Great find! Looks like Forged Crank, counterweights turned down to lighten it up a bit, forged pistons, a nice timing set and roller thrust bearing behind the cam sprocket. If the top end looks good and lash/preload is set, she should be a strong runner!
I can see that the balance pad on #8 looks it was not smoothed out much and the other rods were. The previous builder probably balanced the big and small ends of the connecting rods. If so, that is a really good sign. Odds are the big end of #8 was heavier than the big end of every other rod, that is why some rough casting texture remains. The little smoothing on it may have meant that the engine builder overshot how much weight they had to remove from other rods, and then had to remove a little from the lightest rod. With this much work put into those connecting rods, it wouldn't surprise me if they put ARP rod bolts on them. This is a very good sign that you are getting more than you may have expected from a secondhand engine. I think the crank is some kind of aftermarket crank, the counterweights look too smoothed out to be a stocker. You can tell if it is cast or forged if you can see the parting line. If the parting line is narrow, it is cast. If it is wide, it is forged. However, some people will grind off parting lines in race builds. It eliminates stress risers. Sometimes on Chevy V8 engines, people buy entry level aftermarket cranks because it may not cost much more than regrinding the stocker. Other times what caused the engine to fail previously did so much damage to the stock crank, straightening and welding would be required At that price, such common cranks are best thrown out and replaced. Either they buy a new one, or they get stocker cores in such condition that either: 1. A polish and standard bearings are enough 2. It gets reground 10/10. Dave Vizard had a video where he went to great lengths to lighten and reduce windage on a stock SBC and an SBM crank. Such methods could be applied to a BBC crank. However, I doubt that is what they did. I think he discussed his tactics for either: 1. DIY engine builders looking for ways to get a little more from their stock rebuild, using a Dremel. Sort of like the guys who a little porting to their stock heads. 2. Races with rules that require a stock crank.
@@skylinefever I'm sure it's an aftermarket forged crank. It's got a black coating on the counter balances it appears. I believe they did balance it also due to the blob of weld on the crank . Not sure about pistons, if they're flat or done. It had 150 lbs compression all the way around
@@Kenmillard Sounds good. I suppose you could know if pistons are flattop or dome if you put a boroscope in the spark plug hole. Some low price boroscopes either have a bluetooth communication with a smartphone or have a USB-C. The crank has been balanced, I just mentioned that the rods had also been balanced in order to explain that no step was skipped. I suppose a hack could use a bobweight that is close enough, but this shows no shortcut was taken. With compression the same on all cylinders, it would suggest the rings and bores are still in good shape. Since cranking compression is determined by static compression and cam profile, perhaps and understanding of what piston you have could help you estimate how mild or extreme the cam is.
@skylinefever I may scope it . Kinda curious about the pistons... But at this point I'm not gonna change anything.. don't mess with success 🤣🤣 maybe down the road I'll do some upgrades
@@Kenmillard I agree, don't mess with success, you got a lot for the price you paid. I only mention comparing compression ratio to cranking compression because you wouldn't want a big cam in a full size truck, and you wouldn't get the most from a small cam in a light car. I thought of another thing worth checking. Maybe with the right means of checking, you could find if this crank is a stroker crank of some kind.
@@skylinefeverI already put the pan and timing cover back on... I should've pulled a timing gear off to see if there was a part number on the cam. Oh well we're gonna find out soon 😂😂
Just FYI, not sure of your engine knowledge but a cast crank will have a narrow parting line 1/16” or so wide. A forged crank, which this engine appears to have, will have a wide parting line with the appearance of being ground flat. I hope l am seeing this correctly. If you ever see a forged crank next to a cast one the difference will be obvious.
@rickholle4140 that's what I was thinking...it definitely appears to be alot nicer than a cast crank. ..I'm open to any and all input and appropriate it very much..thank uou
@@kostasdramoudanis2627 i painted the block. I left the old oil pan, valve covers and timing chain cover on so I didn't have to mask it all up. All that stuff I replaced with chrome or aluminum. It definitely looks like hell in the pic🤣🤣🤣it's a lot better now
Great find! Looks like Forged Crank, counterweights turned down to lighten it up a bit, forged pistons, a nice timing set and roller thrust bearing behind the cam sprocket. If the top end looks good and lash/preload is set, she should be a strong runner!
