Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) bad harmonic balancer

[TBurow]

my balancer is seperating from the hub, the rubber ring is slipping and starting to walk off the hub. what years will fit a 96? i have seen alot of 24valve balancers but no 12 valve ones. or does anyone have a good used one for sale?

 

[GAmes]

Sorry to be a nit-picker, but it is a damper, not a balancer. Knowing what it is won't change that it is failing though. I suggest that you don't want a used one unless it is pretty new. Cummins, IH/Case tractor, and Dodge are the easiest sources for a new one. For the best OEM Dodge price call Save Big @ Mopar4Less.com!! - Full Line Of Mopar Parts - Be sure to specify internet parts.

 

[Adventure Bob]

Fluiddamper. Breakage is just an oportunity to upgrade.

 

[LVJUNIOR]

how many miles did you have on the factory damper.

 

[TBurow]

how many miles did you have on the factory damper.

306,433 miles of fun

 

[hsmith]

I agree with Gary on the new unit. However, if you really want a used one, the one off my truck is in good condition and can be had. I went with the Fluidamper a couple years ago.
PM me if you are interested in it.

 

[LVJUNIOR]

Hsmith

Did you notice $450 worth of improvement going to the fluidamper

 

[SRath]

Peace of mind count?

Does having a damper that will not fly apart, with probable catastrophic results, count as "improvement" to you?



Never mind the much smoother and longer-living engine. Who needs that?



The price is steep, though. And it won't make black smoke or loud exhaust noise or make your truck faster or taller or attract chicks like a $450 WalMart stereo crankin' out hillbilly rap music. It won't tell you precisely how many feet from your own garage you are relative to 7 satellites orbiting the earth. It just doesn't have much of a bling factor at all.



In fact, until you've had a damper come apart, I can think of no good reason to spend that kind of money to prevent it.

 

[GAmes]

His has come apart, from what I get from his post. Not a very dramatic consequence either. FWIW, I'm still running the original damper at 695k, so I'm surprised the OP's failed at 306k.

 

[LVJUNIOR]

Sorry for asking a question on a forum Srath. But believe it or not some of us actually pay for our subscription to TDR to discuss things such as spending $200 on a stock replacement part compared to $500 on a performance upgrade. And some of us might even have the audacity to ask if the improvement over the stock design justifies the cost of the upgrade.

 

[hsmith]

I'm not sure if any of the upgrades I have done are actually cost effective. Just like a $100 detail job. Not necessary, but makes the truck look good, I wanted it, and I got it.

 

[LVJUNIOR]

Hsmith

I am in the same boat as Tburow. My damper is starting to seperate and I am at the stock vs Fluidamper crossroads. How much smoother did the Fluidamper make yours?

 

[hsmith]

Not as smooth as my wife's Caddy. Some improvement though for sure. Probably the least cost effective mod I have done is the Gear Vendors. No way it can pay for itself, but is a smooth unit I enjoy especially when towing. Used dampener still can be had.

 

[TBurow]

i am reviewing my options, i use my truck hard and would like the benifit of a better damper, but like others said $450 is a good chunk of change, but replacing an engine is even a bigger chunk. my balancer started to deteriorate from a leaking front seal.

 

[FDavid]

If your not turning high rpm, a fluidamper doesn't offer many benefits over a stock unit.



Case in point...

... FWIW, I'm still running the original damper at 695k...

 

[hsmith]

Good point too. I don't think I ever run over 3k, if I do it is only an extra 100 or so.

 

[WDixon27]

mine is a little smoother on the interstate with the fluiddamper and i swear it seems to have a little less noise at a steady speed, which would go along with less vibration

 

[TBurow]

yeah, im going to cheap out and buy one here from a fellow member, maybe in the future i will not be so cheap and upgrade, but i doubt it, there's no cure for cheap a s s.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

There were two stock dampers, with the later engines and 215 HP engines using the big one. I have a used one in good shape. Any engine can use the big one; the crank sensor can be moved into position for either size.

 

[SRath]

You're kinda touchy, aren't you LVJunior?



Given the propensity of the Cummins dampers to come apart, and given what can happen if they do so completely and at speed, and given the stuff we regularly spend $450 on for these trucks that are nothing but bling, my point was that asking if it "is worth $450" is entirely up to you and cannot be answered by someone else. I have no idea if yours will ever give you trouble. I have no idea what you can or cannot afford. I have no idea if the additional benefits mean anything to you.

.

You posed your question in a way that could be taken as a slam for anyone "foolish enough" to spend that kind of money on such a mundane item. You can take my post any way you like. I guess I could have got real wordy and answered like this:



I have a Fluidampr, and it was one of the very few things high on my engine mod list. I like it, and I did not spend $450 for it. I spent half that and bought it used with a new install kit. Unlike the factory damper, Fluidamprs don't wear out. If I ever sell my truck, I will easily get my money back out of it. So I think it was a great buy and investment in my motor.



Is that an answer that meets your approval without offending you? :-laf