ALL factory engines are balanced, otherwise they would all shake like a paint mixer. The factory just specs out a tolerance for each part to weigh and casts them in this way to obtain a certain balance. <snip>
Outstanding job, Ferm! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I've been twisting wrenches and building engines (big and small) for over three decades. Your comments are spot-on.
Provided that no major changes have been made to the rotating assembly, there is really no need to rebalance an engine during a rebuild.
Actually, I pay the extra $$$ to get my stuff balanced within 4 grams. Typical cost is around $225 here in the Tyler area. My machinist will take it down to a 0 gram balance, but the cost more than doubles. Considering the rpm range and the (relatively) light duty usage, I've never seen the need to do that.
For street use, I've built Chevy, Ford and Veedub motors. On average, they've come from the factory balanced within 10 - 12 grams. I've always felt that the $$$ spent on closer balancing specs are more than paid back with increased fuel economy and increased engine life.
Also you CANNOT balance an engine with a fluid type balancer. You must use a fixed type of solid balancer when balancing an engine if it is externally balanced as the fluid will move and try to dampen the out of balance and skew the balancing process. Fluid type balancers are balanced before they are filled with the viscous fluid that is used in them.
Matter of fact, this has been made pretty clear from the get-go: Balance the engine first with the stock HD,
then install the Fluid Dampener.
All of my info has been learned from my years of turning wrenches, working in a shop, and building race engines since before I could walk. I don't do many engines anymore, but the ones I do are known to RUN nicely):h.
X2
No race engines, just a long list of streetable motors that run
really well and live a long and happy life.
