58 fuelie balancer

[John M.]

I am working on a 58 fuelie for a friend, and I have a question on the balancer. It had a weird looking balancer on it when it came apart, and I later found out that it was a Paragon repro. The JG says that all 58 engines used the base balancer, but Paragon swears that the fuelie used a one-year only balancer, and that their balancer is the closest that is available, even though it looks little like an original. I notice when looking through Nolan's book, that in all the pictures of 58 fuelie parts buck engines were equiped with the base balancer. Can anybody tell me the current wisdom on the 58 fuelie? Should a base balancer be used, or is Paragon right?


Regards, John McGraw

[Joe L.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

I am working on a 58 fuelie for a friend, and I have a question on the balancer. It had a weird looking balancer on it when it came apart, and I later found out that it was a Paragon repro. The JG says that all 58 engines used the base balancer, but Paragon swears that the fuelie used a one-year only balancer, and that their balancer is the closest that is available, even though it looks little like an original. I notice when looking through Nolan's book, that in all the pictures of 58 fuelie parts buck engines were equiped with the base balancer. Can anybody tell me the current wisdom on the 58 fuelie? Should a base balancer be used, or is Paragon right?


Regards, John McGraw

John-----


GM says that the balancer used was GM #3742986. This is NOT the same balancer as used with lower performance engines. It was a 1958-only piece, although I would not rule out that it was used for some 1957 solid lifter applications. It was replaced for 1959 (and 58 SERVICE) by GM #3764318.

How was the 3742986 configured? I do not know.

[Garry B.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Joe, not to hijack this thread, but what application(s) and model years do you show for the #3764318 being used? I recently bought one of these (I no longer have a left leg or arm) to use on a '59 270 hp and want to be sure that it is the correct balancer. There seems to be some differing opinions on the application of this VERY hard to find balancer. BTW- it is the one pictured in the JG. Thanks.
Garry 18531

[Joe L.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Joe, not to hijack this thread, but what application(s) and model years do you show for the #3764318 being used? I recently bought one of these (I no longer have a left leg or arm) to use on a '59 270 hp and want to be sure that it is the correct balancer. There seems to be some differing opinions on the application of this VERY hard to find balancer. BTW- it is the one pictured in the JG. Thanks.
Garry 18531

The GM #3764318 was used for the following:

---1959-61 with Duntov cam, both Corvette and passenger

---1959-61 348 cid with 3X2

---1961 with 409

---SERVICE for 57-58 with Duntov cam

[John M.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Thanks Joe.


Regards, John McGraw

[Garry B.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Thanks Joe. Looks like I am on the right track.
Garry 18531

[Ken H.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

John-----


GM says that the balancer used was GM #3742986. This is NOT the same balancer as used with lower performance engines. It was a 1958-only piece, although I would not rule out that it was used for some 1957 solid lifter applications. It was replaced for 1959 (and 58 SERVICE) by GM #3764318.

How was the 3742986 configured? I do not know.

Joe-thanks for your answer - with this in mind, what is the "right" answer to what to put on the car?? THe JG shows the low HP balancer as being used on all '58s. Any thoughts on where I could look for the correct balancer?? If the 318 balancer is the service replacement, is this the balancer to get?? Oddly enough, it would seem by getting the right balancer I would have points deducted if the car gets judged....

When I talked to Paragon about this issue, they did not say the replacement balancer is the right one for this application, it is just their aftermarket balancer that can be bought for any of the applications and doesn't look anything like the stock balancers. They said there was a '58 only balancer that should go on the car, but had no thoughts on how to find one.

Again - thanks for the info!!

[Joe L.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Joe-thanks for your answer - with this in mind, what is the "right" answer to what to put on the car?? THe JG shows the low HP balancer as being used on all '58s. Any thoughts on where I could look for the correct balancer?? If the 318 balancer is the service replacement, is this the balancer to get?? Oddly enough, it would seem by getting the right balancer I would have points deducted if the car gets judged....

When I talked to Paragon about this issue, they did not say the replacement balancer is the right one for this application, it is just their aftermarket balancer that can be bought for any of the applications and doesn't look anything like the stock balancers. They said there was a '58 only balancer that should go on the car, but had no thoughts on how to find one.

Again - thanks for the info!!

John-----


I'm afraid I can't answer this question. For one thing, my personal knowledge of C1 issues is quite limited. For another thing, I do not know what the configuration of the 3742986 was. It's POSSIBLE that its configuration was similar to the balancer otherwise used for 1958 applications and that MAY be where the confusion arises.

