Does the LT motor have a vibration dampner?
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: salem or
Does the LT motor have a vibration dampner?
One of my track buddies roadraces a car with an LT-4 motor in it (good driver but he's not particularly mechanical). On his last event he complained of backfiring and loss of power, but continued on, at speed, for several laps to the finish line. I took a look and noticed that one of his spark plug wires had tankled in the steering u-joint and had pulled loose. It was an easy fix, but I voiced concerns about damage and the possiblity failure of his vibration dampner. He recanted that the LT motor "dosen't use a dampner".
Now I've never heard of a chev v-8 that didn't use a dampner, but that LT motor is an odd duck. Worse, I couldn't even look to see, as the nose of the motor is so shrouded in pulleys, pumps and a funky optispark with an octopus of wires reaching out and around the block.
Does the motor have one? Is so, does it have a method to retain it (like an SFI type), or is there a danger of the ring walking off the hub?
Thanks for the advise... just keeping my buddy safe.
Now I've never heard of a chev v-8 that didn't use a dampner, but that LT motor is an odd duck. Worse, I couldn't even look to see, as the nose of the motor is so shrouded in pulleys, pumps and a funky optispark with an octopus of wires reaching out and around the block.
Does the motor have one? Is so, does it have a method to retain it (like an SFI type), or is there a danger of the ring walking off the hub?
Thanks for the advise... just keeping my buddy safe.
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Your friend is very much mistaken. The LT1/LT4 motors certainly have a harmonic balancer but due to the tight spaces of the vehicles they were installed in, the balancer incorporates the grooves for the pulley.
A typical SBC has a dampener and a pulley where as the LT1/LT4 has a dampener / pulley combination. If you remove the stock pulley and install an underdrive pulley that isn't also a dampener you will end up with a broken crankshaft.
A typical SBC has a dampener and a pulley where as the LT1/LT4 has a dampener / pulley combination. If you remove the stock pulley and install an underdrive pulley that isn't also a dampener you will end up with a broken crankshaft.
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From: salem or
Do these integrated pulley/harmonic dampners have a risk of coming apart in a situation like this?
I know from experience, that the old style dampner can walk off when abused.
Thanks all, for the points.
I'll also recommend that he mag the crank at the next engine refresh...
I know from experience, that the old style dampner can walk off when abused.
Thanks all, for the points.
I'll also recommend that he mag the crank at the next engine refresh...
