[DeTomaso] Dampener

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/04/06 6:49:54 AM, charlesbuthala at yahoo.com writes:

<< I remember seeing some info going around about which HD to use.  Can 
anyone summarize what the best one is out there for the 351C.  I am still a little 
sticker shocked at these things, how do they justify 5 bills for rubber and 
steel? >>

I prefer a stock-type damper. But over the years, Ford used at least 5 
different harmonic balancers on the 351C, all varying in the damper ring width and 
of course, weight. The lightest I found is 9lbs 1-1/2oz while the heaviest is 
10lbs 9-1/2 oz; quite a variation. The Boss damper was the only one in which 
the outer ring & inner hub were chemically bonded; all others were simply 
pressed together so no big surprise they slip after 35 yrs of abuse. FWIW, there are 
shops that will rebond your stock damper for a fee of about $100. One is 
<DamperDoctors.com> in Redding CA, but they will not absolutely guarantee a 
rebuild to stay bonded in continuous duty above 5500 rpms, so if long-distance 
racing or 7500 rpm blasts are in your mind, go with an aftermarket unit, or modify 
a bonded one for positive retention. And be careful to not choose a late model 
damper that uses a 3-bolt pulley or you're going to have to redrill your 
stock Pantera-only 4-bolt crank pulley. Good luck- J DeRyke