65 Hipo Engine Balance

[texas swede]

When I bought my 67 in CA 1977 and shipped it to Sweden it had a 68 standard 289 with a 302 marked
block. I read in a catalog how to make it work and look like an HiPo 289, so I bought a HiPo balancer and the counterweight
together with lower gear and chain. Replaced the valvetrain and a rally friend (he competed with an Escort) ported and polished
the ports. Then a few years later I found two real HiPo engines and put one into the Shelby. Sold the standard 289 to a guy
with a 65 Mustang fastback. He was extremely happy with the performance of the engine and ran 12's at the drag strip.
The second HiPo (from a 67 mustang) I sold many years later.
12's on the strip meant that the balance of the engine must have been quite good as were the flow through the ported heads.
Texas Swede

[pbf777]

...............will this harmonic balancer work on a later model 302 engine? .................I'm probably going to order a 302 stroker long block crate motor and add all the SAI externals to create the appearance of a Hipo.

     Probably the first thing to sort out would be what the applicable imbalance value would be of this "crate-motor", as once stepping into the "stroker" short-blocks they come in a variety of external imbalance requirements; i.e. 28 in. oz. (as are the O.E. S.B.F.s pre-'79), 50 in. oz. (as are for example the O.E. 302's (5.0's) from '79 and up), or even quite popular for the aftermarket 0 imbalance or "neutral", these not carrying an external imbalance sum.  These sums of external imbalance requirements are considered standard, but with 'custom' built engines the possibilities for this are numerus even though such is perhaps frowned upon.  One will have to establish this issue without question.   

     As far as the concern of:   "Just throwing a different balancer on would likely destroy that balance."  Well, that would depend on just how in depth in detail does one want to get on the subject of something being actually "balanced".  As long as one establishes that their engine as received was intended to carry a ........ lets say 28 in. oz. damper, then swapping to some other like imbalance unit is generally considered acceptable.  And to be honest, most of the on-line so called "crate-engines" probably are not actually balanced as an assembly with the specific damper that might come attached to ones' engine assembly; so probably "no harm no fowl".  But if one contracts for an engine's revolving & reciprocating assembly to be "balanced", then this should incorporate all appropriate items in the endeavor, this including the damper of intention of use; and in this endeavor the accuracy supposedly being achieved would reveal the difference in two different damper units, as one really never seems to replicate the other, exactly, often even if it is only in the manufacturing tolerances of the same product from the same manufacture.    

     Also a proper period timing chain cover & water pump may also be required to be retrofitted for a proper timing point and alignment with the timing markings on the damper as the earlier stuff is not generally what is incorporated into the average "crate-motor".   

     Scott.

[mlplunkett]

Thanks Scott. Sounds like I'll need to talk to the engine vendor about this and, at a minimum, be sure I get a build with a 28 oz balancer and hopefully they will be able to accomodate my need for the early timing chain cover. That was something I hadn't thought about. If only I had a local engine builder.