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trevor'72 · 03-11-2003, 01:24 PM

You're correct to some degree. But here how it goes:

First things first things are alswyas balanced! Or they must be if you expect you engine to last!

Ok, even from the factory all engine parts qre balanced, baybe not as exact as if you have a machine shop balance every thing, but it is all balanced. If you have decided to rebuilt your engine and have bought new pistons, rods, crankshaft, balancer, flywheel(manual tranny) or FLEXPLATE(auto tranny) or any one of these parts even if you keep the rest stock it becomes necessay to have your engine balanced! All these parts make up the rotating assembly and must work together and in harmony!!!! Now I don't want to confuse you but it is entirely possible to replace items and keep the balance "within factory specs". Let's say for instance that you have a running (or did run) engine that is fine. If the balancer cracks or the flexplate cracks or gets way to hot (or other damage occurs to either part) you will most likely have to replace these parts. If you engine is stock then a stock flexplate should just bolt on. Yes the welding on the flexplates lookds kinda rought but if the part is new and is the correct spec (ie balance for you engine, size, number of teeth) it should be fine. If however your engine has been rebuilt before and balanced that may be a different story. When my motor was balanced my machine shop balanced my flywheel (manual tranny equivalent to a flesplate) to be in harmony with the rest of the engine. So if your flexpate that you took off your motor was balanced (ie drilling or other methods of removein/adding wieght) by a shop then you must either get the blueprinting from the shop (tolerances of the rebuild, tells how each part was machined) to be able to duplicate the balance of the previous rebuild to have the rotating assembly re-balanced.

Hope this has heled and maybe clarified a few things. Good luck with the motor!

03-11-2003, 01:24 PM	#4
trevor'72 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 35	Yes You're correct to some degree. But here how it goes: First things first things are alswyas balanced! Or they must be if you expect you engine to last! Ok, even from the factory all engine parts qre balanced, baybe not as exact as if you have a machine shop balance every thing, but it is all balanced. If you have decided to rebuilt your engine and have bought new pistons, rods, crankshaft, balancer, flywheel(manual tranny) or FLEXPLATE(auto tranny) or any one of these parts even if you keep the rest stock it becomes necessay to have your engine balanced! All these parts make up the rotating assembly and must work together and in harmony!!!! Now I don't want to confuse you but it is entirely possible to replace items and keep the balance "within factory specs". Let's say for instance that you have a running (or did run) engine that is fine. If the balancer cracks or the flexplate cracks or gets way to hot (or other damage occurs to either part) you will most likely have to replace these parts. If you engine is stock then a stock flexplate should just bolt on. Yes the welding on the flexplates lookds kinda rought but if the part is new and is the correct spec (ie balance for you engine, size, number of teeth) it should be fine. If however your engine has been rebuilt before and balanced that may be a different story. When my motor was balanced my machine shop balanced my flywheel (manual tranny equivalent to a flesplate) to be in harmony with the rest of the engine. So if your flexpate that you took off your motor was balanced (ie drilling or other methods of removein/adding wieght) by a shop then you must either get the blueprinting from the shop (tolerances of the rebuild, tells how each part was machined) to be able to duplicate the balance of the previous rebuild to have the rotating assembly re-balanced. Hope this has heled and maybe clarified a few things. Good luck with the motor!