Just checked the dealer for a new Damper and it was in excess of $600... is that correct? any other choices out there?

1994 convertible, LT1

 

What year is your car??

I replaced my own damper on my '86. The damper cost me $55 and I borrowed the puller and installer tool from Autozone for free.

 

i just edited my post to include my year... 1994...

 

75 75 like the number seven and the number five!!! what is like a HUGE difference!!!

wow thanks...

 

are you sure?? the Harmonic Damper? behind the crank pulley?

if so, you have a part number?

 

Yes, the damper for your car is about $75 at Autozone. Dorman brand which is a quality peice. Dorman Part#594-107

Is that $600 quote for just the damper or to replace it?

There is no need to pay a premium price for a GM peice since most GM and AC Delco parts are made offshore.

Although I've never changed one on an LT1, it looks pretty straight forward. Autozone will also loan you the puller and installer with a refundable deposit.

Here's how to replace your damper. Scroll down.

http://www.autozone.com/shopping/rep...00c1528008fb0c

 

Not even close to being the right one.

Yes it is unfortunately how much it costs $600. You can send it off to the damper Dr. to get refurbed There is a place I found for an after market one that I put on my last vette diagnosing a vibration less than a year later it was toast and it cost $300. Consider it a LT1 tax.
http://www.dalemfg.com/harmonicbalancer_002.htm
http://www.damperdoctor.com/Merchant...egory_Code=CHE



There are after market ones but they require removing the hub to install.

 

You're saying this is not the balancer for a '94 LT1?

 

ok Im confused now. is that the crank pulley? or the Damper or is the damper behind the pulley?

 

ok so now im all confused cause I purchased a pulley which will boost performance. this while replacing the damper. the damper, as i understand it, is a seperate part. right? here is the picture of the pulley i bought...

 

Balancer, damper, harmonic balancer, harmonic damper, are terms used interchangeably to describe the same part.

 

look at the picture i placed of the PULLEY i bought. my confusion is that i am not sure if i still need the damper or if the damper attaches to the pulley???

I am not understanding where the damper goes on the pulley i bought...

 

Because of the belt grooves, it looks like a balancer and crank pulley in one. On mine, the crank pulley bolts onto the balanacer as a seperate piece.

 

ok, I'll go with that

 

What did you pay for it?

 

On the LTX, the engine is neutrally balanced in the front. Hence, it is a dampner with pulley groves built in.

 

On the LT1/LT4, the damper and pulley are one piece -- they cannot be separated.
And, that damper/pulley combination bolts to the hub.

Be careful, some people on the F-body forum were able to buy a pulley by itself (no damper) and mount it on an LT1.
The result was torsional vibration that sheared the cam bolts off and the valves hit the pistons.
An important thing to keep in mind is TORSIONAL VIBRATION AND CRANKSHAFT BALANCE ARE NOT THE SAME THING -- you will always feel an out of balance condition, but will probably never feel a torsional vibration condition, even if the torsional vibration is enough to shear cam bolts and snap timing chains.

Tom Piper

 

This confirms that Redeasysport was incorrect.

$600 for a balancer is insane when you can get a quality one at autozone for about $75.

 

This is correct. Torsional vibrations occur to firing frequencies (our V8's have 4th order dominant firing frequencies) that align with the torsional natural frequencies of the rotating assemblies. Crankshaft balancing only helps first order vibrations, or once-per-revolution vibrations. Misalignment of a rotating shaft is generally second order.

I've looked at a lot of this on other rotating assemblies (not engines), but I've seen enough to know that you can quickly fatigue a crank if use don't use or use the wrong damper. Usually the dampers are 2 piece elements, with a rubber elastomer bonded between the inner hub and an out ring. The outer ring acts more like an isolation inertia to counteract torsional vibrations. The elastomers aging is accelerated with temperature increases, so these types of dampers won't last forever.

A good damper will really smooth out your engine and can actually let you produce more power at steady-state conditions. Depending on the inertia, it could reduce your dynamic performance.

Some dampers that I have worked with that are of a great design are the ATI Pro-Race dampers. These are modular units that are rebuildable, so when you notice degraded performance you can order a new set of elastomer elements. These are not bonded elements, and this design is not consistent with the images your displayed of the OEM unit.

 

I paid ~$90 at NAPA for my 93. The original one only lasted 175k