# vendor for harmonic balancer



## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

My mechanic is telling me he is having trouble setting the timing because the harmonic balancer has slipped. ?. Anyway I want to buy a good quality one. Can anyone recommend where to get one? 65 389.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

65gto said:


> My mechanic is telling me he is having trouble setting the timing because the harmonic balancer has slipped. ?. Anyway I want to buy a good quality one. Can anyone recommend where to get one? 65 389.


You are looking for a 6-bolt, two piece, 5.25" diameter balancer. The late 1968 and up balancer is a one piece 6.75" in diameter. You will need the correct diameter to match your timing cover UNLESS someone has changed the cover to the later 11-bolt water pump style versus the 8-bolt water pump which yours should be.

Butler has them for $168.00 plus shipping. http://butlerperformance.com/i-2445...c-6-bolt-aac-630155.html?ref=category:1234723


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## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

Thanks Jim, I have found what appears to be the same one at Ames for $179 plus shipping, and also one at the Parts Place for $159 shipped. Does anyone know if these are the same manufacturer? or any opinion?


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## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

Ended up going with the "SFI" HIGH PERFORMANCE balancer from Ames. Found out that I needed more offset on the water pump pulley, in order to get everything to line up
. The pulley I had on it is a 5.75 inch. Not sure why this was on there, but I have been driving it a few years with no over heating problems. New pulley has the correct offset but a 6.5 inch diameter. Apparently this is the stock size. But of course it is now over heating. So I am now searching for a smaller diameter pulley with a 2.75 inch offset. Does anyone know of any cars that had something in this size? Also, are Pontiac pulleys interchangeable with Chevys or any other make?


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

What style of damper (balancer) is this engine running? 
One that the pulleys bolt on with 6 bolts, or one that the pulleys bolt on with 4 bolts?


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## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

The water pump pulley is a 4 bolt. The balancer is from Ames. What they call an SFi high performance balancer. When I put this on the water pump pulley would not line up. (not enough offset). It looks like the person that built this motor originally, found a 5.75 inch water pump pulley to put on it, which allows it to run cooler. All I've been able to find with the right off set is an original 6.5 inch pulley. Now it is running hotter, around 200 to 210 degrees. I guess this is acceptable, but I would like to put on a smaller water pump pulley to see if I can get the temperature back down. Needs about a 2.75 offset. That's why I was wondering if a pulley from other makes would fit on a Pontiac. Just something I'd like to try.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

IF you can remove the crank pulley & get the stamped part number off the face, as well as the stamped part number on the face of the PS pulley, I can relay to you what the correct WP pulley is to mate up with both. 

Pontiac used numerous series of pulleys from the mid 60's through '71 models. there were several different staggers. Factory AC specific pulleys typically cool better than small diam crank pulley/large diam wp pulley sets that were used on non AC cars. Have many many original Pontiac v8 pulleys, & have put together nearly a hundred 11 bolt pulley/bracket Conversion setups... something that someone attempted to do on your '65 with the later timing cover, but obviously did not have the correct combination of pulleys.


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## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

What was on it before I replaced the balancer was working (the 5 3/4 waterpump pulley). My problem is that, in order to get the offset needed to match the new balancer, I could only find the stock 6 1/2 inch water pump pulley, Crank pulley is still the same diameter. That's why I'm looking for the smaller water pump pulley with the 2 3/4 offset I need. Confusing, huh,,,


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Not confusing to me, know all the factory Pontiac V8 pulleys designs & applications. Solve Pontiac pulley issues on a weekly basis.
In order to easily help you, will need the info mentioned in my previous post.


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## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

Sorry not trying to be a smart ass. This the balancer from Ames, which is on the car now.

https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/D...HPB&order_number_e=NDQxODI0NA==
&web_access=Y

The old pulleys are

Crank pulley 9778804
WP pulley 10019422xn

Note that in the ad it says that for a newer than 64 motor I may need to replace the pulley with the original, but in talking to the Ames reps, they say not to do that, that I need to use the one that comes with the new balancer, already assembled. My motor is actually a 66 by the way. That is where my confusion comes from.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Originally, a '65 9778804 two groove non AC crank pulley would have been paired with a 9778808 two groove 8" diam non AC wp pulley. the "808" wp pulley is reproduced. Nice originals wiil typically run about the same money shipped.

The 10019422 wp pulley is a mid to late 80's piece off a GM Tech4 151 (designed from 1/2 of a 301 Pontiac)... waay too small of diameter, someone just scrounged a similar stagger (offset) design wp pulley when they were trying to get the engine going. Have run across all kinds of similar mismatch deals. In order for proper cooling, the diam of the wp pulley must be matched to the diam of the crank pulley. For best cooling on a Pontiac that's going to get driven out on the highway for good distances, the combination of large diameter ( near 8") crank pulley/smaller diam (near 6") wp pulley used on the same year of factory AC car will speed up the waterpump speed slightly & provide better cooling.

Taming a hot running Pontiac v8 with the early 8 bolt design timing cover & waterpump pump, can often be accomplished through the use of factory engineered AC car cooling pieces like:
- a good 17" deep radiator & fanshroud, 
- correctly rebuilt correct cast impeller design 8 bolt waterpump
- 19 1/2" clutch fan & properly working fan clutch
- core to radiator close out panels installed 

Also, on the early cars, one needs to pay close attention to detail when it comes to procuring or having a '64-66 389 block rebuilt.
.060 over bores on '64-66 389 blocks have proved to be troublesome, any previous .030 389 block from these years, upon considering a rebuild, one ought to have sonic tested for cyl wall thickness. thin cyl walls create many problems, & transfer more heat.
-proper tune, no short timing/ rich or long timing/lean.

hope this helps!


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## 65gto (Aug 2, 2013)

Thanks for the info, pretty interesting stuff. What I've done in the meantime is changed out the antifreeze, added a bottle of purple ice, and replaced the radiator cap. Took it on a long drive yesterday and the temp is staying around 200 (it was in the low 80's here). I can live with that, and I'll have to keep an eye on it next summer when it gets hot out again. Appreciate all of your help.


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