<VV> Balancing

[JVHRoberts@aol.com]

Don't weld. The risk of distortion is huge here. 
The rod caps and the small end have excess material that can be removed, and 
it's there specifically for balancing purposes. you should easily be able to 
take off 6 grams, no sweat. 
Not sure how GM did it, the right way is to get all the pistons to be the 
same weight, get the pins to be all the same weight(these should be close 
anyway), and get the rods all the same weight, with the same end to end balance. Then 
balance the crank and flywheel separately. 
Anything else will not give as good a result. 


In a message dated 11/5/2004 8:38:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, geoffj@unm.edu 
writes:
I Have a set of pistons and rods that I am balancing to put together.  On 
the pistons/rods, I have a 6 gram spread between some.  That is a lot of 
metal.  Is it possible to add a gram or so to one of the lighter rods so I 
dont have to remove  that much from others?  I mean doing this by MIG 
welding on a small bit to the area the needs it.  Somehow this seems wrong 
though, but could it be done?

Also as I recall GM balanced the piston/rod to its opposing piston/rod and 
not to the others i.e. in pairs.  Is this correct?  Can I do the same and 
not have to do as much metal removal? Will doing this result in an overall 
balance that is as good as balancing all to each other?

Please no take "take it to a machine shop and have them do it" answers. I 
like doing stuff like this myself, part of the point in playing with old 
cars.

Thanks
Geoff Johnson