S&S Auto Parts
Machine Shop Service
New Palestine, Indiana
Precision Machining Engine Reconditioning Head Work Engine Balancing
S&S engine balancing
S&S Machine shop offers complete engine balancing
Engine Balance goes hand-in-hand with performance engine building. Engine Balancing reduces internal loads and vibrations that stress metal and may eventually lead to component failure. But is it worth the time and effort for mild performance applications, everyday passenger car engines or low-buck rebuilds?
From a technical point of view, every engine regardless of the application or its selling price can benefit from balancing. A smoother-running engine is also a more powerful engine. Less energy is wasted by the crank as it thrashes about in its bearings, which translates into a little more usable power at the flywheel. Reducing engine vibration also reduces stress on motor mounts and external accessories, and in big over-the-road trucks, the noise and vibration the driver has to endure mile after mile.
If the cylinders are worn and a block needs to be bored to oversize, the larger replacement pistons may be heavier than the original ones. Some piston manufacturers take such differences into account when engineering replacement pistons and try to match "average" OE weights. But others do not. Most high performance pistons are designed to be lighter than the OE pistons to reduce reciprocating weight for faster acceleration and higher rpm. Consequently, when pistons and rods are replaced there is no way of knowing if balance is still within acceptable limits unless you check it.
If you are building a stock engine for a passenger car or light truck that will spend most of its life loafing along at low rpm, your customer might question the value of balancing such an engine. But if a customer values durability and smooth operation, selling them a balance job shouldn't be too difficult, and it will add some extra profit, too.
On the other hand, if you are building a performance motor, a stroker motor or an engine that is expected to turn a lot of rpm's or run a lot of miles, balancing is an absolute must. No engine is going to survive long at high rpm's if it is out of balance. And no engine is going to last in a high mileage application if the crank is bending and flexing because of static or dynamic imbalances.
