Balancer hub position ??
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,133
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
Balancer hub position ??
I'm doing the Opti thing and also changing to an electric water pump. I hope to end these Oil & water seepage problems on pump and crank seals for good. I have to remove the hub to get the front cover off. I know that the balancer will only bolt up to the hub one way. However, I've heard that the hub has NO keyway and can be turned around on the nose of the crank! I was looking at the balancer and It does indeed have some lightening dimples drilled into the face of it, and has 12 evenly spaced holes drilled into the back side with a weight pressed into one of the holes. (LT4 Balancer) My question is, not being the origional owner and knowing that this thing has been worked on before, how do I know where the hub should be?
If the front of this thing is to be correctly balanced, is there any way to reference the position of the hub to top dead center? Why no keyway? This sounds like a recipe for a balancing nightmare!
If the front of this thing is to be correctly balanced, is there any way to reference the position of the hub to top dead center? Why no keyway? This sounds like a recipe for a balancing nightmare!
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Florida
The LT1 is neutrally balanced in the front. It would be best to put it back where it was, but it is not crucial.
That's why it it called a torsional dampener.
That's why it it called a torsional dampener.
Last edited by Drop Top CE; Jan 7, 2008 at 04:52 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,705
Likes: 30
From: Chesapeake Beach Maryland
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
With the hub off the crank, (of course) turn it over and look inside the bore. If you are lucky you will see a faint ghost of where the crank keyway was positioned. Mine was clear as a bell where the old keyway had been postioned and it was exactly where I thought it was supposed to be. It's nice to have verification.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,133
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
I've got to go under the front cover to pull out that water pump drive shaft anyway. I'll look for that while I'm in there. Nice tip.
Boy, my Fords were never this tough to work on, but I never had one that went 171mph either !
Boy, my Fords were never this tough to work on, but I never had one that went 171mph either !
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Florida
The crank timing gear is located with a unique half-cut key that does not extend forward past the gear. So, there is no keyway under the hub. The hub is an interference press fit and is neutrally balanced so it doesn't matter. The device serves as a pulley and a dampener-not as a balancer.
Last edited by Drop Top CE; Jan 8, 2008 at 10:49 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,705
Likes: 30
From: Chesapeake Beach Maryland
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
The crank timing gear is located with a unique half-cut key that does not extend forward past the gear. So, there is no keyway under the hub. The hub is an interference press fit and is neutrally balanced so it doesn't matter. The device serves as a pulley and a dampener-not as a balancer.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,671
Likes: 20
From: Lake Wylie SC
My 92 didn't have a keyway in the crank where the hub slides on. I marked the hub and crank so I could install it in the same postion. The "set #1 to TDC" method works too. BTW, some LT1/4s did use the damper wheel for hard to balance engines at the factory. Many/most didn't require it.
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Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,133
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
Thanks for all the replys guys ! I talked to a Vette mechanic last nite at our monthly club meeting and he set me straight about this too. Those balancing drill marks and the little weight pressed into the back of the harmonic damper are there only to make the damper "zero out" like balancing a wheel & tire. Therefore, the hub can go on turned any direction, and it doesn't make any difference, because the crank is internaly balanced on that end anyway. The damper has no balancing effect built into it. (like Fords do)
