Balance Master For Lycomings

[Geico266]

I used this product on my ultra lights with great success. It balances by using a few ounces of mercury in a tube on the outside of the bolt on device. As the engine runs it balances the prop at all RPM's.

The same technology is used on big rigs to balance their tires permanently.

The product has only been out 1.5 years and this is the first time I have heard about it for Lycomings.

The price is normally $385, but this week only they are having a Reno special for $300.

I balance props and just bought 2 for my planes. These things really work.

What do you think?

 

[Dan Thomas]

I used this product on my ultra lights with great success. It balances by using a few ounces of mercury in a tube on the outside of the bolt on device. As the engine runs it balances the prop at all RPM's.



The same technology is used on big rigs to balance their tires permanently.

The product has only been out 1.5 years and this is the first time I have heard about it for Lycomings.

The price is normally $385, but this week only they are having a Reno special for $300.

I balance props and just bought 2 for my planes. These things really work.

What do you think?

I don't see anything for Lycoming on their website. Just ultralight stuff. Is this thing STC'd for certified engines?

 

[Geico266]

I don't see anything for Lycoming on their website. Just ultralight stuff. Is this thing STC'd for certified engines?

I talked to them about that and they will update their web site soon. No, it is for experimentals only. Since it is bolt on does it need to be?

 

[MikeS]

I balance props too using the Dynavibe. Thus I was interested in these things when I first heard about them. Reading about them over time, the most interesting and believable article was one in which a person adept at prop balancing compared using a Balance Master with the results of a conventional dynamic balance, on a prop/engine that had been deliberately put in an out-of-balance condition. The results as I recall were that the Balance Master improved the situation, rendering .11 -.13 IIRC. With the Balance Master removed, the person with the balancing equipment was able to get it easily below .07. My take on them, just reading . . . all second hand . . . is that they can improve an out-of-balance condition, but will not improve it as well as a dynamic balance job.

If you do any comparisons please post your experiences. I'm still very interested in these gizmos or anything to do with dynamic balancing.

Thanks, Mike

 

[Skip Miller]

I balance props too using the Dynavibe. Thus I was interested in these things when I first heard about them. Reading about them over time, the most interesting and believable article was one in which a person adept at prop balancing compared using a Balance Master with the results of a conventional dynamic balance, on a prop/engine that had been deliberately put in an out-of-balance condition. The results as I recall were that the Balance Master improved the situation, rendering .11 -.13 IIRC. With the Balance Master removed, the person with the balancing equipment was able to get it easily below .07. My take on them, just reading . . . all second hand . . . is that they can improve an out-of-balance condition, but will not improve it as well as a gooddynamic balance job.

If you do any comparisons please post your experiences. I'm still very interested in these gizmos or anything to do with dynamic balancing.

Thanks, Mike

FTFY.

 

[Geico266]

I balance props too using the Dynavibe. Thus I was interested in these things when I first heard about them. Reading about them over time, the most interesting and believable article was one in which a person adept at prop balancing compared using a Balance Master with the results of a conventional dynamic balance, on a prop/engine that had been deliberately put in an out-of-balance condition. The results as I recall were that the Balance Master improved the situation, rendering .11 -.13 IIRC. With the Balance Master removed, the person with the balancing equipment was able to get it easily below .07. My take on them, just reading . . . all second hand . . . is that they can improve an out-of-balance condition, but will not improve it as well as a dynamic balance job.

If you do any comparisons please post your experiences. I'm still very interested in these gizmos or anything to do with dynamic balancing.

Thanks, Mike

But the dynamic balance is only good at a certain RPM, and on the ground. I am very interested to see if these work at all RPM ranges and pitch angle of the props.

I have a plane that I can get down to .07 IPS, but in the air it is still rough. I am leaning towards a constant speed prop issue rather than and out of balance issue. I'm hoping this gizmo will help.

I might be overly optimistic, but it will be fun to see.

 

[Clark1961]

But the dynamic balance is only good at a certain RPM, and on the ground.

I'm curious about how many folks experience vibration problems after a dynamic balance? What I've seen is that the engine/prop are smooth throughout the operational range if they show smooth on the ground. Maybe not perfect throughout the operational range but pretty darn good.


Where I'm going with this is once it is balanced, any excessive vibration is likely not a result of simple dynamics. Our engines generally operate in a fairly narrow RPM range so balancing it at a particular RPM is not a big deal.

 

[Geico266]

I'm curious about how many folks experience vibration problems after a dynamic balance? What I've seen is that the engine/prop are smooth throughout the operational range if they show smooth on the ground. Maybe not perfect throughout the operational range but pretty darn good.


Where I'm going with this is once it is balanced, any excessive vibration is likely not a result of simple dynamics. Our engines generally operate in a fairly narrow RPM range so balancing it at a particular RPM is not a big deal.

Balancing certainly makes a difference, but anyone that dynamically balances knows that the balance is only good at a certain RPM. If I balance an engine say at 2400 RPM to .04 IPS and test again at 2000 RPM it is going to be way off. I have seen it go to .15 IPS easily. This "constant balancer" should work at all RPM ranges.

 

[Geico266]

I balance props too using the Dynavibe. Thus I was interested in these things when I first heard about them. Reading about them over time, the most interesting and believable article was one in which a person adept at prop balancing compared using a Balance Master with the results of a conventional dynamic balance, on a prop/engine that had been deliberately put in an out-of-balance condition. The results as I recall were that the Balance Master improved the situation, rendering .11 -.13 IIRC. With the Balance Master removed, the person with the balancing equipment was able to get it easily below .07. My take on them, just reading . . . all second hand . . . is that they can improve an out-of-balance condition, but will not improve it as well as a dynamic balance job.

If you do any comparisons please post your experiences. I'm still very interested in these gizmos or anything to do with dynamic balancing.

Thanks, Mike

Mike, can you point me towards any of those articles? I would like to hunt down the guys who wrote them for a consult.

 

[Clark1961]

Balancing certainly makes a difference, but anyone that dynamically balances knows that the balance is only good at a certain RPM. If I balance an engine say at 2400 RPM to .04 IPS and test again at 2000 RPM it is going to be way off. I have seen it go to .15 IPS easily.

Do you think you're finding a harmonic? I don't think so. On certified equipment the RPM with that type of problem would be either "avoid" or prohibited.

I think you're seeing an engine problem which might be a simple thing like slightly fouled plugs or an intermitent plug wire failure.

 

[Geico266]

Do you think you're finding a harmonic? I don't think so. On certified equipment the RPM with that type of problem would be either "avoid" or prohibited.

I think you're seeing an engine problem which might be a simple thing like slightly fouled plugs or an intermitent plug wire failure.

Possibly harmonic, but in my experience all airplane engines with props seem to do this. This is why we balance to cruise RPM, or as high as we can get static.

The difference between .15 & .04 IPS to the pilot (seat-o-pants meter) is pretty small. They might not even be able to feel it depending on the airframe.