FLyWheel Off FlexPlate on
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Junior User
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From: Southern California
FLyWheel Off FlexPlate on
Greetings, Because I have removed the flywheel and replaced with a 50 OZ flexplate unbalanced do I have to also replace the harmonic balancer? It came to me that the weight of one would throw off the other somehow. Experts Please?
Fatz
Fatz
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Marengo, Iowa
I don't believe it makes any difference, as the assembly isn't balanced to each end, just to the motor. Correct me if I'm wong, but that has been my experience, and haven't had any problems going back and forth.
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Junior User
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From: Southern California
I know it sounds reasonable and I agree in principle but I ran across a harmonic balancer and the manifacturer was saying that it was for an unblanced flexplate so I got confused..lol
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From: NJ ... the garbage state
what engine are you refering to? and are you swaping from a manual to an automatic, hence going from a flywheel to a flexplate? Well, so lkong as your truck was a 50 oz imbalance, your fine to just put on that flexplate. If its a 302 made after 82, this would be accurate. if its a 351w (or 302 made before 82), they were always 28 oz imbalance, and you will need to find a 28 oz balance flexplate. the harmonic balancer isnt the factor here, its the internal balance of the engine. to sum it up, it has to be the balance of whatever the flywheel you took off was, or you'll tear the motor apart from vibrations, and trust me, its bad, i tried it.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Marengo, Iowa
Basically, that's what I meant, the balancer doesn't change the internal balancing, but a flywheel/flexplate does. If you've ever heard or dealt with small block Chevy's, the 400 is external balance, requiring a flexplate/flywheel to balance the motor, where the others all are internal balance, requiring no counter balance. There is aftermarket balance plates available, which are sandwiched between the flywheel and crank.
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Elder User
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From: NJ ... the garbage state
ahh, so there is a chevy which was external balance. i thougth so.
fatzford, you should be good to move ahead in that case.
fatzford, you should be good to move ahead in that case.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Marengo, Iowa
400's and 454's are external, the rest are internal balanced. just to let you know. If you bought the flexplate new, and there were no questions to answer, I would think you should be fine. If it came from the same as you are mounting to, you should be fine. Generally speaking, the longer stroke engine tend to need the balance offset, but not always the case, depends what the engineer was smoking for that day.
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From: Southern California
Thanks for your replys, I found a set of valves and stuff for the heads at madgog racing through ebay and it will end up costing me less to build up the valve train than to buy heads already whipped up. Got them today and their sweet..
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From: MCBH Kaneohe Bay, HI
i picked up a new flexplate the other day to replace the chewed up one i have. I noticed it has a small weight welded to it and also appears to have some kind of notch on one of the bolt holes. I was wondering if this is actually a balanced flexplate. Engine is '84 302 and tranny is AOD.
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From: Marengo, Iowa
All flexplates and flywheels are balanced, but some are set up with an imbalance to offset the engine imbalace. The term unbalanced is misleading, it is actually balanced, just not to the motor.
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From: NJ ... the garbage state
yes, and your 84 302 should have a weight welded to it, becuase it has a 50 oz imbalance internally, so it uses a weight on the flywheel/flexplacte to balance the motor. an earlier 302, along with any 351W uses a 28 oz imbalance. As i stated earlier.
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From: MCBH Kaneohe Bay, HI
I put in that flexplate today along with a new autolite starter. Much quieter and starts with a bump of the key. I also found out that the notch has nothing to do with the placement of the flywheel. It goes on only one way because the bolt holes only line up one way. Get er done. Oh for that 351 swap, motor mounts, tranny belhousing, distributor, even exhaust manifolds are the exact same. Same block so everything should bolt up the same. Except for the heads, they got different cumbustion chambers on em.