Mulry wrote:Cadillac Bob wrote:So, basically you have defeated/disabled the damper. If you don't expect the engine to live too long (meaning thousands of hours) this is fine, but why not just throw the thing away and be done with it, then? Surely this is more weight savings than cutting one down.
On a lot of Japanese cars, the harmonic balancer is part and parcel with the crankshaft pulley. So you could get rid of it, but then you also couldn't run your alternator. Come to think of it, that would be a lot less weight too. Hmm...
On the early L-series straight six Nissan/Datsun engines, the water pump pulley is the outside of the damper.
At just under 40 years old, they have a fairly high failure rate.
When they fail, the water pump is not turned properly and the car over heats.
If you don't realize what is going on in time, you can blow the head gasket and warp the head which can further lead to dropped valve seats.
I know this cause it happened to my 1972 driver all the way back in 1997. One reason I had spare head parts for a 240Z.
Ford and Chevy engines that have pulleys that bolt to the center of the balancer do not have this problem. A failed balancer makes a lot of noise and I am sure there are some potential consequences but they are less sever than on a lot of imports.
Many performance balancers for Z cars are locked like mine. When my failed and I was 100 miles from home. I tried to hammer a few nails in where the rubber ring was to hold it together to get it home. That didn't work.
I think SFI approved balancers may be locked as well.
Troy
#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z
