Balancer necessary?

[flathead]

The balancer came apart on my 48 Dodge B1B. My question is, do I really need it? The motor is a P15 and not the original. I've heard talk that the balancer only came in the deluxe models and that the trucks never had them. Your thoughts?

[Sniper]

 My 51 Cambridge does not have one.  The 52 Dodge 230 I picked up to build does.

 

So either way works.

[flathead]

Then I guess my next question would be, how will I set the timing since the marks are on the balance?

[MarcDeSoto]

Maybe the balancer could be JB welded back together?

[kencombs]

I have two engines, one 56 Plymouth  and a 50 Plymouth.  The last was in my 56PU the 56 will be going in it.  The 56 has a balancer, the 50 does not.

 

Maybe it's the stroke difference?  Or just advances in the year model? 

[Loren]

There’s cottage industry forming to rebuild the harmonic dampers for all cars that don’t have ready replacements.

Basically the construction is a center with another metal part bonded to the center with a resilient rubber.

Typically the timing cover seal leaks and rubber deteriorates causing the bond to give up.

Or the rubber gets old and hard, cracks and falls out.

The V-belts usually keep the outer part near by but I have seen them eat up a timing cover.

Do you really need one? Judging by how many Plymouths didn’t have them, I’d say no.

If I had a good one sitting on a shelf I’d use it but I would not go out of my way to get one and I’d make sure I had a metal replacement if it failed.

Some engines have a “balancer” the flathead sixes are not one of them. In the true sense of the term it is a harmonic damper. The two masses bonded with rubber act to dampen the harmonics in the crankshaft. It does not counter act an imbalance. You can take a crank and ring it like bell. (It will buzz or sound dead if it has a crack) That’s the harmonics the damper soaks up. Slip the damper on and its noticeably quieter when you ring it.

[Sniper]

This is how the timing marks are handled on the 51's no balancer setup