has anybody

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ramman7284

ramman7284

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has anybody ever heard of a crank warping? a guy i use to work with said if you just lay a crank out on the ground it tweaks a bit. they guy that told me use to drag race in southern az in the pro stock class in a 64 valiant
 
cranks recieve alot of torsional twisting when each cylinder hits the power stroke, the harmonic balancer helps with this. I could see one being warped/twisted that had to much power put to it, most times they just twist and break though
 
66plyValiant said:
cranks recieve alot of torsional twisting when each cylinder hits the power stroke, the harmonic balancer helps with this. I could see one being warped/twisted that had to much power put to it, most times they just twist and break though
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he was just saying that if you leave them sitting on the ground for to long they tweak
 
When I was in Tech school we were required to store crank and cam shafts vertically. I have done the same ever sense, guess it became habit. I have never seen anything to prove that laying them horizontal will actually cause them to "warp".
 
Yes it can and will happen. I've had that happen to a Chevy crank I had laying down. The crank needed to go the shop to be fixed but the cost wasnt worth it so it went to the scrap.
 
If stored over long periods of time it will also get a bit of a flat spot where it was laying on the ground. Which can throw it off balance. Same is true with camshafts.
 
Sorry guys but I'm calling BS, its an old wives tale. If this were the case then I better go throw out about 2 dozen cranks that are on the shelf on their sides in boxes cause they all must be no good by now. Were talking about a piece of machined steel here... not some flimsy plastic part or something. Not looking to offend just my .02
 
i maybe one of the young guys on here but to me it sounds like bs but if its happened its most likely known in the chevy industry
 
Ever been in a serious crank shop? You won't see any cranks lying on their sides they are all stood on the flange or hung in racks from the flange.
 
I saw that in a book once. I can't remember which book it was though. Given the extreme lengths some people go to whin building engines, why would anyone chance it.
 
I heard that Bob Glidden never used engine stands to build engines because the block would actually warp.
He would actually build his engines on a table.
I don't know if it was a psychological thing or if the billionth of an inch deflection really mattered.
He was a very successful pro stock racer back in the day though........
I wouldn't doubt if left over a period of years that the cranks would warp/droop a measurable amount though. Standing them on end makes for better storage as well.
I also wondered if they would shorten up a bit if stored on end for several years too?
I am trying hard to not make a joke about women's breasts vs time here as well to prove the theory.........
 
I was also taught to stand them on end in tech school and have always done it that way.
 
@Dartnut- Good reference to Bob Glidden about the blocks. Even better one about breasts! LMAO!

I alway store my cranks standing up. I have never seen anybody not do it or have a warped one, but I wouldn't want to be the 1st & find out the hard way!
 
That's a very well known and widely accepted practice. We know that not everything our gramps taught us is necessarily true, but why tempt fate? I'll be storing mine vertically.
 
swinger340 said:
I have heard that, but have never seen it.
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Ditto

zakimodo said:
When I was in Tech school we were required to store crank and cam shafts vertically. I have done the same ever sense, guess it became habit. I have never seen anything to prove that laying them horizontal will actually cause them to "warp".
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Ditto again. Store them standing up if there a used item in the corner away from everything including my big feet.

1970Duster said:
Yes it can and will happen. I've had that happen to a Chevy crank I had laying down. The crank needed to go the shop to be fixed but the cost wasnt worth it so it went to the scrap.
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First person ever to say it happened to them. Damn Chevy cranks. LOL

I honestly don't see it happening since there stored like this when there new and the part can just sit on a shelf for a long time without issue.
 
Don't know one way or the other,but that's also what I've learned somewhere along the way so I've always followed the rule !!
 
Yes, I have seen it on a crank grinder before. That's why you see machine shops store cranks either hanging in racks or standing upright on the floor. Brake rotors have been known to warp on the shelf if they are stored for long periods. Same kinda thing.
 
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