Ok, so for years I have heard that laying cranks down on their sides exposes them to the possibility of warping under there own weight... Some people say to sit them on there end. Which is true? This has been troubleing me for some time now. Personally I always lay them down on there side. No problems thus far.

 

bump, looking for answers.

 

Come on guys I know you have opinions......

 

it is truei mean kind of far fetched but when i was taught to rebuild an engine cranks sits n end and pistons on there side if rods still in therm and cam on end to

 

Just like pool cues too...but they are wood.

They're steel, I don't think it matters.

 

bump

 

I've heard that too, but I think it's a myth. If laying them down on their side warps them from their own weight, then wouldn't standing them on end be worse!?

 

I agree with Weston.

I think it's an old wives tale.

Wes

 

I stand all mine on end, and none of them have spontaneously warped, so it must be true.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Targa4Life &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok, so for years I have heard that laying cranks down on their sides exposes them to the possibility of warping under there own weight... Some people say to sit them on there end. Which is true? This has been troubleing me for some time now. Personally I always lay them down on there side. No problems thus far. </TD></TR></TABLE>


The Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (A.E.R.A.) recommends standing them on end - or better yet hanging them by the flange on a rack so they don't get tipped over.

If you had the crank on it's end and you knocked it over onto its side it is most likely bent or at least has some internal stress. If you are building a high performance engine this will be a problem.

You should always check the crankshaft for runout right before installing it. You can do this by installing the front and rear main bearings and setting a dial indicator on the center main journal. If the runout exceeds specification (or greater than 1/2 of the bearing clearance if you can't find a spec.) you need to figure out why it is out of spec. It could either be due to wear or because the crank is bent due to internal stress. If it is worn, the only way to fix it is to regrind it. If it is bent, it can be stress relieved in an engine cleaning oven.

Another trick to check for cracks is to tap with a small hammer lightly while holding it in the air and seeing if it 'rings'. If it does not ring it most likely has a crack that is damping out the resonance of the crank. The crank should be magnafluxed to check for cracks.

 

Depends on the material of the crank, weight, heaviness/location of counterweights.

Stand the ******* thing up.

 

gotta be a myth. if sitting on it's side "can" warp it, couldn't standing the crank on end warp it just as well and faster especially when the entire weight of the crank on one end vs. distributed more equally?

 

not if the counterweights are balanced properly.

 

myth

 

I've straightened welded stroker cranks many times.Its scary as hell to see how far(with a 20 ton press) you have to bend a crank to straighten it out .001".You could hang a crank by the snout in a vice for a thousand years and never bend it from its own weight.I hang them in a rack for practicality's sake.
Glenn

 

I think the bottom line is don't drop the crank on ground (which is what would cause it to bend, it's not going to bend under it's own weight) and to check it for straightness and runout before installing it.