Fluid Damper

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CRUZE 418

CRUZE 418

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Has anyone used the Speed Master fluid damper? Thumbs up, or thumbs down?
 
You WILL have to space out any FD type damper, and not one of them is the same thickness. Not one.

March Performance makes a pulley kit for the FD offset, but it is 3/4 inch. I have 4 different FD’s in the shop (two FD’s, one PRW and one that I can’t remember which chicom made it) and the two FD’s are the same and the two chicoms are different by about .040 or so.

And, here’s the kicker...not one of those dampers is a 3/4 offset.

If you aren’t willing to pay for the FD brand and get the updated unit with the recessed face so you can run your stock pulleys, or any pulley you want then I suggest you find something else.
 
Good advice, think that when I was researching, I ran across that issue, but somehow have pushed the fact off to the side. My '72 318 build needs a new damper, was going to pull my 418 stock damper for it and go fluid for the 418. Think that I may reconsider that, and get a new stock one for the 318.
Thank you Y Rose.
 
Fluid Damper works but they are a PITA to get things to line up. I've used them but don't know if they were worth the hassle. Plus they are way too tight on the crankshaft snout. I think Yellow Rose hit the nail on the head.
 
I installed one on my current build My 422 smallblock build
Can’t say how it works yet as the engine is not done yet. The finish is very nice though. I had the bore honed to fit when I had the rotating assembly balanced at the machine shop.
Also, the stock crank bolt is too short for the Fluidamper style dampers. An aftermarket one is available from ARP or, what I did, go to your local bolt bin and grab a .75”-16x3” grade 8 bolt and reuse the factory washer.
As for pulley alignment, there is one available from March that is designed specifically for the Fluidamper. March performance 10151. 5.25 od, so it has some under drive to it, depending on what size wp pulley you use.
 
mopardude318 said:
Or use a TCI Rattler. Those are good with no pulley alignment problems
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CRUZE 418 said:
Has anyone used the Speed Master fluid damper? Thumbs up, or thumbs down?
Click to expand...

440 source fluid dampener , stock mopar upper and lower big block pulleys , no shimming .
IMG_0469 (3).JPG
IMG_0150 (1).jpg
 
yellow rose said:
You WILL have to space out any FD type damper, and not one of them is the same thickness. Not one.

March Performance makes a pulley kit for the FD offset, but it is 3/4 inch. I have 4 different FD’s in the shop (two FD’s, one PRW and one that I can’t remember which chicom made it) and the two FD’s are the same and the two chicoms are different by about .040 or so.

And, here’s the kicker...not one of those dampers is a 3/4 offset.

If you aren’t willing to pay for the FD brand and get the updated unit with the recessed face so you can run your stock pulleys, or any pulley you want then I suggest you find something else.
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Hang on now. I clearly remember a thread not long ago where we were talkin about where Fluidampr had actually finally changed their design where everything lined up right.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Hang on now. I clearly remember a thread not long ago where we were talkin about where Fluidampr had actually finally changed their design where everything lined up right.
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The version 2.0 was recessed iirc. old stock was still flat faced. I think even C.A.T. finally got it right before changing their name.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Hang on now. I clearly remember a thread not long ago where we were talkin about where Fluidampr had actually finally changed their design where everything lined up right.
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They do. It has a recessed face. I don’t have any of those. All mine are flat faced.

All the stuff is finally here to get the pulleys lined up on the engine I have on the stand. This is with the March Performance pulleys that have the FD offset and I’ll still have to make some spacers to get stuff lined out.
 
yellow rose said:
They do. It has a recessed face. I don’t have any of those. All mine are flat faced.

All the stuff is finally here to get the pulleys lined up on the engine I have on the stand. This is with the March Performance pulleys that have the FD offset and I’ll still have to make some spacers to get stuff lined out.
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I knew you were cosmetically challenged, but I didn't know you had a flat face. I'm sorry man.
 
I have tried to get in touch with Speedmaster to ask if this is an issue with their fliud damper. Have not been successful, they say that there are no agents available, ask you to call back and hang up, or your wait time is 2 minutes, you wait 5 and same thing. They have a good price on their product, if I have to pay upwards of $400. for a competitor, I will just get a replacement damper and be done with it. People seem to speak well of their products, but their customer service sucks.
 
CRUZE 418 said:
I have tried to get in touch with Speedmaster to ask if this is an issue with their fliud damper. Have not been successful, they say that there are no agents available, ask you to call back and hang up, or your wait time is 2 minutes, you wait 5 and same thing. They have a good price on their product, if I have to pay upwards of $400. for a competitor, I will just get a replacement damper and be done with it. People seem to speak well of their products, but their customer service sucks.
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As stated in post #5, there is a pulley alignment problem when using the Speedmaster damper. An appropriate pulley is available from March.
 
Yeah, think that I have my direction. I have too many irons in the fire to at this time to be playing with all of that. I'm just going to stock replacement. I did not think in the beginning that this was going to turn into if you do this you have to get that, and etc. etc.
Thank you all for the information!
 
I haven't gotten them back yet but I sent 2 stock dampers out to damper dudes and I think that it was 2 days maybe 3 max, and they called me for a CC number saying they were done and ready to go into the mail.
 
I've thought about a fluid style damper but don't know enough about them to spend that much on one.in the past when I have had a bad damper I've headed to the junkyard and gotten my replacement
But as luck would have it they don't have a single forged crank slant 6 in the yard right now.
So I sent that one in and a 318 one for my son to go on his internal balance 408
 
Ive had good luck with the professional products sfi balancers. no alignment issues on the 5.9 mag in my dakota.
 
One wonders how these dampener companies can get these measurements soooooo wrong. They are just simple measurements....
 
Bewy said:
One wonders how these dampener companies can get these measurements soooooo wrong. They are just simple measurements....
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They don’t get them wrong. They can’t make the damper any bigger in diameter so they have to make it thicker.

To get the broadest RPM range of dampening you need the biggest damper you can get.

Any OE damper has a very narrow dampening range. In fact, ALL elastomer dampers are frequency limited.

I can’t think of his name right now but the guy who owns CWT balancers did a very good webinar on over balance and he got into damper and dampening.
 
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