Kevman

Stock, my 305 came with a 6" Harmonic balancer, sat 1/4" away from the timing cover..

My new 1978 350 has an 8" harmonic balancer, 1/2" away from the timing cover, and the balancer is actually thicker than the old one..
I know my serpentine setup is going to require spacers all around.. Now, I have no smog (Running headers, and edelbrock intake) so No EGR and no AIR to worry about, I'm running a carb so theres no computer to worry about.. I'm also going to be e-testing it as a Hot-rod, so big brother can eat me..

What options do I have here? I also have no A/C any more.. Would I be better off buying a V-belt kit? Or a small serpentine setup?

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

Put the 305 balancer on the 350
Only SBC that needs a "special" balancer is a 400

Kevman

I was considering that, but I read you are not supposed to do that.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

The front face of ALL SBC crank dampers is in the same location, except for the Vortec motors (because of the crank pos reluctor wheel). Even the ones from 265s and 283s, from before they even WERE dampers, but instead were only pulley flanges.

They are not all the same thickness however; the rear face of them varies.

NO belt setup requires spacers, if assembled fully and correctly.

Sounds like yours is not on all the way. That damper should almost be rubbing the TC.

You can use the 305 damper if you want, but the one you have is probably better.

camaronewbie

And I was under the impression that all SBC balancers were either 6 in or 6 3/4 in, never heard of an 8in balancer .... but I'm no expert either.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

There are actually SEVERAL sizes of them.

From my memory of dealing with them over the years, which may not be perfect:

The old 265/283 pulley flange was just that, a flange, not a damper (it had no inertia ring). It was about 4½-5" OD and about 3/8" thick; basically just thick enough for pulley bolts to bolt into.

The original 327 damper was about 6", and was only about 1" thick.

The 350 had 7" and 8" ones, which were about 1½" thick. The 400 one is the same as the 7" 350 one except that a chunk is missing from the damper ring.

Up to this point, all of them had the timing mark near 1:30. There are 2 versions of this timing mark however; the early version was about ¼" (6-8°) different from the FAR more common, later one. The following ones have the timing mark at 12:00.

The 305, and most of the later 350s, got the 6¾" one that's about 1¼" thick.

The Vortec one has a slightly shorter snout, to accommodate the reluctor wheel which is mounted on the crank between the damper neck and the timing gear.

On ALL of them, the face that the pulleys mount to, is the same distance from the front of the timing gear. The thickness differences are in the rearward direction. The 265/283 pulley flange was about 1", or a little more, from the TC; the largest ones come very close to the TC.

All pulley setups will work on all dampers.

Kevman

Well, while installing, I could not tighten the balancer installer any more, I was using a 1 1/2' long adjustable crescent wrench to tighten it..
Then when I put the balancer bolt in, it moved maybe 1/8 of an inch and was really tight.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Ummmmm,,,, .... ,,,, OK.

Sounds great.

So what?

It's not on all the way.

Try using the right tools. A damper installer, available FOR FREE at many parts stores such as AutoZone or Advance, would be a great place to start. Try operating it with a socket or a box-end wrench.

Telling us here all about what you did to tighten it, won't scare it into jumping the rest of the way on. I've noticed in my several accumulated weeks of wrenching on old cars as stress relief, the parts are COMPLETELY indifferent to sob stories. They only respond to action. Son, you just gotta get out there and do it.

Kevman

I own one. it will not go on any further than 3/8" from the cover.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Then you don't have it on all the way.

Find out why it's not on all the way. Arguing with me isn't going to install it correctly.

Kevman

Got it in another 1/4" with my new 1/2" Dewalt 18V impact.. I'll do some measurement for the serp. When I get it in the car.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like it's much better now.