Harmonic Balancer carnage...

[Froggystyle]

This is normal... right?
http://www.highperformancecars.com/froggystyle/harmonic_collage.jpg
Full speed pass, slow down for no wake zone, running fine and all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. Lots of noise, boat still idling fine, but clanking like hell so I shut it off thinking I lost a rod or something and pop the hatch.
No oil, no smell, no nothing wrong. Except a completely smoked balancer and pulley.
I have never heard of these things really going bad on people, but I have personally been in the presence of four bad ones. One when I was about 13 came apart on a 21' Eliminator Daycruiser while timing it and damn near killed my dad. Turns out it had been drilled too deeply when balancing though. The second was Jerry (PickleTheLoad's) boat which had the balancer walk around and screw up timing (Also a Merlin). 78Eliminator had one with three timing marks on it. Likely because it was slipping really badly and kept needing to be re-registered, and now this one on OTR. The center rubber is completely toast/missing as you can see.
The damage is limited to the balancer and pulley though. I pulled the oil seal just for good measure, but everything else looks peachy.
So... we will not be buying the Merlin replacement again!
Anyone else have balancers go south on them?

[Havasu Hangin']

That's gonna leave a mark...

[Infomaniac]

Never had the balancer do that to me.
I have stripped out the center/keyway turning a blower without double keying.
Looks like it is time for an ATI superdamper.

[Froggystyle]

Infomaniac:
Never had the balancer do that to me.
I have stripped out the center/keyway turning a blower without double keying.
Looks like it is time for an ATI superdamper. Are you talking about the Fluiddampner?

[Infomaniac]

Either one is good.
Check your PM.

[Infomaniac]

Check the timing cover for holes. Looks like it rubbed.

[Froggystyle]

Infomaniac:
Check the timing cover for holes. Looks like it rubbed. I stripped it down, and it just scuffed the paint. Lucky me.

[OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET]

at least it didn't walk off on one of those high speed passes. It might of made a nice hole in your cover or side of the boat.
Omega

[Froggystyle]

OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET:
at least it didn't walk off on one of those high speed passes. It might of made a nice hole in your cover or side of the boat.
Omega Tell me about it! I got lucky... no two ways about it.

[Froggystyle]

Thanks to Info... I now have a shiny new Fluid damper on it's way.
I don't think this is the proper application for an elastic damper. This should be good gouge for all those of you who built a 5000 rpm motor and are now pulling 6+ with it. Upgrade the damper. It won't last.

[Cs19]

Someone had mentioned that fluidampner went out of business..???

[spectras only]

Froggy ,that happened to me once on my 1980 Corvette with only 30K on it frown

[blownmoney]

cs19
Member # 4704 posted July 25, 2003 10:56 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Someone had mentioned that fluidampner went out of business..???
------------------------------------------------- i don't think so, might have been purchased by another company but i just purchased one

[Just Tool'n]

Had one come apart on our drag boat back in 1987, it flew apart at 6500rpm, tore up a brand new header, first pass on them. part of it went thru the hull, lucky it did not sink, and one piece ended up in the beer booth!, I guess that piece needed a cold one.
I guesss all went well, seeing that the driver was getting married that night anyway.
Moral of the story is 2 fold!
1. the marrage did not last!
2. I have never run stock dampners again, spend the money on the good SFI certified ones.

[HOSS]

Had that happen to me on my `76 El Camino. When I ran my Monza I had one from GM aproved for NASCAR. Guess it pays to buy expensive parts. wink

[Froggystyle]

Update... Harmonic balancer took out the crank. Total bummer. So, we are pulling the motor as we speak, and going completely through it.
Bonus for Clownpuncher (The new owner). New motor in OTR!!!

[Blown 472]

What did it do to the crank?

[Infomaniac]

I was wondering why I did not hear an update.
Needed a new balancer anyway.

[Froggystyle]

Blown 472:
What did it do to the crank? Tweeked it. I won't know exactly what is wrong until it is torn apart today/tomorrow but bottom line is, it has a lot of runout currently. Too bad. It was a great engine.

[Froggystyle]

Infomaniac:
I was wondering why I did not hear an update.
Needed a new balancer anyway. Check your PM's...

[rrrr]

I was looking at the photos again, and noticed the hoses under the balancer...are those fuel lines?
That could have been really ugly if it had sliced a hose.
Isn't it great how boats always figure out some new way to spend your money without your permission?
[ July 31, 2003, 11:13 AM: Message edited by: rrrr ]