I understand having to do the timing groove if using the 3.4 balancer, but which one is the RIGHT one to use?
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

I believe the 3.4 or a "new" 2.8 one would be best. I think most of us used the original 3.4 balancer because most of the original 2.8 ones are worn to heck. Even the Fiero Store 2.8 replacement (from what i recall) doesn't have all the notches in the original place. If it were me, I'd use the 3.4 one or a brand new one and notch or mark it properly.

You have to use the 3.4 balancer. You also need to change the oil pan and timing cover. You need to install the ones from the 2.8. I would not use the old 2.8 balancer on the 3.4. It will vibrate!


Steve

I used the 3.4 balancer. West Coat Fieros sells a 3.4 balancer with the correct 2.8 markings scribed on the OD if you are looking for a new one with the correct markings.

Get one for the 93-95 3.4 Camaro or Firebird engine. Line up the keyways of the old 2.8 and the new 3.4 and mark. I had a shaft setup at the machine shop, but now I have no idea where it is. If you remember the plane crash at Lawrenceville in October; that was my old partner that owned the shop. He's the one who knew where the shaft was. I seem to remember someone on here gave a measurement of so many inches left of the 3.4 mark. but I don't remember who or what thread.

Ashby remarks them using a hacksaw.

Thanks guys. Yep I knew it needed to be one for an internally balanced engine, but since we have neither a late 2.8 or 3.4, I'll just get the 3.4 one & re-mark it.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Paul, I looked at my old 87 balancer and my new 3.4 balancer and other than the timing marks, I saw absolutely no difference. I don't believe the balancer really has anything to do with it. lt's the flywheel you have to be aware of. If you're going to get a new 3.4 balancer, why not just order a new 88 2.8 that will already be marked?

When I installed my 3.4, I recycled my old '88 2.8 balancer. Never a minute's problem.

I ran into a problem where the 3.4 balancer was a three hole instead of the four that I needed for the pulley. I think I also had a problem with the timing cover. But I can't remember

quote Originally posted by 86soon3.4: You have to use the 3.4 balancer. You also need to change the oil pan and timing cover. You need to install the ones from the 2.8. I would not use the old 2.8 balancer on the 3.4. It will vibrate! Steve

All of the PR 60° harmonic dampeners are identical in every respect except for the location of the timing mark, and all of them are neutrally balanced. The only balance elements are the crank and flywheel/flexplate. Pre-88 2.8s had external balancing using the flywheel/flexplate, '88 and up 2.8 as well as all 3.1 and 3.4 PR motors used internal balancing on the crank with a neutral-balance flywheel/flexplate. The only advantage to using the 3.4 dampener is because it will likely be in better condition WRT the rubber interlayer between the hub and ring due to being less aged.

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: All of the PR 60° harmonic dampeners are identical in every respect except for the location of the timing mark, and all of them are neutrally balanced.

Agreed. I used my 2.8 balancer on my 3.4 and it works fine.

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JazzMan beat me to it. All 60-degree V6 harmonic balancers are neutral balance. So engine balance is not a concern.

quote Originally posted by Blacktree: JazzMan beat me to it. All 60-degree V6 harmonic balancers are neutral balance. So engine balance is not a concern.

Though technically they aren't balancers at all. It's a dampener, and what it does is to dampen torsional harmonic vibrations in the crank. Each time a cylinder fires there's a pulse of force on the connecting rod. Because the crank isn't perfectly rigid (not physically possible anyway) the crank twists a little. Then it springs back a bit. It can start twisting harmonically, becoming resonant, and if that happens the forces on the crank can get high enough to cause damage. The mass of the dampener's outer ring combined with the rubber layer between it and the hub act to dampen those twists.

They aren't entirely the same. One 3.4 "TOP picture" is a 3 spoke for mounting the pulley.. This okay if you want to use different pulleys. And yes the timing mark is different. but we knew that.. The bottom picture is the 2.8 balancer. They do, however, weight very close to each other but this is a 4 spoke and offered by the Fiero store.

http://www.fierostore.com/Product/Search.aspx

I found a 3.4 harmonic dampener at summit racing that had a full timing scale all around it. heck with transferring a mark, get a full scale all the way around for real accuracy.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATI-917190/

It's built WAY WAY better than the OEM part.

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quote Originally posted by timgray: I found a 3.4 harmonic dampener at summit racing that had a full timing scale all around it. heck with transferring a mark, get a full scale all the way around for real accuracy. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATI-917190/ It's built WAY WAY better than the OEM part.

That's TEN times the price!!!. And the 0 mark is probably not in the right place, either.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

quote Originally posted by unboundmo:

That is NOT the balancer that comes on the 3.4 Camaro engine

The one that comes on the Camaro 3.4 has the same holes as the Fiero one.

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My 95 Camaro 3.4P/R long block did. What I remember most was that the pulley needed to be a three hole.

quote Originally posted by Tha Driver: That's TEN times the price!!!. And the 0 mark is probably not in the right place, either. ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"

Yes the zero mark is in the right place, it's 100% adjustable as you can disassemble it, set it up correct, and then re-attach it.

And it's not 10X the price, I have never found a new balancer for $35.00, cheapest I could find was $75.00

I got my 3.4 balancer at an IAPA parts store for $42.

This has been discussed at length before, in this thread: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/104579.html

Something I discovered about balancers that has a lot of bearing (sorry for the pun) on the subject and is worth a re-post:

"All 60 degree V6 torsional dampers are neutral balanced and may be used with either internally balanced or externally balanced crankshatfts" From the book on building performance V6



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Bob T.

[This message has been edited by fyrebird68 (edited 02-22-2011).]

quote Originally posted by timgray: Yes the zero mark is in the right place, it's 100% adjustable as you can disassemble it, set it up correct, and then re-attach it. And it's not 10X the price, I have never found a new balancer for $35.00, cheapest I could find was $75.00

$35.79 at Rockauto. DORMAN Part # 594147 {#10146863} Solid; Diameter; 6.36"; Width: 2.29";
I hope that's the right one, it's the one we're getting. I also hope it's not made in freakin' CHINA!!!
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

[This message has been edited by Tha Driver (edited 02-22-2011).]

The Damper Doctor sells Fiero-specific dampers with the correct timing mark. They have a different model number for 85-86 than for 87-88. I have no idea what the differences are. But for 85-86, they have this one, and for 87-88, they have this one.
And they'll buy back your old damper.