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  #1  
Old 02-23-2001, 08:11 PM
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JANDJ JANDJ is offline
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Question

ANYONE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH SFI AFTERMARKET VIBRATION DAMPMERS? WHAT TO BUY WHAT NOT TO BUY. THEY ALL SEEM EXPENSIVE FOR A HUNK OF STEEL.
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Old 02-23-2001, 08:22 PM
JERICOGTX JERICOGTX is offline
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JANDJ, I put a ATI dampner on my 440. My machinist recommended it because he has seen too many cranks break with Fluiddampr's. His reason with the ATI was that just about every NASCAR motor has one so they must be good. Sounded good to me. Also you dont have to modify your alternator to line up with the Fluidampr.
But you will need one once that GTX runs in the 10's.
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  #3  
Old 02-23-2001, 08:29 PM
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YES I KNOW 10.99. I HAVE HEARD THE SAME THING ABOUT FLUIDAMPNERS.
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  #4  
Old 02-23-2001, 09:46 PM
451Mopar 451Mopar is offline
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Way back when I built thr 451, I used the Summit SFI (less expensive dampner). They now list it for $259.50, but the ATI is $319.95.

The Summit dampner seems to work fine for me, but my engine sees more street miles than track use, and I usually shift between 6,200 RPM to 6,500 RPM.
The main drawback with this dampner is that it is very hard to read the timming marks on the dampner because it is chromed.
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  #5  
Old 02-23-2001, 10:16 PM
SubLime440 SubLime440 is offline
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I picked up a Fluid Damper used for my 440, does it make much difference in Horsepower or is it really appreciable at all... (Other than saving on the vibrations).....
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  #6  
Old 02-23-2001, 11:27 PM
DusterDave DusterDave is offline
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Just because an engine expired doesn't automatically mean the fault lies with the damper. There are many other reasons why it could have happened. You probably see them on more broken engines simply because more people run Fluidampr than other brands. More Chevy engines break at the track than Mopars. Why? There are a whole lot more of them. (Others may have different reasons!) Keep in mind, Fluidampr has been on the market since the 80's. If it was responsible for so many broken cranks, they would have gone out of business long ago.
Having said that, I bought a Fluidampr for my 440. If you read the testing, Oddy's did a test and Fluidampr performed better than ATI below 7,000 rpm. If I was building a high rpm motor, than I would have bought the ATI.
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  #7  
Old 02-24-2001, 12:58 AM
Woody Blanchard Woody Blanchard is offline
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Exclamation SFI Dampers

I use an aluminum ATI Super Damper on my Stock Eliminator engines and have had nothing but praise for these units. They are very easy to read and dampen the torsional stresses out of the crankshaft as they are designed to. There is one point to consider, you (usually) get what you pay for. If you buy a unit that is of low quality and cheap, don't expect too much. However, on the other hand, don't let the price tags fool you! Just because an item's got a high tag doesn't mean it worth that price. Best bit of advice is to take none! Check out the units that most folks are using for that particular the brand of engine (Chrysler, Gm, Ford, etc), talk to reputable engine builders & racers that do more than 'bench race' and weigh the facts, one against the other. One item to definitely stay away from is the solid hub, as this WILL break crankshafts for sure! Have fun!
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  #8  
Old 02-24-2001, 01:14 AM
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pishta pishta is offline
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I "scored" one on Ebay for 189.00 for a 340 from "Flatland Racing" . It was marketed as a "Fluid Damper", notice the space between the words. Smart marketing, bad call on the honesty issue. This thing weighs 13 lbs and is almost 2 inches thick. The rotational weight is 9 lbs according to the info I could scroung up on a similiar unit. It came with no literature whatsoever, just a manufacturers box. It is made by C.A.T. (who???) and has an SFI sticker on it. The timing marks are inscribed and it has a nice anodized finish, but I dont even know if the thing has fluid in it! After looking at it, I cant figure how it was assembled. ther doesnt seem to be a seam anywhere on it. Maybe it is solid, I dont even care anymore. I didnt feel any diffrence on my street motor, just a lighter wallet! You think they would ship a longer crank bolt with these units, try finding one! Oh well, live and learn, and point it out when you sell it!
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  #9  
Old 02-24-2001, 01:45 AM
Woody Blanchard Woody Blanchard is offline
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Default damper...

Hey pishta...these units are made by CAT Power Engine Parts, inc. in Calif. I recently got some info on these from a WD. Even though they're not the lightweight units that ATI makes, they should work just fine and are loads cheaper!
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  #10  
Old 02-25-2001, 12:10 AM
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WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE ITS BETWEEN THE ATI AND THE FLUIDDAMPER. ANY MORE INPUT? HOW ABOUT WHERE TO BUY?
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  #11  
Old 02-26-2001, 02:34 PM
Woody Blanchard Woody Blanchard is offline
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Exclamation damper sources...

You might try Marshall ("dracer"), <mc440@earthlink.com>. He's very helpful and knowledgable and should be able to give you any information you might need and a good price as well...
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