Hi all. Replacing my FE 352 harmonic balancer / damper, do I need to have the new part balanced before installing ? If so, how do I go about economically getting this done ?

Background: The timing marks have slipped on my original harmonic balancer, and am planning on buying a Powerbond PB1111-ST replacement. Powerbond was a suggestion by abyars111 on the engine rebuilder site: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-balancer.html . While researching, noted that someone recommended that the new damper be balanced to the flywheel – yikes, engine rebuilders ! Necessary? Should / can I take the old and new to a machine shop and have them matched up, or is there a better alternative ? Damper Doctor ? Buying a new truck - what reason would I have to hang out in the garage 10-20 hours a week and working a couple of hours.

This all depends on my ability to get the original damper off, those guys on u tube wedging a breaker bar in there and bumping the starter are freakin' me out …

This forum is a “must” for me (retired accountant with modest mechanical ability, “modest” may be bragging - plodding / doing everything twice is more accurate).

Thanks in advance to all, Steve.

 

No need to balance anything (I never heard of any such thing!). Just buy a new balancer and install it.

C3AZ-6312-E (replaced C0AZ-6312-B) .. Harmonic Balancer / Reproduced

1960/67 Ford/Merc Passenger Cars 352/390 // 1965/67 F100/350 352.

 

Thanks, ND. I'll sleep much better tonight.

 

Wanted to clear up some misinfo I posted here, and thought I'd go ahead and relay my experience with replacing the harmonic balancer / damper on my 1966 Custom Cab 352 original engine with Cruis-o-matic.

The Powerbond PB1111-ST was the incorrect damper for my motor, as it does not have the single sheave required to drive the alternator. I was able to source the part C3AZ-6312-E from an Ebay supplier – AAA in Mcpherson KS for $115 out the door; another was found on MAC's which would have saved me a few bucks had I searched another 5 minutes – the pic also looks like it's a bit better machined than the one I received, but who knows from a pic. Also C&G had one, pricier.

Took three days for the part to arrive, it'll work, painted it. Loosened the PS unit (my add in to the engine, again thanks to participants in this forum), loosened the alternator, removed the fan, removed the belts, removed the double sheave pulley. Broke the damper bolt loose using the whack-a-frame and starter technique after a weeks worth of penetrating fluid, no problem other than some heart palpitation. Removed the 2 sheave add on pulley. Used a crows foot to remove the original damper. Boiled the new damper, got it started on the newly greased crankshaft.

Hadn't found this in searching the forum and might be a useful tip for others with automatic transmission, threaded bolt into back side of the damper through one of the three pulley holes and used a steel rod to hold the damper while I tightened the main damper bolt back to 90 ft lbs with some loctite, a crow bar would likely fit in the slot between the damper and the timing gear cover to hold it. Obviously, this might be a good way to remove the bolt at the beginning (with a lot of muscle I suspect).

The damper was pushed on using a pulley installer tool I previously bought for installing the PS pump pulley. Put Humpty back together and all is good again for now. Time, probably about two hours to install, took me about four what with thinking and looking for tools and breaks and a couple of do-overs.

By the way, the aforementioned power steering upgrade has, for me, completely changed driving and parking the truck around town much for the better, to the point I sold my second car and now use the truck for the daily driver. It took me a while, a couple of months of weekends including sourcing and finding the “right” welder, but would definitely do it again.

This turned out to a lot wordier than I thought it would be, hope it helps someone. Steve.


Keywords: Damper with automatic transmission, damper with auto, balancer with auto, balancer with automatic transmission.