216 Vibration Damper

O.K. vintage guys,

216 damper/crank pulley loose and rattling.
What holds this thing on-is it like a standard damper?

With all the 216's around, surely someone remembers this off the top oof their head.
I felt around and did not feel a bolt or a bolthole in the center.

I'll go out and check my '51 235. it's basicly a big bore 216.

I can't tell. looks like there is a hook for a hand crank in the center.

Damper (at least you spelled it right) is pressed (or pounded) onto the crank. It is similar to the early Chebbie V8 cranks where everybody hammered the damper back on. There is a woodruff key holding the rotational position....

As I remember, the damper goes to a shoulder on the crank. You potentially can drill and tap the end of the crank so you can add a bolt retention device. The problem with doing this is the access to the end of the crank since usually the radiator, crossmember, or some other feature is in the way. If you have a right angle drill and a stubby bit (dont risk harbor freight crap here) you might swing it. Tap it something like 1/2-20 or bigger. Fine threads are better. Grade 8 bolt is a must. You might go buy a Chev V8 bolt and match that. Dont hammer the damper on, use the bolt to pull it on. It sounds like you already have a slip fit clearance but if something is out of round, you might have a problem.

"you can add a bolt retention device"

Do I take this to mean that the three bolts are holding the pulley to the damper, and that the damper itself is only held in place due to the close tolerance of the damper vs. the crankshatf?

Matt, I have the same hook.

It has been ten years since I tore into a stovebolt, please excuse my memory failure. I simply do not wish to remove the radiator and risk damaging if i can avoid doing so.

Yep, the damper on a 216 is a press fit, and the bolts only retain the pulley. If it's loose, something is worn. Does the "V" on the crankshaft pulley line up with the other pulleys? If it is, then the damper is fully seated on the crank, and you have a clearance problem. I suspect that a machine shop could install a sleeve, then cut a slot for the Wodruff key and ream it to size.

That's what I was afraid of-CRAP.

O.K.- I pulled the radiator and verified my problem. The generator belt was the only thing keeping the damper in place. I can see the damper wearing like this on its own-But there appears to be no wear on the crankshaft.

Does anyone have some spec's or measurements for the end of the crank and the inside of the damper?

I will either find a good damper if my crank is good or fit a bushing to the crank.

well if it is not held on by a bolt, it needs to be a press fit, so no more than .005 but .001 would be better. in other words, the crankshaft and the damper must have no more than .005 diffrence between the 2 measurements. mic them up.

No, Matt-There is slop-loads of it.
I slid the balancer off by hand.

I need to know what the diameters were when these parts were new.
I want to verify that the sloppy balancer did not wear the crankshaft.
I can look at the inside of the balancer and see a taper.

I checked the old car manual project in the '49-'53 chevy passanger manual but didn't find anything. check the local carquest or Napa, they probably have a listing for them and could probably tell you the diamaters. you could call www.chevsofthe40s.com and see if they have the measurement, they sell rebuild kits so I'd assume they may. sorry I couldn't do more.

OK, I still have not found any numbers.

Does anyone have a tight fitting balancer that they can pull and mic and possibly a balancer that they are willing to sell?

The 235 should measure they same.

Does anyone know how new of a inline six uses the same damper imbalance that will still fit the 216?

I am about 3 or so hours from Mobile. if you want a dampner there are several cars here I know of, you can get the entire car, engine, dampner or whatever pretty cheap. I know the guy and last few thing I bought for the price of scrap. 5,000 lbs for around 300 bucks.