Whats the difference between a balancer and a damper? And whats the stock unit on a LT1 considered (a balancer or a damper)? What benefits would changing to something like this...

give me?

 

The words balancer and damper are used interchangeably on these engines. However, damper is correct, balancer is not...

A damper like that would be an advantage in safety at the track, assuming it's SFI approved, and perhaps a lighter weight would allow quicker revving....

 

A "damper" has a singular purpose - to absorb and minimize the torsional twist in the crankshaft that results from the firing sequence. The LT1 has a damper. It is neutral balanced, and serves no balancing function.

A balancer has an offset weight on it, to help balance the rotating assembly. The Chevy Gen 1 small blocks use a balancer with a weight. The "damper" function is integrated into the balancer, so the SBC uses an integral balancer/damper.

The stock LT1 rotating assembly is balanced externally, using a weight on the flex-plate or flywheel.