hamonic balancer hitting

[nepa_guy38]

need alittle help, i got a 360la engine about 8 years ago and it was sitting in my garage up north, i moved to florida and my son had bought a duster to put the engine in. we took apart the heads and front of engine like timing chain and gears and pulleys, well he got a good deal on a 318 and so the 360 engine just sat until now where we just rebuilt it to put it in the duster but when we installed the harmonic balancer that came off the engine, it now hits up against the timing cover where the marks are, is there a spacer we forgot to put between the balancer and bottom timing gear? don't understand why it is hitting the cover now. thank you

 

[69FBCuda]

Photo would help immensely. Slinger/splash guard but i dont think it's thick enough to make a difference. You sure the balancer is correct to begin with?

 

[Locomotion]

I agree with 69FBCuda - pics. I ended up with an aftermarket big block Mopar balancer once that someone misrepresented as a small block. It fit, but it did bottom out against the timing cover timing marks. Some BBM balancers also have counterweighted balancers but to a lesser degree than a 360.

 

[dusterbing the peace]

What brand? The ATI balancer requires that the timing marks be ground off flat and welded shut…others may require the same. And like others said…post some pix

 

[nepa_guy38]

It is the stock one i removed from the engine, the timing cover is a new aftermarket one, i was thinking it might not be made just right.

 

[nepa_guy38]

This is a pic of it

It is the stock one i removed from the engine, the timing cover is a new aftermarket one, i was thinking it might not be made just right.

 

[RustyRatRod]

<rolls eyes>

 

[AJ/FormS]

In all my life I have not seen a passenger-car damper that fricking huge, lol. I have no idea how you are gonna make all the belts fit, and still fit a fan on the pump........nevermind the clearance issue.
My guess is that, that engine is not/never was, out of an A-Body.
I only know A-Bodies and I know there were several styles of Timing covers.
The earliest had NO timing marks but had a little metal strap tab bolted on.
The next bunch had the cast in and raised boss, sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right. Of these, some had the seal installed from the inside, and some from the outside. On one of those, the seal boss stuck out further towards the balancer; and I think it was the one that had the outside seal.
If it was my 360, I would search for a more common A-body balancer and matching cover, that fit just like the 318 balancer except it has the 360 weighting on the backside, (they are marked for 360) and much more attractive pulleys. That beast you got is a monster.
Be aware that your monster damper may not be weighted the same as the P-car damper, and that would be a sad day for you, cuz it would require rebalancing your stuff.
Happy HotRodding

 

[69FBCuda]

Mach up all the mounting brackets and perifials to check for pully alignment and only then consider changing out the balancer.

 

[nepa_guy38]

The engine came out of the Duster, numbers matching. was told it was a rare option car with all it has so this is why we are putting the 360 back in it

 

[RustyRatRod]

The engine came out of the Duster, numbers matching. was told it was a rare option car with all it has so this is why we are putting the 360 back in it

Do you actually WANT help? Maybe you could back up another 150 feet and take a picture. What we are asking for is a picture of where and how the balancer is hitting. The picture you posted may as well be a shot from a satellite in space.

 

[Icetech]

OR... Could you please take a couple of shots closer to the issue, thanks

 

[AJ/FormS]

Did the Duster come with A/C?
Cuz I have never seen the balancer on one of those.

 

[junkyardhero]

360la engine about 8 years ago

okay

we took apart the heads and front of engine like timing chain and gears and pulleys,

alright, i'm still with you

well he got a good deal on a 318 and so the 360 engine just sat until now where we just rebuilt it

okay, now it gets murky. rebuilt what? the 318 or the 360? what's the story about the 318, how does this figure into the picture?

to put it in the duster

to put what in the duster? the 318 or the 360?

but when we installed the harmonic balancer that came off the engine,

which engine did the harmonic balancer come off of and which is it going on?

if you want help, specifics are key here.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Do you actually WANT help? Maybe you could back up another 150 feet and take a picture. What we are asking for is a picture of where and how the balancer is hitting. The picture you posted may as well be a shot from a satellite in space.

Why you have to be so mean?
Did you forget your pills again?
Or do you two guys know eachother?
Have you tried zooming it?
On your keyboard, you press Ctrl and the "+" sign, together, before you enter a post.
At 300% I can see what timing index is aligned to the damper line.

 

[Phreakish]

Not enough detail to see where there's contact. Just that it's a balancer, with a counterweight on the front.

My $.02: none of the rest of the engine is factory, the balancer will have more impact on the longevity of the motor than the spendy valve covers. Buy a new balancer and be done with it.

 

[Cuda Al]

I think the general consent is that balancer in not OEM for your application.


Alan

 

[Locomotion]

The engine came out of the Duster, numbers matching. was told it was a rare option car with all it has so this is why we are putting the 360 back in it

The car and engine are around 50 years old. It could have been rebuilt a few times, parts could have been mixed up and you can't always believe everything someone says. Check it yourself or find someone who knows and you can trust.

The best I can figure is that you have a 400 cast crank balancer and it bottoms out on the timing cover timing tab because a big block balancer snout is shorter than one for a small block. Without having a 360 and 400 crank side-by-side, it can be hard to tell. But a 400 big block balancer is thicker. Early 360 balancers had a counterweight while later ones had weight removed from the opposite side of the outer ring. But they were all about the same thickness, definitely thinner than what is on the engine.

Early 360 - Late 360 - 400 big block cast crank (I believed the last internet photo was labeled correctly.)

 

[A body]

The “modified“ timing cover mentioned earlier…..

 

[nepa_guy38]

I ordered a new one from summit and will see how that one fits

 

[nepa_guy38]

The car and engine are around 50 years old. It could have been rebuilt a few times, parts could have been mixed up and you can't always believe everything someone says. Check it yourself or find someone who knows and you can trust.

The best I can figure is that you have a 400 cast crank balancer and it bottoms out on the timing cover timing tab because a big block balancer snout is shorter than one for a small block. Without having a 360 and 400 crank side-by-side, it can be hard to tell. But a 400 big block balancer is thicker. Early 360 balancers had a counterweight while later ones had weight removed from the opposite side of the outer ring. But they were all about the same thickness, definitely thinner than what is on the engine.

Early 360 - Late 360 - 400 big block cast crank (I believed the last internet photo was labeled correctly.)

View attachment 1716063284

View attachment 1716063280

View attachment 1716063285

the top one is what i have on the engine which was the one i took off when i took it apart

 

[missing linc]

Are the dowel pins installed in the timing cover? If not then it may not be correctly aligned and sitting too low, allowing it to make contact with the balancer.

 

[nepa_guy38]

Are the dowel pins installed in the timing cover? If not then it may not be correctly aligned and sitting too low, allowing it to make contact with the balancer.

the back of the balancer is hitting where the timing marks are on the cover, it bottoms out on it

 

[nepa_guy38]

okay
alright, i'm still with you
okay, now it gets murky. rebuilt what? the 318 or the 360? what's the story about the 318, how does this figure into the picture?
to put what in the duster? the 318 or the 360? which engine did the harmonic balancer come off of and which is it going on?

if you want help, specifics are key here.

We are putting in the 360, it was taken apart over a year ago and just sat on shelf until now, the balancer came off the 360 and was put back on but now it is hitting where the timing marks are, the timing cover is brand new so i was thinking the cover is made wrong in that area

 

[replicaracer43]

Are the dowel pins installed in the timing cover? If not then it may not be correctly aligned and sitting too low, allowing it to make contact with the balancer.

There are NO dowel pins in a sbm timing cover