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427 Damper Question, Fluid or Elastomer?

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Old Dec 28, 2006 | 07:02 PM
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Default 427 Damper Question, Fluid or Elastomer?

Wondering what the current wind direction is on the choices of Damper for the BBC using a fairly standard L-88 Config, 094 heads, 6223 crank and 11:1 compression. Car will be Richmond 6 speed so RPM will be all over the place, but not above 6500!

JOE
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Old Dec 28, 2006 | 07:32 PM
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I went through this a few years ago. After much research on the boards almost everyone recommended ATI so that's what I got. Only gotcha is the hub has to be honed out to fit properly but so do all the after market dampeners. It has worked great.

BTW, ask hotrod427 what he thinks of the chinese knock-offs... Hint: Boom...
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Old Dec 28, 2006 | 07:33 PM
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It doesn't make as much difference as marketing would lead you to believe. Use which ever one you want.
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Old Dec 28, 2006 | 07:40 PM
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Gerry: I agree the genuine GM dampener is pretty close to the ATI on the street, but they are also pretty close in price.

Now if you're saying the $60 chinese junk dampeners are OK I beg to differ. Those are a bomb waiting to go off, and it won't be pretty.
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Old Dec 28, 2006 | 09:22 PM
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I had a Chinese copy of a fluid damper......actually it worked fine..until the bolts came out of it. It was designed as a two piece unit as most of these type are. The damper bolts to the hub. Apparently the allen bolts worked themselves loose that held the two parts together. Don't ask me..I never had it apart....but after a few years they came loose. problem was that they were hidden behind crank pulley and I never noticed anything wrong until it was too late.

Somewhere around 7000 rpm it exited the end of the crank..the hub was still there...just no damper part. Took off the water pump and a few other expensive parts.

You could see where the bolts had been loose for awhile before they finally sheered off.

NOT a good feeling!


BTW...I have an ATI these days!! No problems!!


JIM
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Old Dec 28, 2006 | 09:30 PM
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Originally Posted by international blue
Wondering what the current wind direction is on the choices of Damper for the BBC using a fairly standard L-88 Config, 094 heads, 6223 crank and 11:1 compression. Car will be Richmond 6 speed so RPM will be all over the place, but not above 6500!

JOE
The fluid damper lasts forever. No rubber to deteriorate.
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 12:12 AM
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Very good information. Reading what I can find on the internet, it seems there are differing opinions and thats why I came here. The fluid damper seems a good choice, however one of the sites selling ATI mentioned that the silicone could solidify causing crankshaft breakage. (!) The other elastomer also get old and come apart, and the multipeice has no problems. I have never really heard of a fluid damper solidifying, so the problem seems to me to be rather un realistic. In any case I think there may be some deals on ebay if I'm patient...

Joe
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 12:16 AM
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Shoot a PM to ML67 here on the Forum. He has an regular internally balanced genuine Fluid Dampener he will sell. Probably get a good deal on it. His name is Mark..tell him Jim sent you.

JIM
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 12:09 PM
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Originally Posted by international blue
Very good information. Reading what I can find on the internet, it seems there are differing opinions and thats why I came here. The fluid damper seems a good choice, however one of the sites selling ATI mentioned that the silicone could solidify causing crankshaft breakage. (!) The other elastomer also get old and come apart, and the multipeice has no problems. I have never really heard of a fluid damper solidifying, so the problem seems to me to be rather un realistic. In any case I think there may be some deals on ebay if I'm patient...

Joe
I've had a Fluidampner for 10 years now, no problems. If the silicone solidified, I'd think you'd feel it with excessive engine vibration.

The only scenario I can think of that might cause it to solidify is extremely cold temperatures outside.

I've never heard of womens' implants solidifying.
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