

Nothing is available new except for really big bucks paid on a custom.

Curious, what motors have you been dealing with that only run solid crank pulleys, 239s?

 

my 1963 Belair with a factory stock 283 has a solid steel balancer that slips onto the crank snout that the crank pulley bolts to. That is why I was under the assumption that my 56 Fairlane that I havent had the chance to get started on yet due to the 63 had a solid steel/iron balancer like that. Why I didnt worry about it but now I am trying to find a local place that would rebuild this one cause I planned on taking the 292 apart and cleaning it and updating it to harden valve seats and such. But if the rubber is old and fails would the whole assembly fly to pieces? that was my concern also that I would be driving and it fly to pieces and causes damage.

I liked the $120 price but I might have stated already that I dont like the thought of sending this piece out of state as a core and then I get the new one and its not like the orignal or I dont get nothing in return. I dont trust shops too much since I had a engine shop rebuild and deck new heads that have already been done that just wanted harden valve seats installed.

 

I would have to thank you 46yblock, You talked about Damper Doc and I did a search trying to find a local Houston Texas shop that would restore the orignal one and in my search I found Damper Doc and they have in stock rebuilt units for $179.95 and they would refund $40 for the core. I dont like the $180 price but to be quite honest $180 is better than $450 - $460 this restoration shop wanted for a 292 damper.

 

$450!!! Scarry. I would stay far away from that shop! Damper Doc does nice work. He rebuilt my damper. I specified that I wanted my specific damper rebuilt and returned which he did. Nothing terribly special about the balancer, but it is a 60-62 car unit which is 2 lbs lighter than the truck models.

 

The harmonic balancer is comprised of two sections: the outer pulley and the inner damper. A piece of rubber is placed between these two parts, then the pulley & balancer is pressed into a one piece assembly.

Over time, the rubber shrinks, rots, which causes the outer pulley to "walk away" from the inner balancer. If not corrected, that pulley will usually end up in the radiator core. When that happens, the radiator core will have to be replaced, and what does a radiator core cost today?

B5AZ6312A .. Y Block Harmonic Balancer-Single Pulley / Fits: 1956 F100/600 except w/H/D 272 engine & 1955/56 passenger cars with 272/292/312 engines. Not used on T-Birds.

Reproduction / greensalescompany.com has 8 in stock / $90.00 + shipping / 800-543-4959

 

Thanks for the info Numberdude. There is always something to learn. It certainly makes sense, but havent heard of one coming apart or anybody suggesting it could happen.

It seems reasonable to me that running an unrebuilt damper with old hard rubber would result in a decrease in effectiveness. Given the explanation of Wild Bunch on the "239 rebuild" thread, maybe that isnt too big a deal if compression is low and/or the truck isnt being worked.

 

The balancer coming apart is nothing new. Since it has no moving parts, why else would one need to be replaced?

There are many threads on FTE related to this problem. Most are in the 1961/66, 1967/72 and 1973/79 forums.

Aftermarket supplier woudn't go thru the expense of reproducing them if they rarely failed.

Repro balancers are available today for 144/170/200/250 6's, and the following V8's: 272/292/312 / 221/260/289/302 / 332/352/390 (1958 thru 1967) / 351C's, and prolly more.

But, AFAIK, no one is reproducing the 1957/64 292 F100/350 balancer, it's the one that everyone needs, including several ppl in this very forum.

When I noticed that one of my '63 Galaxies needed a new one, I was very happy to pay the 120 buck price.

Only a few years ago, none of these repro's were available, so someone had to hunt around for a decent used one.

 

Doubt the Tbird crank pulley would be, the (55/ 272,292,312) diagram shows two different pulleys visually one for the 292/312 Tbird and the other for the 272/292/312 pass car. They both have the same 6312 number which comes back as B5AZ 6312-A in the parts catalog and B5AZ 6312-B which is a 3 sheeve (what ever that means) for use with a 60 Amp generator on the 272/292 engines. All I know about this pulley is that its a one groove no power steering one belt turning the water pump and generator.

But I was just going to compare the part number on the one thats on the car to the new one and get one with the same part number.

Only question I have left is if I keep the orignal one from the car and have it repaired and restored and painted and everything would it hurt the rubber if I put it in a airconditioned area as a back up for when the new one goes out?

I dont like waiting on parts to come in I like fixing when it needs it.

 

Sheeve = pulley groove.

The 1948/56 Ford Truck Parts Catalog on page 292 lists B5AZ6312A for a 272 equipped 1956 F100/600 w/a single sheeve harmonic balancer (except with the H/D 272 engine).

