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Re: engine balancing

To: tooze@vinny.cecer.army.mil, british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: engine balancing
From: "TeriAnn Wakeman" <twakeman@apple.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 13:52:31 -0800
In message <9311092023.AA08724@vinny.cecer.army.mil> Marcus Tooze writes:
> 
> A couple of people have mentioned that I shpould get my engine balanced
> since I'm rebuilding it. What does this involve? What parts do the machine
> shop require? Should I assemble some of the bits, or do they 'balance'
> each part individually? How much is a 'basic-balance-job'?
> 
> cheers
> Marcus

Marcus,
In my area a machine shop balance costs about $100.

Before balancing, the crank should be magnafluxed, ground down if necessary, and
polished.  The pistons should be fitted to the rods with new small end bushings 
(reamed for proper clearence.

What they do (asumming they have dynamic balance equipment):
They weigh the rod piston assemblies and take metal off three untill all four 
weigh exactly the same.

They put the crank onto a dynamic balancer and spin it then drill out metal from
the heavy side (like getting tyres spin balanced, but they take off weight 
instead of adding lead fishing weights).  Once the crank is done, they bolt the 
flywheel on to the crank & do it again, taking metal off the flywheel.  The next
do this with the clutch diaphram in place.  Finally they add the crank timing 
gear, pully and fan and do it one last time.  

Everything attached to the crank except the clutch disk and rods with pistons 
are dynamically balanced (fan, shaft, pully, timing chain gear, crank, flywheel,
and clutch diaphram).  The rods with fitted pistons are statically balanced.

Think of the bumpyness of driving on the freeway with unbalanced tyres.  Now 
think about the same kind of thing happening in your engine with an unbalanced 
engine.  Its the same forces at work.  A balanced engine is a happier engine 
that given the same care & treatment will outlive an unbalanced engine.

Take care,

TeriAnn


TeriAnn Wakeman             One of these days, I'll be old enough that
twakeman@apple.com          people will stop calling me crazy and start
LINK: TWAKEMAN              calling me eccentric.
408-974-2344        TR3A - TS75519L, MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, 109 - 164000561



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