I have read through the other balance threads and still have some questions regarding the balancing of these drivelines. I converted my 1982 240D from auto to stick and completed a restoration at the same time. A portion of the restoration is recorded in this thread:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=77190. Today, I drove it for the first time for about 60 miles mixed highway and city. The car has been off the road for 3 years, so I must say it is hard for me to remember exactly how “smooth” these cars are, but I do think it has picked up a rumble at some RPMs (unknown since I don’t have a tack). I know I have far fewer issues than those that convert 300D’s to stick but none the less I was looking for some conclusive comments so here goes.
When I reassembled the engine and tranny (about 1.5 years ago) I had not read about the witness marks on the crank and flywheel and so I just bolted up the flywheel at a random orientation. Its no big deal to remove it and align it but:
1. Are the witness marks always at the same location on the cranks from different engines and vintages? If they are not always at the same position, matching marks from different engines is pointless. My engine is a 1982 and the donor flywheel and tranny are from an 84.
2. Were the automatic equipped engines balanced with just the flywheel (drive plate) or with the flywheel and torque converter? If the latter, having a shop match the 2 flywheels would also seem pointless.
3. If the answer to 1. is yes, and I just simply match the marks, I am hopping that the balancing needs of my 1982 engine match those from an engine made 2 years later. Is this not unlikely?
Maybe we just have to live with balance problems with these swaps.
Comments please.
Thanks,
John
Here’s a photo of the almost complete project. The wheels are not my first choice but they were free. Notice how it rides high. It’s due to the lighter tranny and the removal of the A/C system.
