Fluidampr...IMHO Waste of Money

[Acesneights1]

well, I spent 2 hrs installing it on my Burb and I have to say not only did it not fix my vibration, but I notice absolutely no difference at all. Also for the cost of it i was very disappointed in QC..The one I got had like slag all over the seal surface where the seal rides. It took me a awhile to smooth it off with 1200. It was that way from the factory because the factory paint was over it and it was not dirt. It was difficult to remove and had I not seen it prior to install it would have ripped the new seal to shred. The truck runs no differnt, feels no differnt. The only advantage to it that I can see is it doesn't look like it could come apart like the factory ones do since it's not two piece. Also one of the bolt holes for the crank pulley was difficult going it. Not stripped, just a little tight and there was no evidence that this was a returned item shipped out again. for 409$, I expected more. Sorry for the bad review but that is what i see. Also when I took the main bolt out there was oil behind it...WTF ?? BTW I used the crank pulley of the 93 as it looked failry new. the one in the pics is the one from the Burb.

 

[Crankme69]

X2

I have always questioned the need for thi$ $400 part on a motor that the majority of the time that I try daily to keep <2K rpms :???:

 

[deejaaa]

could the vibes be from the crank, flywheel, throwout bearing, pilot bushing or timing chain? i wouldn't think a fluiddampr would relieve that much vibe, but maybe a little. might also be part of the internal rotating assembly. i would agree, 409.00 is a lot for a part like that but some people swear by them. i prolly will never justify getting one.

 

[NVW]

IDK Kenny but if there was oil behind the crank bolt I think your crank is broke. Tomorrow I'll check my crank and see if that is a blind hole.

 

[bison]

Ace it looks like that "gold plated" fluid damper is made in your favorite country.
BTW the crank bolt hole is a blind hole.
However, oil can seep between the crank face and the damper and trough the keyway groove above the key out to the front,no biggy.I seen it before.
I have no comment on the fluid damper,i have good luck with the stock setup.

on second look,that stock damper of yours looks perfect,no need to change it out IMO

 

[great white]

Any damper isn't going to make a noticeable difference in engine vibrations to the driver, unless the previous one was completely trashed and hammering around. The difference is "felt" by the internal components and reflected in thier service life.

Vibrations you can feel are usually mechanical failure, timing problmes, fuel imbalances or trashed mounts (usually the trans mount in most vehicles).

The tight bolt was probably plating build up. No biggie, it happens.

That welding slag is disturbing though....I thought "Made in USA" was supposed to be better than....ahem....."other places"?

Guess not always......

 

[Acesneights1]

IDK Kenny but if there was oil behind the crank bolt I think your crank is broke. Tomorrow I'll check my crank and see if that is a blind hole.

I would think it would have let go by now. I towed my 93 home from NY with this truck two weeks ago and it's a daily driver as well. The vibration has been here for well over a month. I would think the crank would have let go. obviously my damper wasn't the vibration but the fluidampr made absolutly no differnce in the truck at all other than it may not fly apart like the stock ones do. There is nothing wrong with the one I took off but it looked like it had a slight wobble to it. The Fluidampr does not. Put some snot around the crank bolt and washer(not enough to impede torque) and a touch on the keyway. BTW I have read others concerned about the balancer fiiting loose. No issue here. I had to use a puller to get the old one off and an installer to get the new one on. I'm gonna drop the tranny cover today and look at the flywheel. If it looks true then I guess drive it until something falls out on the highway. Then I'll know what was wrong.

 

[Acesneights1]

Any damper isn't going to make a noticeable difference in engine vibrations to the driver, unless the previous one was completely trashed and hammering around.
....

Fluidampr claims it does as have others who used it. I felt nothing...

 

[iamdave0887]

Kenny any chance you've got a slightly wore out trans mount?

I know that when you put the vehicle in drive with your foot on the brake the trans mount is twisting slightly from the torque. If the mount twists too far, or is too far gone, i suppose you could get metal to metal contact, and therefore a vibration.

