The Harmonic Damper or "Balancer" is an integral part of any engine. It's main function is to stop or "dampen" harmful harmonics in the crankshaft that occur while the engine is running. Imagine you have a crankshaft standing up in front of you on the shop floor. If you hit it with a hammer, it's going to ring like a bell. This is basically what happens in the engine when the explosion in a cylinder "slams" the rod and piston down onto the crank. Now if you touch that ringing crank with one finger, it will reduce the ringing, but it will take a little while. If you grab the crank with both hands, it's going to stop the ringing pretty quickly. If you and two of your buddies all grab it at once (with 6 hands) it's going to stop the ringing pretty much instantly. This is basically what a damper does. The more mass the damper has (the physically heavier it is) the better it works as far as dampening ability. However, in a racing engine, we generally want components to be light, so they will spin up faster and the engine will rev faster and make more horsepower. So even though a heavier damper will function better as far as protecting the crank, you pay for it in terms of extra weight the engine has to spin up. This is similar to the effect a heavier flywheel has on a 4 speed car. So, if you are willing to give up some dampening ability and protection for the crankshaft, a lighter damper will allow the engine to spin up faster. If you want maximum protection and durability for the crankshaft, then go with the thicker and heavier style.
From the factory, Chrysler used the thinner style dampers on 383 and 440 Wedge engines, and the thicker, heavier style on 426 Hemis and other heavy duty Industrial applications such as 413's in large trucks and generators, etc. Fluid Dampers work a bit differently because they use an inner ring which "floats" in fluid. So even though they are heavy when placed on a scale, when the engine is spinning them, the inner ring floats in the fluid contained within the outer housing. So the light outer housing spins around the ring, and the engine doesn't "feel" the weight of the ring when spinning up. We have sold thousands of both fluid and elastomer style dampers for decades and have had good results with both types. Some builders prefer one and some prefer the other. We carry both types so you can decide which is best for you.
Our SFI approved billet elastomer style dampers are just the ticket for those high horsepower stroker engines. For maximum dampening ability, the outer ring on these is the identical thickness to a factory 426 Hemi damper at a full 1.5" thick. However the center hub (where the pulley bolts on) is rececessed so they keep the factory wedge pulley spacing, so there will be no pulley alignment issues with standard pulleys. These weigh in at just over 10 pounds and are fully SFI approved The SFI foundation performs destructive testing on sample fluid dampers to ensure that the steel and methods of construction used meets their stringent requirements. This means they spin the sample dampers up to 12,500 RPM for over an hour, then they literally rip the metal apart while measuring how much force it takes for it to bend, stretch and finally break. SFI's minimum specifications to certify a damper to pass their 18.1 testing includes a yield strength of 40,000 pounds, a tensile strength of 60,000 pounds, and a minimum 10 percent elongation. These passed the SFI testing with zero problems. They are for internal (neutral) balance engines only, they will not work for factory cast crank (externally) balanced engines. We recommend using our 109-1526 or 109-1570 Damper bolt with these. An awesome damper at a great price!
Our SFI approved billet elastomer style dampers are just the ticket for those high horsepower stroker engines. These are a good option for those who are looking for a good mix of damening ability along with weight savings. The outer ring on these is the identical thickness to a factory 440 wedge steel (forged) crank damper at about 7/8" thick. And they use factory Mopar wedge pulley spacing, so there will be no pulley alignment issues with standard pulleys. These weigh in at about 7.5 pounds and are fully SFI approved The SFI foundation performs destructive testing on sample fluid dampers to ensure that the steel and methods of construction used meets their stringent requirements. This means they spin the sample dampers up to 12,500 RPM for over an hour, then they literally rip the metal apart while measuring how much force it takes for it to bend, stretch and finally break. SFI's minimum specifications to certify a damper to pass their 18.1 testing includes a yield strength of 40,000 pounds, a tensile strength of 60,000 pounds, and a minimum 10 percent elongation. These passed the SFI testing with zero problems. They come configured for internal (neutral) balance engines, HOWEVER, we also carry separate weights for this damper which can be bolted onto the back of it, so that you can use it for factory cast crank or six pack external balance applications as well! For cast cranks, use our 200-1164 weight. For six pack applications, use our 200-1139 weight. Use our 109-1571 bolt kit to attach either weight to the damper. Scroll down to the bottom of the damper page to find these parts. We recommend using our 109-1526 or 109-1570 Damper bolt with these. An awesome damper at a great price!
Our fluid dampers are very similar in design to the type sold by Fluidampr. They have an internal ring surrounded by a thin film of high viscosity silicone fluid, which allows the ring to rotate freely within the housing on nylon positioning guides. This allows the outer shell to "spin up" faster then the ring as the engine accelerates, which increases horsepower by reducing the amount of weight the engine has to move by over 33% compared a standard elastomer type balancer. Also, the housing is a one piece laser welded design, so there is never any danger of the ring coming loose or timing marks slipping. These include printed timing marks to 50 degrees, and a symmetrical pulley bolt pattern. We have designed these dampers based on detailed factory specifications, to be sure there will be no problems with fit or finish. Over the last two decades, we've sold many thousands of them and have found them to be one of the best quality dampers on the market, AND at a great price. Take a look at the picture and judge for yourself. These dampers are for internal (neutral) balance engines only, they will not work for factory cast crank (externally) balanced engines. We recommend using our 109-1526 Damper bolt with these.
