Engine: Crankshafts

[CarCrosswordDan]

Were forged crankshafts ever utilized in Studebaker production engines?

[irish]

Others with more knowledge on this subject will soon comment, but I do know that all the V-8's Studebaker built had forged crankshafts and as far as I know so did the champ 6 and big 6 engines.

Joe

[BobPalma]

Sure. Most of them, as a matter of fact.

Offhand, I can't think of a cast (not forged) crankshaft in a Studebaker engine, but I'm sure there had to have been at some point in time.

"Never say never." BP

[Bud]

I've never seen a cast crankshaft in a Studebaker engine, either 6 or 8 cylinder, but that doesn't mean that no Studebaker engine was built with one. Bud

[11SecAvanti]

Just finished grinding, polishing, and balancing a 289 crank for a new motor. Machinist showed me the material quailty shavings from a cast crank vs a forged steel crank. BIG SHAVING QUALITY difference. Said he knew it was forged steel as soon as the first shaving peeled off. They are very long and very shinny. Cast shavings are dark burned color and very brittle, short splinter like. Another machinist said it was on the quallity level of a racing crankshaft. One reason I stay with these motors depsite the small displacement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bjNVlugAFQ

[PackardV8]

Studebaker used one of the best forged crankshafts ever in small displacement engines with small intake ports and weak valve springs. Bottom line, I've never seen a Studebaker V8 crankshaft broken by too much horsepower. Maybe someday Jim Lange or another high-boost turbo engine builder will accomplish that feat.

One other factoid - the shorter the stroke, the more overlap between the rod and main journals and thus the stronger the crankshaft. The 224" is bullet-proof. The 232"/259" is super-strong. The 289" is only very strong.

jack vines

[Mike Van Veghten]

Thought this was common knowlege...

Look at the parting line.
A forged crank will have a wide somewhat rough parting line.
A cast crank will have a very thin, sharp parting line.

Mike

[R2Andrea]

All the Studebaker cranks have been forged steel. This applies to the Champ and Commander 6 and all V8s. I've never checked the straight 8s but I'm sure they are as well. Studebaker used C 1040 steel for their forging blanks. Sometime after 1960, Engineering started looking into cast cranks (presumably for cost savings) but fortunately it was dropped. The rough crank forgings were supplied by an outside vendor and machined here.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Yessir.. And...
Stand the crank on end.
Tap it with a hammer.
A cast crank will go 'dink'
A forged crank will ring like a bell.... Dingggggggggggggggggggggg!

Thought this was common knowlege...
Look at the parting line.
A forged crank will have a wide somewhat rough parting line.
A cast crank will have a very thin, sharp parting line.
Mike

[JeffDeWitt]

How about the cranks in the 65-66 McKinnon engines?

[StudeRich]

Also forged, they were used only in U.S. Chevy 283 Trucks and Canadian Pontiacs.