Damper shim?

Posted By: POS Dakota

Damper shim? - 04/10/11 08:38 PM

My balancer, as well as a few other balancers I've tried, will not seat against the crank gear without using some sort of shim. Using an LA cover like the dude on here sells, and I am using a geardrive. The crank gear is the same thickness as any other so it's not that. I really dont know what it is, but dont care anymore. I just need one.

Anyone make these?

I tried making one today out of a large diameter hardened washer (nnly thing I could find), and forget it. broke a diamond bit and even my carbon steel cutters wont do it. I'll be 70 by the time I get the hole large enough and cut a keyway.

Anyone know if I can buy these somewhere already made? It's the last thing I need to do for my engine and it's really wearing my patience thin.

Oh the problem is the damper is hitting the timing tab before it seats.

Thanks in advance...

Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Damper shim? - 04/10/11 08:46 PM

I think you have a mismatch on the cover and balancer. Seems to me a long ways back someone had a post with the same problem.

Posted By: POS Dakota

Re: Damper shim? - 04/10/11 08:50 PM

Quote:

I think you have a mismatch on the cover and balancer. Seems to me a long ways back someone had a post with the same problem.

I could probably get a smaller diameter damper, but at this point I really dont want to if I dont have to.

Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Damper shim? - 04/10/11 08:54 PM

What year cover are you using?

Posted By: POS Dakota

Re: Damper shim? - 04/11/11 03:28 AM

All I know is it's a "late" LA style cover brand new...made by Engine Quest IIRC.

Balancer is 7.25" diameter, and it wants to hit the timing tab before bottoming against the crank gear.

I would grind down the timing tab, but knowing my luck I'll go through it and then I'll really be PO'd.

Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Damper shim? - 04/11/11 03:58 AM

All I can tell you is there is something wrong in the parts you are using. If the crank gears are the same width then the cover or malancer are wrong. Shimming the balancer out will mean all the other pulleys will have to be spaced out the same distance. Try to locate another cover to compare.

Posted By: POS Dakota

Re: Damper shim? - 04/11/11 04:19 AM

Quote:

All I can tell you is there is something wrong in the parts you are using. If the crank gears are the same width then the cover or malancer are wrong. Shimming the balancer out will mean all the other pulleys will have to be spaced out the same distance. Try to locate another cover to compare.

Actually shimming wont hurt pulley alignment at all, it will make it perfect. I'll have to add shims between balancer and crank pulley for proper alignment. I'm using a march serpentime system. And the crank pulley would have to be space out...if the timing tab wasnt in the way.

I guess my options are to get screwed for another balancer under 7 inch diameter, or have my machine shop make me the shim I need.

I dont know what else to do.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Damper shim? - 04/11/11 05:11 AM

Quote:

Quote:

All I can tell you is there is something wrong in the parts you are using. If the crank gears are the same width then the cover or malancer are wrong. Shimming the balancer out will mean all the other pulleys will have to be spaced out the same distance. Try to locate another cover to compare.

Actually shimming wont hurt pulley alignment at all, it will make it perfect. I'll have to add shims between balancer and crank pulley for proper alignment. I'm using a march serpentime system. And the crank pulley would have to be space out...if the timing tab wasnt in the way.

I guess my options are to get screwed for another balancer under 7 inch diameter, or have my machine shop make me the shim I need.

I dont know what else to do.

If that is the case then shim it out .

Posted By: Danan

Re: Damper shim? - 04/11/11 03:53 PM

Bigblock340power here playing with Danans computer.
What does the gear drive Co. say about install.? Did you call the gear drive Co. about your problems? Something has to be different about the thickness or a counter sink of the crank gear. You didn't have this problem before you put the gear drive on, did you?

Posted By: POS Dakota

Re: Damper shim? - 04/11/11 05:59 PM

Quote:

Bigblock340power here playing with Danans computer.
What does the gear drive Co. say about install.? Did you call the gear drive Co. about your problems? Something has to be different about the thickness or a counter sink of the crank gear. You didn't have this problem before you put the gear drive on, did you?

I didnt have this problem before. I initially had a magnum timing cover and it worked fine. Then I decided to run the LA cover to run the serpentine system I wanted. That's when I discovered the problem.
Crank gear runs the same thickness and position on the crank shoulder as any timing chain. I measured over and over to make sure.

The problem is definitely the timing tab on the cover. But is it really a problem? I mean, dampers come in so many different diameters now...and they are all listed as a "smallblock mopar damper". They dont give you all the little details. I've seen dampers in the 6ish inch range all the way to well ove 7 inches.

But one thing I did not forsee is that the magnum timing cover, and this LA cover I have now each have a timing tab that is a different distance from the crank centerline. This LA cover is closer and the magnum timing tab was further away. My balancer didnt hit.

So I figured the best way to go about it since it wont hurt my pulley alignment was to make a spacer that could sit between the crank gear and balancer hub this way the ring doesnt hit the tab.