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Possible to install ‘wrong’ balancer?

///Matt

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been searching but can’t find an answer...

Is it possible to install a “for cast crank only” balancer onto a forged crank (440), and vice versa?

Not that I want to install a ‘wrong’ one, I just want to rule out or find possibility that my car has the “wrong” damper on it.

I’m also finding vague and conflicting information about 76+ RV motors as possibly having one crank or the other, though still using a “cast only” balancer. It’s confusing.
 
been searching but can’t find an answer...

Is it possible to install a “for cast crank only” balancer onto a forged crank (440), and vice versa?

Not that I want to install a ‘wrong’ one, I just want to rule out or find possibility that my car has the “wrong” damper on it.

I’m also finding vague and conflicting information about 76+ RV motors as possibly having one crank or the other, though still using a “cast only” balancer. It’s confusing.
Yes it is possible. I bought a charger years ago. It had just a slight vibration when you rev it up. I checked the numbers. It was a 69 383 with steel crank "internal balance" but it had cast crank balancer. I changed the balancer to a internal balance. Problem solved. Smooth as silk when revved up.
 
Perfect.

I found some more info suggesting that RV motors (which i’m pretty certain mine is) generally had forged cranks and “6-pack rods”... guess I’m boogered into pulling the oil pan and being sure. I hate breaking seals that don’t leak, haha.

But if it’s a forged crank, I’d rather put a forgrd crank balancer on it.
 
You can check for weights/no weights on the torque converter. Easier than pulling the pan. If you have a bore scope you can check through the drain plug hole for the type of crank. There's a difference in appearance between the cast and forged just by looking at them.

Are you having any vibration problems? If not, you probably have the right dampner.
 
You can check for weights/no weights on the torque converter. Easier than pulling the pan. If you have a bore scope you can check through the drain plug hole for the type of crank. There's a difference in appearance between the cast and forged just by looking at them.

Are you having any vibration problems? If not, you probably have the right dampner.
I do have vibration... many. hard to nail down between motor, trans, driveshaft, tires....
 
I believe there are three different damper weights, not counting the thick hemi balancers. There is, no counterweight, for standard rod forged crank, heavy counterweight for cast crank also using a weight on the converter, and one with smaller counterweight for forged crank with heavy "six pack" rods. I don't think the heavy rod motors use weight on the converter, but I may be wrong about that.
I don't know how to tell if you have a heavy rod motor, other than physical I nspection.
 
Thanks guys. I know which balancer it has... just gonna have to get into it and be sure what internals it has.

I did find (under paint) the deck stamp, which, as best I can decode, indicates it was originally a cast crank based on the “e”, but I could easily be wrong or it could have been changed out at some point.

1CAC1A42-E375-4984-820E-3528B042095E.jpeg
 
Buy a small bore camera for you phone and look in through the oil drain plug hole. It about $20
 
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