This same single sheeve harmonic balancer part number is shown in the 1949/59 Passenger Car Parts Catalog, page 122 for 1955/56 passenger cars (not Birds) with 272/292/312 engines.

You usually cannot compare the number on the old balancer to the actual part number, because it won't match.

The balancers have (most of the time), a Ford ID engineering number on them, not the actual part number.

Since you have the parts catalog, you already know the balancers measurements, but the engineering number isn't listed in the car or truck parts catalog.

Another catalog is needed in most cases to cross reference engineering numbers. It's the "Master Cross Reference Catalog" (MCRC) and you need the specific one for the mid 1950's.

Where will you find one of those? I've never seen one on ebay for sale yet. Obsolete Ford parts dealer Green Sales Co. prolly has the correct MCRC. If they don't, I do.

6312: the Ford basic part number for (just) a single sheeve pulley or a harmonic balancer.

A single sheeve, or double, triple or even a quadruple sheeve pulley might have a basic part number of 6A312.

With Ford, the group number shown in illustrations is also the basic part number, so while B5AZ6312A is correct for certain Y blocks, C3AZ6312E is the balancer for some 352/390's, C3TZ6312E for some later 292's. There's dozens upon dozens of different 6312's.

After 1967, the balancers basic number changed to 6316 across the board.

 

Well for 55/56 A (272,292,312) 8 cyl. Single sheave - 6.575" / 6.625" diam. pulley 6 timing marks - 4.86" overall length Part Number : B5AZ 6312-A

They have another one 55/57 A (with 60 amp generator) 8 cyl. (272,292) 3 sheaves - 6.575" / 6.625" diam. pulleys - 6 timing marks - 6.17" overall length Part Number : B5AZ 6312-B

How can I get the pulleys mixed up they would both have the part number stamped on them I have a 78 351 with the same style ford part number on the intake among other parts. a B5AZ 6312-A would be for my vehicle with 1 groove, and for one with AC and ps and such with three grooves is B5AZ 6312-B.

I understand that there are dozens of different pulley assemblys that uses the 6312 part number but the whole part number isnt not 100% identical such as a 3 groove pulley is a B model you could say and a 1 groove pulley is a A model.

Why couldnt I match the two together? I mean wouldnt the stock pulley have B5AZ 6312-A stamped on it? I mean I have a part on my 351w that has a ford part number that doesnt even cross reference nor matches a part number but if a small vacuum switch like that has a ford part number I would assume the balancer would have the part number also.

I think I came across a parts interchange manual on ebay but thats probably not the same as your talking about.

 

But I dont know so if you say the 55-56 pass/truck 292-312 Tbird engines dont have the ford part number stamped on it then I guess they dont I havent had the ability to really examine the engine fully havent been out to where the car is sitting under the shed in about a month should be going back soon hopefully to get the drum brakes redone so the vehicle can be pushed out atleast.

 

It may have a number stamped on it...but it's prolly a Ford engineering number, not a part number.

I can cross reference the engineering number to an actual part number.

Ford has used the same basic part numbering system since 1908.

Every hood is a 16612, every cylinder head is a 6049, every steering wheel is a 3600.

What makes the number unique is the prefix and suffix.

Example: COAZ-16612-Z is a 1960 Ford passenger car hood, D0TZ-16612-A is a hood for a 1967/72 F100/750, C5ZZ-16612-B is a hood for a 1965/66 Mustang.

B5AZ: B = decade 1950's / 5 = 1955 / A = full sized car / Z = Ford part // 6312 = Pulley or Balancer basic number // A = first design.

Just because the part number prefix has a A as the third digit, that does not mean that the part was only used on cars, your truck is a case in point.

B5AZ6312A is the part number for the harmonic balancer (single sheeve) for your 1956 F100 with a 272, also fits 1955/56 cars (not Birds) with 272/292/312 engines.

This is the correct part as per the 1948/56 Ford Truck Parts Catalog.

Because of the design of 1955/57 T-Birds, the T-Birds balancer is much longer. There's NO way a T-Bird balancer will fit on your truck or any car. It will bolt on, but you won't be able to install the radiator.

 

Ah, ok. Btw, the 56 is a car, fairlane to be exact. The only Ford truck I have is a 1982 F150.

 

I went back and read the first post. You typed 56 pass 292's.

So let me rephrase.

B5AZ6312A is the correct single sheeve harmonic balancer for your 1956 Ford Fairlane 292 as per the 1949/59 Ford passenger Car Parts Catalog / Section 63 / Page 122.