LA - Cast cranks ( Dont throw away )

-
SS Lancer

SS Lancer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
4,528
Reaction score
3,687
Location
North Carolina
Was reading some of my books this morning and found this interesting fact !

20180720_103043.jpg
 
Yes, that has been related here many times by experienced folks. We used a stock 273 1968 cast crank in our 340 with a true 10:1 SCR and an estimated 375-400 peak HP, and a very torquey set-up.
 
nm9stheham said:
Yes, that has been related here many times by experienced folks. We used a stock 273 1968 cast crank in our 340 with a true 10:1 SCR and an estimated 375-400 peak HP, and a very torquey set-up.
Click to expand...

Good to know I can normally find 318 engines very cheap have actually found running 5.2L (Non - Mangum engines for $150) .
 
I have a friend in Douglas NE that has two 318 engines one from military truck and another one from wrecker for like $ 200 each one even had the very thin balancer on it so could be steel crank also.
 
My guess is that with your gasser, these cast cranks may be marginal at best. With your HP and assuming you get it to hook up well, the shock and load on the crank is going to be a bunch higher than for a street car like outs. At least you have a very light chassis to work with in that Henry J.
 
I have a teen crank and a 273 (steel) crank. You never know when you may need one.
 
nm9stheham said:
My guess is that with your gasser, these cast cranks may be marginal at best. With your HP and assuming you get it to hook up well, the shock and load on the crank is going to be a bunch higher than for a street car like outs. At least you have a very light chassis to work with in that Henry J.
Click to expand...

Yes sir - I own 2 factory steel cranks so going to run one of them but I have more respect for the cast cranks after reading said article.
Just got the top back last night that Yellow Rose gave me and it cleaned up well could not resist setting some 450s on top .

20180720_065527.jpg


20180720_100021.jpg
 
1Badcolt said:
Atleast u saved it !
It is a cast LA crank 318?
Click to expand...

Oh, it has to specifically be a 318 crank? Not just any LA crank like for 360? I have a 360 crank. I guess never mind, it will continue to take up space. LOL
 
Last edited:
Most of the info in all of the Larry Shepard books is the same, and it's mostly copied from the older books and Mopar engine manuals. By the time they are published, most of the Mopar part numbers are discontinued.
There is a newer one from a different publishing company released in 2016, but has mostly the same info as the HP Books version, and most part numbers mentioned were were discontinued years ago. The book is even titled how to build Max Performance Mopar small-Block Engines, but somewhere half way through a paragraph says something to the effect of this book is NOT for building maximum performance engines. Thought that was funny.
Anyway, they are all good reads, and the part numbers are decent references if used parts come up for sale.
Screenshot_20180720-115208.png
 
JoesEdge said:
Oh, it has to specifically be a 318 crank? Not just any LA crank like for 360? I have a 360 crank.
Click to expand...
Im sure any crank made by Chrysler !!!!
Not Daimler Chrysler is top quality
I seem to remember a man named
Joe Sherman who used to turn some Chebby 400 cast cranks well over 8000 rpm .
 
toolmanmike said:
I have a teen crank and a 273 (steel) crank. You never know when you may need one.
Click to expand...

Lol! I just counted and have 5 cranks - 2 forged that came out of 340's, a 66 poly forged, a 65 273 forged and a 72 318 truck cast crank.
 
65 Dartman said:
Lol! I just counted and have 5 cranks - 2 forged that came out of 340's, a 66 poly forged, a 65 273 forged and a 72 318 truck cast crank.
Click to expand...

WOW - u are the
LA crank ( WHISPERER )
What state u live in ??
Hopefully u are NOT near GA .
 
LOL but it seems I have acquired a few over the years! I am just a couple of states north of GA - SC, NC and then to the top of VA almost to WV LOL! I should take some of these to the Nationals but Dang they are heavy to lug around!
 
65 Dartman said:
LOL but it seems I have acquired a few over the years! I am just a couple of states north of GA - SC, NC and then to the top of VA almost to WV LOL! I should take some of these to the Nationals but Dang they are heavy to lug around!
Click to expand...
When is the nationals again ? Maybe we work something out ?
Thanks Chris.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top