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#1
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455 HO crank balance experience
I got a recommendation for a shop to balance my rotating assembly. Here’s some pics of areas that are of concern to me. I will readily admit to not knowing squat about crank balancing. There are people that know on this site and I’d appreciate your input. The shop admitted they over drilled on one of the holes. To compensate they removed material from the flywheel/ flex plate mounting flange. The drilled hole diameter in the photo is so big that you can see the distortion in the side of the counter weight. I need to determine if this crank is now junk.
The pressure plate pic shows what the shop said was needed to balance it. The shop balanced with the factory flexplate and after market flywheel. They both balanced the same which is good because I ordered the factory external balance flywheel. |
#2
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It's not the best to look at but it won't cause you a problem. Once the engine it together and running you'll forget about it and it will be a "non-issue".
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#3
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X 2, Paul. I wonder WHY the didn’t add a bit of Mallory metal instead of going to all the trouble with the extra machining?
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“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” Dr. Thomas Sowell |
#4
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Seen worse from the factory...
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If you cant drive from gas pump to gas pump across the map, its not a street car. http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/b...hop/?start=100 |
#5
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I have little to say about the pressure plate, except that I'd be unhappy. If the manufacturer can't get the balance right, I'd have preferred to ship it back to them and get a different one. Maybe that's why I don't own a manual-transmission vehicle any more--too picky.
I wouldn't be overly concerned about the crankshaft. Removing weight like they did might cause some minor rocking-couple out-of-balance, but the crank has so much rocking-couple designed-in already; and I don't have a way to know if what they did would make it worse...or better. Why would you "order a factory external-balance flywheel" if you own an aftermarket flywheel that balances properly? Seems to me like you're paying extra to put a bomb under the floorboards. I hope you have a scatter shield. (I'm assuming the aftermarket flywheel is steel and not cast-iron. Maybe I'm wrong.) |
#6
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Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.
The engine was from an automatic ‘71 TA. They balanced it with the factory flex plate. They then bolted on the American Powertrain FWPO-10001 billet steel flywheel which is externally balanced. It balanced the same as the flexplate. It’s going to be a manual transmission car but if I decide to change back to an automatic I can without losing the engine balance. The clutch kit is a RAM HDX. I’m going to contact them about the balance. I hope I’m not building a bomb. I plan on using the aluminum repop bellhousing. The reason I went with a billet steel flywheel and this clutch was for some insurance over the factory cast iron parts. The vehicle is for street use. 20/20 hindsight I probably should have gone internally balanced. |
#7
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I don't understand. You have a steel flywheel that balances properly. Then you order a "Factory", presumably cast-iron flywheel to use instead of the steel one???
Or are you saying the steel flywheel has the standard "factory" balance? |
#8
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That's the worst butchery I have ever seen for a balance job. I have never seen any grinding on a clutch to balance a rotating assembly besides the flywheel. I would be very dubious of that job especially if I am seeing the clutch alteration correctly.
. .
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1967 Firechicken, 499", Edl heads, 262/266@0.050" duration and 0.627"/0.643 lift SR cam, 3.90 gear, 28" tire, 3550#. 10.01@134.3 mph with a 1.45 60'. Still WAY under the rollbar rule. |
#9
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Yes, the steel flywheel has the standard "factory" balance.
I agree on the butchery. Bob Morton in Independence, MO did the work. He’s been in business for decades so I was hoping for a professional job. There wasn’t any grinding on the pressure plate to remove weight, that’s some nasty looking weld that’s been added to achieve balance. The rotating assembly was first balanced without the pressure plate. The pressure plate was then installed and modified to maintain the balance. Joe Hand is doing the engine assembly. He’s going to have some local people check it out too. |
#10
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Crank drill-hole looks typical.
Flexplate and Steel FW sound like they were a success. Pressureplate sounds like they had to fix someone else's crap, so looks wont matter to them. |
#11
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There was no need to factory balance the rotating assembly especially if you might change from an auto to manual, factory had a small external balance on the flywheel that is easy to internally balance and makes switching easy. I have never had to have mallory added to balance any assembly (small amount of weld though) from stock components to lighter weight aftermarket ones, or have material removed from the flywheel flange. The clutch and flywheel are typically neutral balanced as an assembly separate from the rotating assembly which is typically neutral balanced from my experience, doesn't mean that's the only way though.
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1967 Firechicken, 499", Edl heads, 262/266@0.050" duration and 0.627"/0.643 lift SR cam, 3.90 gear, 28" tire, 3550#. 10.01@134.3 mph with a 1.45 60'. Still WAY under the rollbar rule. |
#12
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Quote:
That's amateure butchery.....this is the Big League stuff ; |
#13
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Wow! That must be one lightweight rotating assembly, at least they didn't grind down the flywheel flange.
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1967 Firechicken, 499", Edl heads, 262/266@0.050" duration and 0.627"/0.643 lift SR cam, 3.90 gear, 28" tire, 3550#. 10.01@134.3 mph with a 1.45 60'. Still WAY under the rollbar rule. |
#14
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Paul, was the crank balancer operator having a bad day? Sheez......
__________________
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” Dr. Thomas Sowell |
#15
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Got a spare set of rods to sell? might match my lightened crank.
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