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I'm rebuilding a 1969 429 (first timer) and I came across an article in the PAW parts catalog that reads "429/460 '68-'78 engines are internally balanced with no weight in the damper." But I'm finding harmonic balancers for my year in other parts catalogs, some say internal, external, neutral. The engine I have is incomplete so I don't know what was on the front, the crank had no weights on it inside. Any help??
David is correct on a 69 429 bieng internally balanced (actually the PAW catalog os partially right 68-78 internally balanced 79 on external) But the catalog is wrong about the dampner, there is no weights on them they are all nuetral balance and are the same for both internal and external balance. The weight is on the crank spacer that goes behind the dampner not on the damper itself. So if you have an internal balanced engine you will just have a round spacer, if you have an external balanced engine there will be a hatched weight (looks like a hatched thus the name) cast onto that spacer that sits behind the dampner. The flywheels and flexplates are another story so that you will have to watch.
The balancer is the same on both internal and external balance motors. The spacer behind it has a big counterweight on external balance motors. You will need a spacer without a weight for your motor.
Thats funny Monster, we were both replying at the same time. I submitted mine and you had already answered. AT least we both gave the same info.
Last edited by greenhighboy; Mar 11, 2006 at 08:31 AM.
I found a fluid style external harmonic damper that goes in place of the external spacer for internally balanced motors. Anyone ever used one of these? If it's balanced internally what's the point of another balancer?
first off they are not called nor are they a balancer, they are a harmonic dampner they dampen the harmonic vibrations of the crank but do not balance it. They are considered part of the balance just like the pistons, and rods are but are not for balancing the engine, and you can not use some setup that is external balance on an internal balance crank.
I found a fluid style external harmonic damper that goes in place of the external spacer for internally balanced motors. Anyone ever used one of these? If it's balanced internally what's the point of another balancer?
Sorry, could you post a picture or a url so I could see it?
this is a manufacturing company that is fairly new, a friend of mine built his street/strip mustang with their parts and has had no problems. their prices are very inexpensive and they are all SFI spec
first thing I will say is run, run as fast as you can and don't look back. CAT is not a new company California, Auto Technologies is the actual name been around for a few years and have a serious reputation for worse than chinese junk for quality control. Next don't look at fluid dampners, you can't balance the engine with them on the crank so you have to sue a different dampner to do the balancing and then hope and pray that the fluid dampner is exactly the same which it most likely isn't. Also after a couple of years the silicon fluid that they use seems to break down and there is less dampneing with them. They also are definatly not good above 6000 rpm. great gimmick but thats all they are.
And lastly the reason they can list those for all years is lke I said in an earlier post all 429/460 dampners are nuetral balanced the internal external on these engine is done with the spacer behind the dampner.