balancer problem...?
 

hi all ive got a 71 firebird with a 72 455 stock. Ive been working on it for a long time and need to get it running.

current issue is i have a professional products balancer 80020. i put it on last summer and torqued the bolt to 160. never ran the car once as i had so much to do to it.

now this year i get an aftermaket vbelt front setup and the alternator and water pump line up perfectly but the crank pulley alway seemed about quarter inch out too far from the engine.

i fet the damper might be the issue because the timing marks are about a quarter inch away from the indicator on the front cover. seems to me to be too far out. see pic

i pulled the balancer off today - took a puller, arnt they slip fit? and there was about a 1/4" of grim and dirt on the back side. looked to me like it wasnt on all the way.



is this a press fit balancer? am i going crazy?

I would buy a Pioneer or a BHJ type factory style unit and dump that thing in the trash.
Or sell it to your enemy.

Tom Vaught

its just a stock engine and this is what i have. is it really that horrible, i could get it running this weekend if i can get these accessories on.

Go to the dealer. They still sell a good quality Made In India unit. Part number 88960256

List $41.41.

I think the reason that Tom said to change brands is that those have been known to come apart at low mileage, low power, you name it....No warning, then blam! time to rebuild.........

Your choice.

Karl

:usflag:

I would agree 100% with Tom. Those balancers are horrible! Everyone I have seen on a customers engine had a problem. Either the outer ring would slip right away[which causes the balancer to get extremely hot], or the pulley spacing was off[your problem]. 2 of these balancers came apart while we were making the first dyno pass, and another one was so far off on pulley alignment. These were all balancers that the customer bought and brought in. Now when we see one, we tell the customer we won't install it, and they need to get something else.

Pioneer and BHJ both make a nice balancer. I wouldn't hesitate to use either one.