The trans mount in my K-5 was wrecked, but it was also 20+ years old.

 

[great white]

Fluidampr claims it does as have others who used it. I felt nothing...

Nope, have to disagree there.

They claim torsional vibration from ignition events.

 

[3500GMC]

The weld slag on the snout is not so good for business. Good thing you were observant.

I think, bottom line, you can't go 'wrong' with a better HB... In 40k miles it will have paid for itself. I've not heard of a case yet where a crank has broken with a Fluidampr bolted to it.

... Kenny's gonna be our first.... :suicide:

 

[DieselSlug]

I prolly wouldnt ever justify in buying one either. Always listening about them, but when i rebuilt my engine i went with one from a GM dealer, paid a bit more for it than a NAPA model, but it was a heck of a lot less than 400.

 

[Matt Bachand]

My balancer looks warped as can be watching it run, but from underneath I 'ride' a ratchet or wrench alongside the smooth surface while engine is running, and its steady eddy as possible.

Looking down on it from the hood open it looks ilke its wabbling all over the place. Must be just imperfect paint/wear lines....

 

[Brooklyn Tow]

Should of sent it back, with the "slag" on it and asked if you could have another one without the "slag" for a discount

 

[JMJNet]

They should have a better QC for that part. Did you tell the seller about those slag???

It may not be the only one with that problem.

 

[great white]

I have always questioned the need for thi$ $400 part on a motor that the majority of the time that I try daily to keep <2K rpms :???:

Here's the problem with the fuidampr and the price:

It's SFI rated.

IOW, certified for "race" engine speeds. That costs money, which is passed on to the consumer.

Their street dampr line (not sfi rated) is nearly half the price of their fluidampr line.

I have to admit, I've never understood why they SFI rated the dampers for a slow speed (relatively) diesel engine....other than to jack up the price.

On the other hand, their "diesel specific" damprs are rated for 500,000 miles before replacement. That's probably good for 2 full engine lives on a 6.5.

As long as they don't pop a seal and the silicone gel starts to leak....

 

[Woody35]

any reports of longevity of them in colder climates?

 

[great white]

any reports of longevity of them in colder climates?

I'll let you know next year...

 

[Crankme69]

High rpms it makes total sense to me in a race application.

I also respect the fact that some have reported issues with the Dorman replacement.

Lot's of ways to spend our money, I just can't see how this expensive part fit's in with a low rpm application. Back when I replaced mine, totally preventive maintenance on my part, as there was not a thing wrong with the OEM one I removed that had over 200K on it. I contacted a rep at Fluid & discussed my options & the rep was a standup guy & he also agreed it was way over kill for a low rpm motor. So now my OEM original dampner is sitting on the shelf in the garage. I doubt that the Dorman replacement I installed will last 200K but then my truck currently has 220K on the clock, so I'm fairly certain the Doreman will outlast the vehicle.

Thanks BJ

Here's the problem with the fuidampr and the price:

It's SFI rated.

IOW, certified for "race" engine speeds. That costs money, which is passed on to the consumer.

Their street dampr line (not sfi rated) is nearly half the price of their fluidampr line.

I have to admit, I've never understood why they SFI rated the dampers for a slow speed (relatively) diesel engine....other than to jack up the price.

On the other hand, their "diesel specific" damprs are rated for 500,000 miles before replacement. That's probably good for 2 full engine lives on a 6.5.

As long as they don't pop a seal and the silicone gel starts to leak....

 

[Acesneights1]

Hmmm....Didn't think about the cold thing. I wonder if this thing will be out of balance in cold weather ? It gets pretty cold here. It came from Summit. They have an excellent return policy and I could have sent it back no problem but then that leaves me with a disassembled motor for a few days when I could just(and did) polish the one I got. I would not buy another one. Got thing has my noodle cooking. Did not think about that.