The slant six crank is placed right in the center of the lower crankcase. Just like a 440 or a Hemi. The crank when properly prepped is not the problem. Head gasket sealing is MUCH more a problem than the crank. Back in the day the chevy and ford guys would eat cranks and had to change them often. These were NA engines. Maybe you can't get the same power from a 225 vs a 300 ford, 292 chevy, 302 gmc, but inch per inch they are more durable.
