Help - 58 283 - Should it have a Harmonic Balancer on it???

[hzl6cm]

I pulled the radiator off of the '58 283 V8 yesterday to replace the old damaged fiberglass fan and I noticed that there is no harmonic balancer on this engine - should there be one? It looks as if the crank shaft has a flanged piece on it and the pulley is bolted directly to it. The engine is no longer in a Corvette but is in a '66 MGBGT that I purchased last year. I don't have the engine nuber handy but it is an early one that has front motor mounts and no side ones - if I recall the date code correctly it is an early 1958 engine. I also understand that the engine may have been stroked and bored back in the early '70s when it was installed in this car. Thanks!

Kevin

 

[67l36driver]

I noticed that there is no harmonic balancer on this engine - should there be one?

Yes! Most certainly. Forged SB cranks will live without a damper but cast cranks will fracture at the center main, especialy a BB.

 

[Subfixer]

Take a better look at the "flange" on the end of that crank. The harmonic balancer on the "low horsepower" engine was very small and thin.

You can check by removing the lower pulley and see if there is a thin rubber piece between the hub and the balancer ring. Could be the balancer ring and rubber were removed. If so, I would get another balancer. The thin ones are not expensive.

 

[hzl6cm]

Thanks! I will look this weekend, I just got the radiator checked out and a new belt and hoses so the time to pull the pully off and look is now while these parts are off of the car.