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180 Zoar Valley Rd. Springville, NY 14141

(716) 592-1000 | www.uidampr.com

Quality Protecon, Proven Performance

In todays economy, keeping your work truck

operang at opmum eciency over the long haul

translates right to the boom line. One of the most

important overlooked parts on professional light duty

diesel truck engines is the cranksha damper. While

it may seem disguised as the main drive pulley, its

true purpose is to prolong cranksha life and reduce

wear of crical internal components by reducing

harmful torsional vibraon caused by combuson.

As combuson forces connue to increase in modern

diesel engines, so does the need to protect it forreliability and durability.

The majority of light duty diesel trucks connue to

come stock with an elastomer base cranksha damper.

This cost-eecve approach uses a tuned rubber strip

bonded between a hub and outer inera ring. When

a predetermined peak vibraon resonates the rubber

strip, it throws the inera ring to counteract the

twisng/rebounding of the cranksha. Performance

upgrades, heavy towing/hauling, age and weather

may all have adverse eects on an elastomer damper.

A stock elastomer damper is tuned to funcon

within a narrow predetermined frequency range

under stock condions. Performance parts that

increase torque, such as air kits, exhaust, injectors

and tuners and/or connuously operang in peak

powerbands during towing and hauling, may cause

the damper to overwork itself. As the damper works

harder, heat generated becomes trapped longer in

the rubber material and causes it to dry crack or heatbulge. As the rubber in the damper breaks down

its ability to protect the engine diminishes with the

real possibility of catastrophic failure. Uncontrolled

torsional vibraon can accelerate the wear of main

bearings, ming components and even break the

cranksha. A simple preventave maintenance p is

to rounely inspect an elastomer damper for cracked

bulging or missing rubber. Some manufacturers even

recommend this in their Owners Manuals.

A more severe and unnoceable shortcoming iswhen rotang assembly parts such as the pistons

rods, ywheel/extpate or cranksha are changed

This will cause a change in the assemblys resonate

Industrial Grade Engine Protecon

For Your Diesel Work Truck.BY BRIAN LEBARRON

MARCH 2013

Fig. 1. Viscous dampers feature a free rotang inera ring

enclosed in a housing. The inera ring combats torsional

vibraon frequencies across the enre rpm range by

constantly shearing through a layer of viscous uid. This

converts the energy into heat which rapidly dissipates throughthe housing. The benet is enhanced engine protecon,

performance and durability.

Housing

Inera Ring

Viscous Fluid


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frequency and may negate the

eecveness of the damper

during peak torsional vibraon

altogether.

From over-the-road trucks to

heavy construcon equipment

and agriculture, the majority of

dependable high-power diese

engines that move our economy

rely on a viscous damper. Viscous

dampers are the premium

choice over an elastomer style

because they feature broad

band frequency protecon

rapid heat dissipaon and can

become more eecve as torque

increases to provide connuous

long lasng engine protecon

performance and durability.

Viscous damper technology

uses a free rotang inera ring

inside a sealed outer housing

Between the two, an area

referred to as the shear gap is

lled with a heavy viscous uid

The outer housing rotates at

engine rpm, while the inner ring

absorbs varying frequencies

of vibraon throughout the

rpm range. As the inner ring

constantly aempts to catch up

to engine rpm the shearing acon

through the uid transforms the

vibraon into heat which rapidly

dissipates through the housing.

Professional diesel motorsportsteams have long upgraded from

the stock elastomer damper to

a viscous damper. Fluidampr

the ocial damper of DIESEL

Motorsports, is a compeon

quality viscous damper

engineered for popular light duty

diesel trucks, including all late-

model Power Stroke, Duramax

Fig. 2. Torsional vibraon analysis conducted on various Fluidampr Performance Diesel

dampers illustrates their eecveness to reduce destrucve torsional vibraon over

stock. Dyno tesng further shows that reduced vibraon improves overall engine

eciency and unleashes lost torque and horsepower. Not a bad side eect!


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and Cummins engines. Fluidampr Performance Diesel

dampers are made in the USA and feature precision

cnc machined and computer balanced components,

a laser welded cover and are nished in a corrosion

protecve black zinc chromate. The uid within

the shear gap is a premium silicone approx. 45,000

mes thicker than 30w oil. Silicone provides thermal

stability across extreme temperature ranges, highshear strength and excellent heat dissipaon.

While you may not be pung your work truck

through the paces of professional diesel drag racing

or sled pulling, your engine can sll benet from the

added protecon, performance and durability of

upgrading to a viscous damper, parcularly if power

modicaons have been made. Even under stock

condions, many daily diesel truck drivers report

smoother idle, less in-cab vibraon and reduced drive

line noise when upgrading to Fluidampr.

Next me youre under the hood of your work truck,

check your stock damper. Fluidampr Performance

Diesel dampers are available through many quality

truck parts and accessories distributors.

Know Your Vibraons

Torsional Vibraon

End-to-end twisng and

rebounding moon of the

cranksha generated from each

combuson event. Its eects

are controlled by the cranksha

damper, or harmonic balancer.

Resonate Frequency

Every object has a frequency at

which it too will vibrate. When

torsional vibraons begin to

align with the resonate point

of the cranksha, magnitude is

amplied and the result can be a

broken crank. The concept is the

same as a glass shaering from a

high pitch note.

Rotaonal VibraonRotaonal vibraon occurs when reciprocang weights

between the piston/rod and cranksha are not matched.

Correcng or ne-tuning this is referred to as engine balancing.

To accommodate for room inside the engine block, some OEMs

(Power Stroke and Duramax) incorporate a counterweight on

the cranksha damper. Just because an engine is balanced,

does not eliminate the need for a cranksha damper.

Fig. 2. Check your damper (le). Signs of cracked, bulging or missing rubber are early signs that your stock elastomer cranksha

damper may not be adequately protecng your engine from destrucve torsional vibraons (middle). Performance upgrades,

heavy towing/hauling, age, weather and exposure to oil and solvents can undermine its eecveness. Viscous dampers, such as

Fluidampr Performance Diesel design (right), encase the inera mass inside a sealed housing and use viscous silicone to achieve

superior torsional vibraon damping, durability and a much longer lifespan.

New Stock Cranksha Damper Severely Worn Stock Cranksha Damper Fluidampr viscous damper upgrade


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About the Author

Brian LeBarron is a markeng representave at Vibratech TVD, a global leader in the development and manufacturing of viscous

dampers from 5 to 56 for powertrain OEMs. Located in Springville, New York, Vibratech TVD is an ISO 9001:2008 design and

development cered and quality systems cered company. Fluidampr is a performance product of Vibratech TVD.

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