Steve's Nova Site is an automotive enthusiast website dedicated to the 1962 - 1979 Chevrolet Nova, Chevy II and Acadian automobiles. We work together to preserve, restore, drive, show, race and provide fellowship for these classic cars. This is one of the best places to find information about parts, rebuilding, restoration and racing. This website is not affiliated with GM, General Motors or Chevrolet in any capacity.
Quite a few of my friends plus numerous sources in the internet says:
"Absolutely never lay a crankshaft on its side, not even for a few minutes. Crankshafts should always be stored standing straight up or hanging from a storage fixture. Laying a crank on its side will cause permanent damage".
That is the way I was trained when I was in school. Laying it down you take a chance on it rolling off and causing damage by hitting something or you could cause it to warp.
Quite a few of my friends plus numerous sources in the internet says:
"Absolutely never lay a crankshaft on its side, not even for a few minutes. Crankshafts should always be stored standing straight up or hanging from a storage fixture. Laying a crank on its side will cause permanent damage".
Is this really true? Sounds a bit over the top...
Kind regards /Peter
Peter, if you are going to remove the crank, clean it up and re-install it, you will be fine. But, if for long storage, your best bet is to stand it on it's end on some wood, cover it with some rags soaked in bearing grease, wd-40, or motor oil. And the best way to storage it is to place it back into a block supported by a couple of main journals.
Now, that's what I've found via the internet and as you know, " if it's on the net, then, it's absolutely true". And in this case, it all depends on how long the crank is going into storage. Short term, horizontal but supported on the main bearings, long term vertical and covered as mentioned earlier.
Oh hell I aint gonna be able to sleep now thinking about it
Hahaha! That's what I'm trying to avoid as well. Being paranoid about things 'cause I don't know exactly everyting there is to know. Will try harder aiming for the "Just do it"-attitude... ;-)
This is a really good question. I've heard this one before and want to find out if it's a myth or has some truth. I'm doing some "non internet" research on it in the C/D library and will post my findings.
My gut feeling is crank shops store cranks vertically to save space, and hang them by their flanges so they don't tip over and get bent.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Wright
Building a small, high rpm engine
with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive...
like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar.
Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol..
Last edited by Paul Wright; 3rd-November-2011 at 11:26 AM.
This is a really good question. I've heard this one before and want to find out if it's a myth or has some truth. I'm doing some "non internet" research on it and will post my findings.
I'm interested, also. In the same vein (don't want to hijack the thread), didn't Bob Glidden used to build his Pro Stock engines on the floor/bench, i.e., not on an engine stand, as he believed that hanging a block on a stand (from the bellhousing, unsupported on the front) induced some warpage during assembly? Been some time since I thought about that, might be wrong.
Actually that's a good point. Metal can have internal stress that causes distortion over time. That's the reason for racers looking for "seasoned" blocks.
The problem is that old blocks also fatigue over time, so a better and faster way needed to be developed to relax the stress bound up in the part by the casting process.
Many racers now use a vibration process called Meta-lax developed by Bonai Technologies here in Mi. to shake out residual stress. The late Joe Mondello was a big proponent of that and developed his own shaker table for engine parts.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Wright
Building a small, high rpm engine
with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive...
like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar.
Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol..
This is a really good question. I've heard this one before and want to find out if it's a myth or has some truth. I'm doing some "non internet" research on it in the C/D library and will post my findings.
Excellent. Very much appreciated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Wright
My gut feeling is crank shops store cranks vertically to save space, and hang them by their flanges so they don't tip over and get bent.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you should save more space by putting them in their transport packaging and store them tetris-style...
I'm interested, also. In the same vein (don't want to hijack the thread), didn't Bob Glidden used to build his Pro Stock engines on the floor/bench, i.e., not on an engine stand, as he believed that hanging a block on a stand (from the bellhousing, unsupported on the front) induced some warpage during assembly? Been some time since I thought about that, might be wrong.
Interesting thought on the engine stand! But hey, for some extra bucks, there is engine stands with mor than one mounting point that support the engine better.
I also heard Bob Glidden only bored and honed engine blocks at operating temp. So the block was expanded as it would be at operating temp.
Then last time I was at Indy, his son Billy Glidden was there. He was pumping ice cold water through an old 500 inch Boss style Pro Stock engine. It was literally a tank filled with ice water being pumped through the engine. The engine was so cold water was dripping off the engine in the pits. The engine wasn't started until he was ready to pull into the water box. The engine wasn't at "room" temp it was around 0 degrees when he started it.
It must work he won that night and his dad was there while it was being done.
On the hanging cranks it seems to me that anything weak enough to bend laying on its side would bend hanging just as easy. The last journal would bend from the weight hanging on it.
IMO having them lying on their sides is safer than standing waiting to fall over like dominoes.
__________________
James My web site
1968 Chevy II National Nostalgic Nova Member
we used to straighten cranks at the shop i worked at. set up in V blocks, a big fat rounded faced chisel and a huge hammer... WHAM!!!! check with dial indicator, WHAM!!! recheck with indicator.
also in some cases of extremely warped cylinder heads they're set up in the press, hydraulically pressing them past level so when pressure is of the head is again flat, then it's resurfaced.
interesting to see if never having experienced it.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
