A properly functioning harmonic damper is designed to dampen out undesirable vibrations in the engine. Engine balance, firing order, RPM, and harmonics can all induce negative vibrations that can ultimately do damage to your prized powerplant.

By providing a rotational mass attached to the crankshaft, dampers can trap and mellow these frequencies and potentially prevent them from growing into a runaway catastrophic failure. If your truck has some miles on it, or you have installed power adders such as tuners, exhaust systems, intakes, or internal modifications, your truck may be more susceptible to harmonic vibrations. According to Brian LeBarron of Fluidampr, the elastomers in the rubber isolater ring can break down. Heat, age, torque, and harsh usage can all contribute to the degradation of the damper’s effectiveness.

Now that race season is coming to a close for you pullers, and drag racers it is a good time to do a little inspection and preventative maintenance. According to LeBarrin the best thing to do is grab a flashlight, and mirror if necessary, and climb into a position where you have a clear view of your harmonic damper. The first sign of wear will be hairline cracks forming on the rubber isolator. If left to worsen, these cracks will grow, and eventually lead to missing chunks of rubber. Bulging, cracking, or missing rubber are the primary symptoms to look for according to LeBarron.

You might be thinking “my truck is running fine, I don’t feel any vibrations in the cab.” Well according to LeBarron, “If you feel it in the cab, it’s too late.” He explained that the engine would take the brunt of the damage done before transmitting it to the driver. Stresses on the bearings, main caps, rods, and crank can all develop into serious problems if vibrations are left unresolved.

If you see any of the described symptoms it may be time to upgrade, and replace your harmonic damper. Fluidampr products offer a longer lifespan than OEM dampers because they employ a liquid silicone as the damping agent, rather than a solid rubber that can dry and crack. A Fluidampr Performance Diesel Damper will last the life of the engine in performance applications.”