The harmonic anvil? Boat anchor? Keel? What is this?

[RetiringColt]

I believe its for harmonics. to change the noise inside the cab. that junk is a result from a study panel. ford still puts similar wonky stuff on their trucks. the newer ones typically have a dumbbell looking thing on the exhaust. I can only imagine how much money is spent trying to "engineer" a certain noise. like the fake engine sounds from an electric car.

 

[BlackNoma]

I believe its for harmonics. to change the noise inside the cab. that junk is a result from a study panel. ford still puts similar wonky stuff on their trucks. the newer ones typically have a dumbbell looking thing on the exhaust. I can only imagine how much money is spent trying to "engineer" a certain noise. like the fake engine sounds from an electric car.

I appreciate the insight. I figured it was something like that. I just wanted to make sure before I threw it in the scrap pile.
Weight reduction! Haha

 

[snicklas]

Yes, this is for harmonics. It”s there for a purpose. Maybe to take a drone, or hum from the transmission out of the frame. My 03 Excursion has something similar. As Calvin said when we had this question and similar one come up: “It’s there for a reason, if it didn’t have a purpose the engineers could prove, the bean counters wouldn’t allow it.”

There are little things like this in all vehicles. My 11 F-150 has a little rubber “thingy” on one of the caliper bolts on the rear brakes....

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[onetonjohn]

I don't see it mentioned, and unlikely to be a real problem, but it is possible that a vibration can feed back into itself and increase if the resonance frequency is wrong (see tahoma bridge collapse video). The extra block likely adds weight to dampen the system. I'm doing some hand waving here as it's been a long time since I had physics. Said all that to say that it is possible that that flux capacitor thingy is there to prevent something from shaking apart or wearing prematurely, and you could see problems other than noise.

Having said all that, I'd probably take my chances and chuck it.

 

[Big Daddy John]

I don't see it mentioned, and unlikely to be a real problem, but it is possible that a vibration can feed back into itself and increase if the resonance frequency is wrong (see tahoma bridge collapse video). The extra block likely adds weight to dampen the system. I'm doing some hand waving here as it's been a long time since I had physics. Said all that to say that it is possible that that flux capacitor thingy is there to prevent something from shaking apart or wearing prematurely, and you could see problems other than noise.

Having said all that, I'd probably take my chances and chuck it.

Damn, that’s pretty good info!!!

 

[Joseph Bruce]

Yes, harmonic damper. There is one about 1.5” x 1.5” x 1” on one of (and only one of) the lower rear suspension arms on my wife’s Jeep. Had to look it up. New replacement cost was over $250 at the time. Probably to pay for the engineering team that decided you only needed one.

 

[kuskoal]

It's a Harmonic dampener. With your truck running down the freeway at speed, with all the little vibrations of the road, driveshaft, 8 cylinders firing and doing the diesel thing and super heavy duty springs, not much can flex or absorb vibrations.

Sky scrapers use it to protect against earthquakes

 

[david85]

Aside from cabin noise, it's probably also there to help the drivetrain as well. You wouldn't want to take the harmonic balancer off the crankshaft and replace it with a solid chunk of metal, would you?

Would be nice of it was a flux capacitor, though...

 

[Thewespaul]

I say toss it, if it’s for harmonics then it was likely intended to cover up rough idling when in gear because of the tremendous amount of flexring failures the 6.9 pumps (db2829s) with their plastic retainers. Nothing mechanically changed in these engines other than a larger displacement and you don’t see the harmonic dampener on the 7.3s. What did change was the injection pump.

 

[Selahdoor]

I say toss it, if it’s for harmonics then it was likely intended to cover up rough idling when in gear because of the tremendous amount of flexring failures the 6.9 pumps (db2829s) with their plastic retainers. Nothing mechanically changed in these engines other than a larger displacement and you don’t see the harmonic dampener on the 7.3s. What did change was the injection pump.

My 89 7.3 with C6, has one.

 

[Thewespaul]

My 89 7.3 with C6, has one.

That’s odd, I’m looking at a 88 F250 in front of me that has a c6 and no anvil.

 

[Selahdoor]

I don't know what to say. Mine has one.

 

[quickster]

I'm bringing home an '87 F250 6.9 with a c-6 this week, and it has the same thing mounted under the trans. Made me think this is where you hook the rubber band when you want to shoot it, like the balsa wood airplanes.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That’s odd, I’m looking at a 88 F250 in front of me that has a c6 and no anvil.

Maybe somebody removed it in the past?

 

[nelstomlinson]

Made me think this is where you hook the rubber band when you want to shoot it, like the balsa wood airplanes.

It's an arresting hook for carrier landing.