ATI Performance Damper for Acura NSX C30A

ATI Performance Damper for Acura NSX C30A

The C30 was built to rev. It's a V6 with titanium rods, and it pulls to 8,000 RPM. That's a big part of why the NSX feels so special. It's also what makes the damper so important. Each firing stroke twists the crank a little, and at high RPM those twists can build into a vibration that runs along the whole length of the crank. The damper on the crank nose is there to soak it up. After 30 years, though, the rubber in an original NSX damper is getting old. Old rubber gets hard, and a hard damper doesn't absorb much of anything.

ATI's damper replaces it with a 6.10in aluminum unit rated for engines making up to 600 horsepower. That covers a stock C30 that just needs a damper it can trust, and it also covers a supercharged or turbo NSX making far more than Honda ever planned for. If you're refreshing an original engine or building a boosted one, the damper belongs on the list. It's one of the parts that's easy to overlook until a crank snout lets go or the main bearings start wearing.

4-Groove and 5-Groove Belt Options

The damper comes with both 4-groove and 5-groove belt drive configurations. That lets you match whatever belt setup is on your engine, whether it's the factory accessory layout or a modified one for a supercharger or turbo kit. Before you install it, check that the groove count lines up with your belts and that the belts track straight to each pulley. A belt that's slightly off line will chirp, wear its edges, and eventually walk off the pulley.

Why Aluminum

Aluminum keeps weight off the nose of the crank. That's less mass to spin up every time you get on the throttle, and on an engine that revs like a C30, you'll feel it a little. A lighter damper isn't automatically a better one, though. A cheap lightweight pulley with no damping does nothing to stop crank vibration. This is a real damper, designed to absorb that vibration.

Install Notes

Getting to the front of the engine on an NSX is a job. Expect to remove the accessory belts and work in tight space at the back of the engine bay. Hold the crank with a proper pulley holder, and pull the old damper with a puller, not a pry bar. Check the crank snout and keyway for wear, use a new crank bolt, and torque it to spec. If the timing belt is close to due, this is the right time to do it. You're already most of the way there.

Fitment

• Acura NSX with C30A 3.0L V6 (NA1)
• Supports engines up to 600 hp