Engine: 283 Harmonic Balancer

[electro47]

I bought a '66 Daytona a few years ago that was a really good parts car. I kept the "Studebaker" 283 and sold the rest. I rebuilt the engine for another project I am working on but when I took it apart I noticed that it didn't have a harmonic balancer. I have worked on small blocks for over 40 years but that is the first one I have seen without one. My fellow "gear heads" don't believe me even when I show them. I tried to do a little research but didn't come up with anything conclusive. I have heard that this engine had a steel crank and didn't need a balancer. I also heard that GM made industrial engines that didn't use a balancer. Can anyone tell me why this engine doesn't have one?

[Swifster]

Part sold off of engine before you bought it...

[sweetolbob]

Part sold off of engine before you bought it...

Yup! and it'll be hard to run an accessory drive pulley without one. Never saw an SBC in a car without one. You can get one from your FLAPS, Rock auto or Summit among many. Get a new one, rubber goes bad with age. Bob

[firestoper 25]

GM torsional vibration damper

Yup! and it'll be hard to run an accessory drive pulley without one. Never saw an SBC in a car without one. You can get one from your FLAPS, Rock auto or Summit among many. Get a new one, rubber goes bad with age. Bob

My first job out of college was with Gladstone Mfg. in Michigan, we were one of the suppliers for small block Chevrolets, six cylinders and Buicks. You would not believe all the specs and technology that go into that little item that is so important for engine operation. They do have a finite life and should be replaced when needed. Also never trust the timing mark....verify it! Sherm / Green Bay

[TWChamp]

Yep, I've had to replace a few when the timing mark shifted on the damper.

A guy should paint a thin line or center punch the two metal parts to check for shifting in the future.

[junior]

Early Chevy 283's had no balancer of any sort...there are many out there who say that's not true but in fact it is...they were equipped with a small hub that the crankshaft pulley bolted to. What year Chevy went to a balancer I'm not sure...but must have been around 1964 if memory serves. The first balancer they went with was really thin and small in diameter...a Chevy 350 balancer looks like a giant in side by side comparison. Certainly some one will chime in on what 283's were equipped with when installed in late-model Studebakers. cheers, Junior

[sweetolbob]

Early Chevy 283's had no balancer of any sort...there are many out there who say that's not true but in fact it is...they were equipped with a small hub that the crankshaft pulley bolted to. What year Chevy went to a balancer I'm not sure...but must have been around 1964 if memory serves. The first balancer they went with was really thin and small in diameter...a Chevy 350 balancer looks like a giant in side by side comparison. Certainly some one will chime in on what 283's were equipped with when installed in late-model Studebakers. cheers, Junior

Under the heading of never to old to learn, I did a look around and apparently this is the front hub, not balancer, on the early 265/283 engines. Ran an early 265 but didn't recall this.



I would check the crankshaft to see if it was threaded. Apparently Chevy added the harmonic balancer to the 327's to stop issues with the crankshaft. If not threaded then it will need an hub that is press on only.

IAC there needs to be something there to have a sealing surface to seal the front of the crankshaft. Bob

[junior]

Under the heading of never to old to learn, I did a look around and apparently this is the front hub, not balancer, on the early 265/283 engines. Ran an early 265 but didn't recall this.



I would check the crankshaft to see if it was threaded. Apparently Chevy added the harmonic balancer to the 327's to stop issues with the crankshaft. If not threaded then it will need an hub that is press on only.

IAC there needs to be something there to have a sealing surface to seal the front of the crankshaft. Bob

"'
Gee Bob, that looks even larger than I remember, in fact it looks like the smaller 'balancer' I was referring to. If it was the 'smaller balancer' I see it's not a balancer at all. I am positive the hub I am referring to is a single piece unit that appears to serve the purposes of sealing the crank snout to the timing cover and allowing the v-belt drive pulley to be attached. My 283 in my '54 C has such a hub, that's why I know they exist. I rebuilt this 283 with my dad way back in the 70's...we actually built 2 of them, both had the same single-piece front hub...one was from a 59 Chubby, and the other was a 63 Chubby, both unmolested original factory engines before we tore them apart. It's been a long, long time but as I recall they are a slip-fit, no puller required to r&r them. I tried getting a photo but the camera is focusing on everything but the hub and the flash washes out the image. Cheers, Junior


this is what I'm talking about:

[Mike Van Veghten]

For reference...they don't "balance" anything.
They "dampen" harmonic vibration and oscillation within the crank shaft. Very similar to a shock absorber.

The more accurate term is "harmonic damper".

For what it's worth of course..!

Mike

[kxet]

Mike, the 400 small block chev "damper" is a balancer, no room on interior of block, other engines also, IH and 410 Merc are some.

[Mike Van Veghten]

kxet -

They are first and foremost...dampers.
The counter weights are "additions to", One could...make separate counter weights and bolt them to the crank, have nothing to do with the damper, and still perform their job of balancing the crank..!

The manufacturers just made one item...perform two jobs.

Mike

[swvalcon]

The major share of the balancing on a 400 small block is done on the fly wheel. What to see a small block shake rattle and roll put a flywheel off a 350 on it.

[jpepper]

The Studebaker 283 engines used a forged crank as used in truck and Corvette engines. In fact early production small journal Z-28 engines used this same crank. With a 2 barrel and somewhat small heads the engine did not generate enough force to cause crankshaft deflection so a simple steel hub is used rather than a vibration damper. Pedestrian 283's with cast cranks had a small 6" diameter vibration damper like the one pictured in #7 & #8.

[lumpy]

I agree Junior, In years past I have seen these hubs don't really know what they came on from the factory. They were not dampeners as they had no outer ring. They seem to be quite common in my collection of late 50s early 60s hot rod mags in there drag car features. But have seen them on stock 283s .

[wittsend]

And here is a shot of said (type) of 283 engine. A McKinnon that was a transplant in my '64 Daytona. Can't really see it in the last picture but it is "where it came from." BTW, the pulley is missing because I adapted it to the '85 Corvette engine that replaced it.