Our fluid dampers are very similar in design to the type sold by Fluidampr. They have an internal ring surrounded by a thin film of high viscosity silicone fluid, which allows the ring to rotate freely within the housing on nylon positioning guides. This allows the outer shell to "spin up" faster then the ring as the engine accelerates, which increases horsepower by reducing the amount of weight the engine has to move by over 33% compared a standard elastomer type balancer. Also, the housing is a one piece laser welded design, so there is never any danger of the ring coming loose or timing marks slipping. These include printed timing marks to 50 degrees, and a symmetrical pulley bolt pattern. We have designed these dampers based on detailed factory specifications, to be sure there will be no problems with fit or finish. Over the last two decades, we've sold many thousands of them and have found them to be one of the best quality dampers on the market, AND at a great price. Take a look at the picture and judge for yourself. These dampers are for internal (neutral) balance engines only, they will not work for factory cast crank (externally) balanced engines. We recommend using our 109-1526 Damper bolt with these.
Our new Internal / External Balance Black high strength steel dampers are a great choice for those who want a high quality replacement (elastomer style) damper that interchanges with a factory unit. These can be used for either forged crank (internal balance which includes our stroker kits) or factory 440 cast crank replacement applications. When using these for internal balance, simply unbolt the weight on the rear of the damper. For external balance 440 cast crank applications, just leave the weight on. These include nicely engraved timing marks to 60 degrees, and a symmetrical pulley bolt pattern. We have designed these dampers based on detailed factory specifications, to be sure there will be no problems with fit or finish. The flat black surface can easily be painted engine color if desired. A nice choice at a nice price for all big blocks, and for replacing used or damaged dampers on cast crank 440's, there's no better way to go. We now also offer our 200-1139 "Six Pack" external weight (sold below separately), which allow this damper to be used with factory six pack external balance applications.
For those who like the factory stock look, we've taken the factory original (and hard to find) damper bolt and made it even better by reproducing it in a high strength Grade 8 material (along with the unique heavy washer) Use these with ALL of our aftermarket SFI Dampers, as well as all factory big block dampers (except for 426 Hemi and some Industrial applications.) Includes bolt and washer. Chrysler originally sold these as part #1731525 for the bolt and 1855561 for the washer
Our Performance 12 point damper bolt is a great looking option that features grade 8 strength, black oxide coating, and a price that doesn't break the bank. This heavy duty bolt works great with all our performance dampers and includes the super thick custom washer as well.
Our Fully polished, triple chrome plated Performance 12 point damper bolt is a great looking option to hold the damper onto the crankshaft. MADE IN USA, these feature grade 8 strength at a price that doesn't break the bank. This heavy duty bolt works great with all our performance dampers and includes the super thick custom washer, also triple chrome plated and polished to a mirror like shine.
Another 440 Source exclusive big block Mopar part! These awesome fully CNC machined adjustable timing pointers bolt on to the front of the engine, just like a regular pointer would. They're fully adjustable, allowing you to set TDC exactly where it should be with the damper, etc you are using.
Our timing tape features a zero to 60 degree scale (plus marks every 90deg) and fits all Big Block Mopar 7 1/4" diameter dampers. These are a great high performance item that helps to solve several problems. On engraved or printed dampers (even if they have the full timing scale printed) the lettering can be hard to read against the chrome background. This tape, with big, bright white lettering against a black background makes it quite a bit easier to see when setting timing, especially down in the dark near the bottom of the engine. Second, due to tolerance stack up, it's somewhat common to find the zero mark on your damper can be off by a degree or so. By using the tape, it allows you to find exact TDC, and they apply the tape at exactly that point. This is a much better and inexpensive alternative to modifying your timing pointer, or having your damper re-degreed.
New Heavy Duty Alloy woodruff key. Use for all engines, all years. This "performance" style uses extended "points" on the top of the key to allow more contact area with the crank gear of the timing set. Package of ONE woodruff key.
This fully machined aluminum spacer is .710" thick and will bolt onto the front of any 440 damper and convert it to original 426 Hemi specs, allowing any of our big block aftermarket or original dampers to be used on a hemi. This also makes a great general purpose lower pulley spacer for custom pulley setups, etc. Can be used in the .710" thickness as is, or easily machined down to a smaller custom thickness. Uses symmetrical bolt pattern. Multiple spacers can also be stacked together for extreme applications, as the registers will "lock into" each other when stacked.
We also offer an additional external balance weight for use with our 200-1128 and 200-1158 dampers which allows them to replicate the balance of the factory Chrysler cast crank dampers. This weight normally comes supplied with the 200-1128 damper, but must be purchased separately with the 200-1158 damper. Use our 109-1571 bolt kit to attach this weight to the back of the damper.
We also offer an additional external balance weight for use with our 200-1128 and 200-1158 dampers which allows them to replicate the balance of the factory Chrysler 3512017 "Six Pack" damper. This weight must be purchased separately. Use our 109-1571 bolt kit to attach this weight to the back of the damper.
Use these two hex drive countersunk bolts to hold either our 200-1139 or our 200-1164 counterweights to the back of our 200-1128 or 200-1158 dampers. One package includes (2) screws, enough to do ONE damper.
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440 Source Inc.
3680 Research Way Carson City, NV 89706
775.883.2590 / Sales@440source.com
