So, i have a really frustrating issue that is going to make me tear everything apart and replace all sorts of stuff just to figure out what the hell is going on. I had an ATI street damper since 2008, never had any issues. My first outting this year was fine....well someone wanted an ATI street damper and I wanted to "upgrade" so I sold it and got the Fluidampr Race Damper. 4 passes at a test n tune and 4 passes later at an event and the fluidampr flies off the crank at 125 mph. The crank was seemingly ok and the bearings were fine so I got a SECOND Fluidampr for an event going on 2 weeks later which was today. I installed it with an 18v dewalt 300 ft lbs impact as i always have from the beginning and this time used loctite. (1) 330 ft hit and a 2nd 1-2gear hit later and the pulley is again flying off the hub down the track. I know this kinda of stuff has happened to others as they seemingly always chime in so WTF?

Id rather deal with a rod knock than this ****.

 

happened to me twice with a fluidampr over a 2 year period, luckily shut the car off immediately, but motor still got tore down...got an ati and haven't had the problem.

are you just hammering it on with the dewalt or torquing them to oem spec?

 

You should also get a new bolt when ever removing the crank pulley bolt, did you reuse the old one? I always torque to spec or install with my 500lb impact gun.

 

I replaced the bolt with a spare when the first fell off. I've never torqued to oem "spec" . Just always rammed that bitch with a fresh charge. I'm gonna pull every impact I have next time on it and then check the torque somehow by using a bar to hold the crank from spinning. The key way on the fluidampr gets imprinted in both directions like it beat the hell out of the key each way before flying off.

 

hows the underside of the car? haha

 

I think this is a clear sign that the fluidampr is not getting along correctly with the engine. I vote to go back to the ATI. There was a tsb issued by Honda to replace the crank pulley bolt everytime it's removed, but realistically nobody does that.

 

The "frame" got kissed by it. I never knew both times that it happened. I got really lucky that someone was able to haul *** to where I was coming back to tell me to kill it. Timing belt seconds from dropping off and killing every valve.

 

The damper is out of balance. More then likely the gel in it is hard. Happened to me years ago. Had to replace the crank and flywheel. I bought an ATI and the problem went away.

 

These were 2 brand new dampers. Now I don't know if shelf life has any meaning.

Also, i discovered through this ordeal that their timing hashes are +/- 4 degrees in relation to the key. Not to thrilled about that.

 

They use to have a 1 year life before a rebuild. IDK if they still do? There is a certain way they should be stored as well.

WOW!! ~4*

 

your never upgrading, when going from an ATI to a Fluidamper lol...... thats sucks.... I have seen Fluidamper broken off the hub, and the fluid is know to harden over time (good way to break engine parts)....... Do your self a favor and upgrade back to an ATI damper good luck

 

Not that this is related to your problem, but impact gun torque ratings are for the reverse direction only.

 

Interesting conversation on speedtalk about them right now.

http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35867

 

Damn! I use a Fluidampr also, I never had a problem, but reading this makes me want to check it every pass. I find it hard to believe its the dampers fault when its the bolt's job to keep it on, plus the woodruff key keeps it in place from turning. I use mine with a ARP balancer bolt. and you should use the fluidampr tool or equivalent to install it. did the bolt back itself off?

 

i was told that mis-shifts would cause sitations like this. we had 3-4 mis shifts with our ati and the flywheel bolts backed out and the pulley key way was shot. Almost sheared in half.

 

Agreed.

 

I would only assume the bolt backed itself out. It was tight just before the 2 runs as I was checking belt tension.

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No Mis shifts and hell I did a 1-2-1 with the ati in 2010 and the key, crank, and pulley were unscathed at that time.

 

Wow, so you've never properly torqued it to 130ftlbs with a torque wrench?

Its completely related to the problem! Its not torqued properly. If a wheel falls off my car I dont blame the wheel. I blame the lugs holding the wheel on - actually the person who installed the lugs.

 

Matt i would put my money on the crappy gel they put in the Fluidamper's. Yours definately isn't the first one i have seen fail. Make sure when you pull everything apart to check the flywheel Holes and bolts and the oil pump gear. Both of those usually take a beating when the damper comes off or apart.
In my opinion vibration is whats causing the bolt to backout of the damper. We had a stock damper come apart on a H22 and put a hairline crack in the oil pump gear and loosened the flywheel bolts which elongated the holes on the flywheel. Sucks theat happend again man, Good luck on the repairs.
Joe

 

I've never in 20 yrs put a torque wrench on a crank pully bolt except for the Mentioned H22 (Impact wasn't availble at the owners house)
always been my Snap on electric impact or air gun, NEVER an issue.

 

when my yard dries up ill get started on pulling everything apart to inspect. I barely got my trailer in and truck out of the yard it was so soggy. First thing im going to do is have the crank checked for a bend and then the snout. It spun strait but who knows. I already have a replacement crank

 

I just had that happen to me in IFO Bakersfield earlier this year. Fluidampr race pulley broke loose but didnt come flying off. Causing my crank snout to get damaged, all my flywheel bolts to rattle off which damaged my twin disc, split the timing belt gear and sheared the crank key in half.

 

Ive seen this exact thing happen with every kind of damper you can buy on all different honda set ups. We have found that the main cause of crank pulley bolts backing off is usually flywheel bolts having backed off enough to let the flywheel move. Take it for what its worth.

 

I've always just impact my balancer bolt on and never had an issue. I think I may hit it with the torque wrench when I install my ATI though after seeing this thread

 

For what its worth, I had a similar issue with an OEM pulley flying off on the dyno and could not figure it out. With new crank pulley bolt and the special crank pulley holder tool, I torqued the oem crank pulley bolt to spec 130 ft/lbs and it still flew off.

Before the dyno appointment the customer installed a comp clutch and act light flyweel and drove it straight to the shop with no issues. After hours of inspection I decided to inpsect his clutch and flywheel install. I pulled the trans, clutch cover and disk and FOUND all the flywheel wheel bolts finger tight. He then tells me that every flywheel that he's installed he has never torqued the flywheel bolts with a torque wrench only with an impact gun .

Luckily I cought it before all of the bolts backed out and caused major issues. I properly torqued the flywheel bolts, reassembled trans and tuned with the crank pulley in its place. I don't know how or why loose flywheel bolts could cause the crank pulley bolt to come loose and fly off but in this isolated situation that appears to be the case.

I'm curious to hear what you find and I hope this helps. Keep us updated.