<table id="post821828" class="tborder" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="alt2" style="border-style: none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(41, 63, 92); border-width: 0px 1px;" width="175"><fieldset class="fieldset" style="margin: 3px 0px 0px;"><!-- google_ad_section_end -->
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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Northwests Oregon



</fieldset> </td> <td class="alt1" id="td_post_821828" style="border-right: 1px solid rgb(41, 63, 92);"> <!-- google_ad_section_start -->Matching a damper with Ford 302 Flywheel<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
<hr style="color: rgb(41, 63, 92);" size="1"> <!-- google_ad_section_start -->I have a Ford 302 vintage 1974 in a Glastron Boat with a Volvo stern drive. I am getting a Ford Explorer crate motor shipped to me. I do not have the exact year, block number, etc.

I noticed that it has a new harmonic balancer but no flywheel. I have read that flywheels and balancers have to be balanced but am not sure how to accomplish this or how to find the correct flywheel.

Does the new flywheel have to be placed in a particular orientation to the harmonic balancer?

Will my old setup work?

I have pretty good mechanical skills but this one is out of my league.

Need help on this one.

thanks,

Jim
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I hope the original 302 is standard rotation, the newer 302's(after about '83) use a 50 oz. balance factor, the older engines use a 28.2 oz. balance. You cannot mix and match, the new engine requires a 50 oz flywheel or modification to your present flywheel to the 50 oz. The flywheel only installs in one location, it is indexed to the crank flange.

 

Thanks for the reply with the indexing tip. I was a bit confused about external versus internal balancing and one article I found suggested pulling the crankshaft and getting everything balanced. I also read that you can get numbers off of the balancer and flywheel to balance them. Another suggested calling Summit for technical help.

It is standard rotation. It has a plate that attaches to the flywheel with a splined center that matches up with the splined stern drive shaft. The flywheel looks like a standard flywheel. My understanding is that there are 157 and 162 tooth versions, aluminum and steel versions, etc.

From your description I was probably making it a bigger problem than it was.

The next real problem is figuring out carburetion vs. fuel injection. I picked up a fuel injection system from a Mercruiser less the top and bottom manifold. The new engine comes with the bottom manifold and probably a sensor in the harmonic balancer.

These things are frustrating, challenging, and fun at the same time.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Internal balance means the flexplate/flywhel and damper have a zero or neutral balance, they have no weight added. External balance is when the engine requires more weight than is on the crankshaft itself to balance the engine. You are fine as long as you use one or the other, not both(and use the same balance factor!). Good luck.

 

If you used a neutral balance flywheel what would you use for a harmonic balancer? What circumstances would you use zero balance?

Thanks,

Jim

 

you can't do that.

if all depends on the crank...if it's a 28oz crank you need a 28oz flywheel and balancer if it's a 50oz crank you need a 50oz flywheel and balancer. if it's 0 you need a 0oz flywheel and balancer.

best thing to do is look for a 50oz flywheel that will hook to your drive....

 

Thanks for the information.

Jim

 

I believe no production Ford small blocks were zero balance, so that won't be an issue for your application. Assuming your Explorer crate motor is built after the 1983 model year, you will need a 50 oz-in balance flywheel of the same diameter as your old one. Or you might be able to have the old one rebalanced to 50 oz-in.

For clarification, you don't need to have any engine balancing done, you just have to insure that the correct balance parts are installed. The harmonic balancer which came with the new motor presumably is correct, so you only need to attach the correct flywheel.

 

Thanks for filling the gaps in the manuals so well.

Jim