Quote:
Originally Posted by 370ZDreamer
You are missing the point. I've had machine shops zero balance engines I have had built in the past. This does not mean you still do not need a harmonic dampener. A rotating assembly will always have harmonics that need to be dampened.
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Did you read the wikipedia quote above as well? They claim that while harmonic balancers are necessary for integrity reasons on larger V-8s, that newer, smaller-displacement engines (like our 3.7L V6, I would assume) only include damper-like rings to reduce noise, not to protect from failure.
I understand the basic theory going on here: since an ICE is acted on by the pistons in a pulsing pattern at odd angles, there will always be vibrations along the crankshaft, and that at certain RPMs these vibrations might be in tune with the natural harmonic frequency of the crankshaft itself, which would amplify the vibrations, potentially desctructively. I think the question is, in what configurations are those harmonics potentially dangerous? The wikipedia quote seems to indicate that smaller engines aren't susceptible to destroying themselves via harmonics.