Forged steel or cast crank???

[Bad Sport]

I just picked up a truck load of parts today, and need a tad bit of info.

There is a, what I believe, to be a forged steel crank that has the numbers 253245 in the throws on each end. When I tap the throws with a ratchet handles, it ring like a bell, not a thud like on my other cranks. The mains are 2.50" which tells me it's a 318 or 340 crank, I'm leaning 340 because there was a bunch of 340 parts in the pile, heads, exhaust manifolds and some other stuff.

Any insight would be mucho appreciated.

 

[fratzog lover]

Check the parting line on the snout. a thin line where the mold separated is a cast crank. A wider rougher line is forged. There should be a 7 at the end of the casting number. 2532457 is a 340.

 

[Inertia]

It's not a Stage 3 truck crank cuz the throws are hollow..

 

[Bad Sport]

I didn't figure, I believe it's a 340 crank.

I wish those numbers meant something, I can't find any info using those.

 

[Bad Sport]

Check the parting line on the snout. a thin line where the mold separated is a cast crank. A wider rougher line is forged. There should be a 7 at the end of the casting number. 2532457 is a 340.

If there is, I don't see it, I can barely read any of em, but I'm sure on the first 6 numbers.

 

[Leadfoot]

Rounded edges on the counterweights are virtually a dead giveaway that it's forged.

 

[fratzog lover]

Mopar 340 V-8 Engine - Carburetors and Cranks
1968-70 - AVS
1971-73 - Thermoquad
1968-1971: forged crank, part number 2532457, 2128869, or 2843868; service part number, 2843868
1972-73: cast crank, 3462387, 3658393, or 3751841 (some 1974-86 cast cranks use the same 3462387 casting number as the 1973 340 crank); service part number 3751162
Chronology of the Mopar 340 V-8 engine (Stephen Havens and Michael Volkmann)
1968 - 340 released, rated at 275 horsepower, with:
forged crank
four-barrel Carter AVS carburetor
hydraulic cam (a more aggressive cam was used in the four-speed cars in 1968)
unique “X” casting cylinder heads, with 2.02” intake, 1.88” exhaust valves
10.5:1 compression ratio
dual plane intake (the 318 had a single-plane manifold with a two barrel carburetor).
1969 - Unchanged, except manual transmission 340 engines also had the (formerly) automatic-transmission camshaft.
1970 - Two distinct versions of the 340 high performance engine were made. The four-barrel carried over without changes, while a new Trans Am (T/A) version, dubbed Six-Pack on Dodge and 6-Barrel on Plymouth, debuted. This 1970-only 340 had:
three two-barrel Holley carburetors
“J” casting cylinder heads were unique to the T/A, with unique pushrod holes to allow for oversized porting on the intake runners
a unique rocker arm/shaft/pushrod assembly
thicker webs in the pan rail and other areas
the ability to install 4-bolt mains on 2 3 and 4
1971 - The 340 four-barrel remained; the triple-carburetor version did not.
Advertised compression dropped to 10.25:1 but horsepower remained at 275 (gross)
Carter Thermoquad carburetor was used
340/360 “J” casting cylinder heads with 2.02 intake and 1.88 exhaust valves (not the same as the T/A J heads)
1972 - The 340 four-barrel dropped to 240 horsepower:
Compression dropped to 8.5:1; the compression height of the piston via wrist pin location changed by 0.10”
The crankshaft was switched from forged to cast somewhere in the production cycle, believed to be in early April 1972, with engine 39118000 (thanks, Karl Thomas); a milder camshaft was used
340/360 were moved to “J” casting heads with 1.92” intake valves; exhaust valves remained the same
Paint went from orange to corporate blue
1973 - The cast crank had a different number than the 1972 counterpart, because it was shot-peened for greater strength.
1974 - The 340 did not re-appear for 1974, ending an era. Instead, the 360 four-barrel (E58) was provided, with the 1973-340 cam, carb, and intake.

 

[Bad Sport]

I found this pic over there, lol.

Mine looks like the one on the right. The post said the right one is forged?

View attachment MVC-052S.jpg

 

[fratzog lover]

You scored a forged crank. Now clean her up! Nice find.

 

[krazykuda]

I found this pic over there, lol.

Mine looks like the one on the right. The post said the right one is forged?

Yes, the fatter/wider parting line is forged.

The thin parting line is cast.

 

[Bad Sport]

Well, it appears I have a forged 340 crank.

Thanks.

Now to clean it up and see if someone needs it, lol.

 

[pishta]

buy 3 gallons of evaporust and soak her for 12 hours. then pressure wash it, spray it with light oil and take it to get cut .010 under if it will. coat with oil and bag it. Good cranks.

 

[Bad Sport]

Rounded edges on the counterweights are virtually a dead giveaway that it's forged.

Yeah, I have heard that many times, I just need to reassure myself, lol. I'm tossed between selling it and saving it for a future project I have in mind.

 

[Bad Sport]

You scored a forged crank. Now clean her up! Nice find.

Any idea what they are worth? I have seen them listed for 150 to 200.

Like I said, I'm tossed whether to keep it or sell it. I have some crazy ideas for a 318 in a year or two.

 

[fratzog lover]

A couple hundred easily if you follow pishta's clean and cut recipe. As is you may still get a good price by someone who is specifically looking for one.

 

[krazykuda]

Any idea what they are worth? I have seen them listed for 150 to 200.

Like I said, I'm tossed whether to keep it or sell it. I have some crazy ideas for a 318 in a year or two.

If you don't need the $$$, then save it for the 318, it will bolt in and work fine. Just get the proper forged damper for it.


Did you say you got a steal on a forged crank??? LOL!

 

[1Fast340]

I found this pic over there, lol.

Mine looks like the one on the right. The post said the right one is forged?

Intresting pic,i never saw one of these cranks with rodtrows that "square" all i have seen have been more rounded like the one on the left Yes the one on the right is forged.

Here is a pic of my forged crank with more rounded trows but clearly shows the wider partingline just like your should have

 

[BrianT]

It all depends on what your local machine shop is gonna charge you to grind the crank .010/.010 As it sits right now, it's worth scrap weight. After the machine shop is done, maybe $200.

 

[Bad Sport]

Just get the proper forged damper for it.

I believe that is in the load of parts as well. I found that, the crank, the 915 J heads, the exhaust manifolds and I think the valve covers, I sure wish the block had been in between, lol.