It's also possible, of course, that its configuration was completely different and, POSSIBLY, similar to the 59-61 SHP balancer. I just don't know.

I am pretty confident that the balancer used was the GM #3742986. I just don't see the GM information being "off" on that.

[Ken H.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

John-----


I'm afraid I can't answer this question. For one thing, my personal knowledge of C1 issues is quite limited. For another thing, I do not know what the configuration of the 3742986 was. It's POSSIBLE that its configuration was similar to the balancer otherwise used for 1958 applications and that MAY be where the confusion arises.

It's also possible, of course, that its configuration was completely different and, POSSIBLY, similar to the 59-61 SHP balancer. I just don't know.

I am pretty confident that the balancer used was the GM #3742986. I just don't see the GM information being "off" on that.

Joe - again thanks for responding. Hopefully someone else here can shed some light on that balancer.

Paragon shows the following part for the 59-61 solid lifter engines:

http://www.corvette-paragon.com/p-35...290315-hp.aspx

I will keep looking and thanks to John for posting the original question (it is my car he is helping put together - the guy is a wealth of knowledge and can't thank him enough for all of his help!!!)

Ken

[Loren S.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280343036816&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=

[Joe L.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Joe - again thanks for responding. Hopefully someone else here can shed some light on that balancer.

Paragon shows the following part for the 59-61 solid lifter engines:

http://www.corvette-paragon.com/p-35...290315-hp.aspx

I will keep looking and thanks to John for posting the original question (it is my car he is helping put together - the guy is a wealth of knowledge and can't thank him enough for all of his help!!!)

Ken

Ken-----


The problem is there were so many different balancers used over the 57-67 period. Adding to that, few, if any, were marked with the part number. Plus, within any specific part number there may have been variances over the years. Here are the balancers used for Corvette SMALL BLOCKS:

hydraulic cam engines:

1957-----GM #3711319 4 Barrel; GM #3712763 2X4 and FI MAY be stamped "3836196" both riveted and 6-1/8" OD
1958-----GM #3743849 (6-1/8" OD)
1959-----GM #3760584 (riveted; 6-1/8" OD)
1960-----GM #3760584 (riveted; 6-1/8" OD)
1961-----GM #3760584 (riveted; 6-1/8" OD)
1962-----GM #3817684 (riveted; 6-1/8" OD)
1963-----GM #3817684 (riveted; 6-1/8" OD)
1964-----GM #3817684 (riveted; 6-1/8" OD)
1965-----GM #3861968 (base and L-75) (6-1/8" OD)
1966-----GM #3883204 (base)(6-1/8" OD; 3/4" wide ring); GM #3817173 (L-79) (8"; "finned")
1967-----GM #3896903 (base)(6-1/8" OD; 3/4" wide ring); GM #3817173 (L-79)(8"; "finned")

1957-65---GM #3896904--SERVICE ONLY (6-1/8"; 3/4" wide ring)


mechanical cam engines:

1957------GM #3712763 MAY be stamped "3836196"
1957------GM #3742986 (possible) (unknown configuration)
1958------GM #3742986 (unknown configuration)
1959------GM #3764318 (6-1/8"; "stepped" ring)
1960------GM #3764318 (6-1/8"; "stepped" ring)
1961------GM #3764318 (6-1/8"; "stepped" ring)
1962------GM #3817173 ("finned"; 8")
1963------GM #3817173 ("finned"; 8")
1964------GM #3817173 ("finned"; 8")
1965------GM #3817173 ("finned"; 8") also L-79

1957-61---GM #3896904---SERVICE ONLY (6-1/8" OD; 3/4" wide ring)

[Joe L.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...3AIT&viewitem=

Loren-----


The seller shows 2 part numbers in his item description. One is GM #3764318. I believe that one, or possibly both, of these balancers are GM #3764318. If they both are, then they were produced at different times and their configurational differences represent a change in specs or manufacturing options.

The other part number shown in the item description is GM #3760584. I don't think that either of these balancers is a GM #3760584. I believe that a GM #3760584 is a riveted style balancer.

[Michael K.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Joe- if I understand correctly a 245 hp dual quad with a hydralic cam would use the same balancer as the base engine? Thanks, Mike

[Joe L.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

Joe- if I understand correctly a 245 hp dual quad with a hydralic cam would use the same balancer as the base engine? Thanks, Mike

Mike----


I would say yes.

[John M.]

Re: 58 fuelie balancer

If one of those balancers in the Ebay ad is truly the correct balancer, I can see why it is mistaken for the base balancer! With the pulley in place, it would almost impossible to distinguish from the base balancer!


Regards, John McGraw