@@111000100101001 it ran good in the blazer but with the tall gears it had, worn out turbo 350 and 42" tires it's hard to tell how much power it had
Good score, that looks like a forged crank. I'd open up the oil pump and check the pump gears for any wear.
@@jeffreyMagnum460 good idea. I'd like to know everything I can about it.. thank you for the input
Looks as clean as the top end , & that timing chain looks new too . I'd say you scored a fresh engine with low miles . Run it !
@@randomyank7777 that's what Im thinking. Don't mess with success 🤣🤣
I can see that the balance pad on #8 looks it was not smoothed out much and the other rods were. The previous builder probably balanced the big and small ends of the connecting rods. If so, that is a really good sign. Odds are the big end of #8 was heavier than the big end of every other rod, that is why some rough casting texture remains. The little smoothing on it may have meant that the engine builder overshot how much weight they had to remove from other rods, and then had to remove a little from the lightest rod. With this much work put into those connecting rods, it wouldn't surprise me if they put ARP rod bolts on them.
This is a very good sign that you are getting more than you may have expected from a secondhand engine.
I think the crank is some kind of aftermarket crank, the counterweights look too smoothed out to be a stocker. You can tell if it is cast or forged if you can see the parting line. If the parting line is narrow, it is cast. If it is wide, it is forged. However, some people will grind off parting lines in race builds. It eliminates stress risers. Sometimes on Chevy V8 engines, people buy entry level aftermarket cranks because it may not cost much more than regrinding the stocker. Other times what caused the engine to fail previously did so much damage to the stock crank, straightening and welding would be required At that price, such common cranks are best thrown out and replaced. Either they buy a new one, or they get stocker cores in such condition that either:
1. A polish and standard bearings are enough
2. It gets reground 10/10.
Dave Vizard had a video where he went to great lengths to lighten and reduce windage on a stock SBC and an SBM crank. Such methods could be applied to a BBC crank. However, I doubt that is what they did. I think he discussed his tactics for either:
1. DIY engine builders looking for ways to get a little more from their stock rebuild, using a Dremel. Sort of like the guys who a little porting to their stock heads.
2. Races with rules that require a stock crank.
@@skylinefever I'm sure it's an aftermarket forged crank. It's got a black coating on the counter balances it appears. I believe they did balance it also due to the blob of weld on the crank . Not sure about pistons, if they're flat or done. It had 150 lbs compression all the way around
@@Kenmillard Sounds good. I suppose you could know if pistons are flattop or dome if you put a boroscope in the spark plug hole. Some low price boroscopes either have a bluetooth communication with a smartphone or have a USB-C.
The crank has been balanced, I just mentioned that the rods had also been balanced in order to explain that no step was skipped. I suppose a hack could use a bobweight that is close enough, but this shows no shortcut was taken.
With compression the same on all cylinders, it would suggest the rings and bores are still in good shape.
Since cranking compression is determined by static compression and cam profile, perhaps and understanding of what piston you have could help you estimate how mild or extreme the cam is.
@skylinefever I may scope it . Kinda curious about the pistons... But at this point I'm not gonna change anything.. don't mess with success 🤣🤣 maybe down the road I'll do some upgrades
@@Kenmillard I agree, don't mess with success, you got a lot for the price you paid. I only mention comparing compression ratio to cranking compression because you wouldn't want a big cam in a full size truck, and you wouldn't get the most from a small cam in a light car.
I thought of another thing worth checking. Maybe with the right means of checking, you could find if this crank is a stroker crank of some kind.
@@skylinefeverI already put the pan and timing cover back on... I should've pulled a timing gear off to see if there was a part number on the cam. Oh well we're gonna find out soon 😂😂
Just FYI, not sure of your engine knowledge but a cast crank will have a narrow parting line 1/16” or so wide. A forged crank, which this engine appears to have, will have a wide parting line with the appearance of being ground flat. I hope l am seeing this correctly. If you ever see a forged crank next to a cast one the difference will be obvious.
@rickholle4140 that's what I was thinking...it definitely appears to be alot nicer than a cast crank. ..I'm open to any and all input and appropriate it very much..thank uou
Who ever painted that needs to stop lol
@@kostasdramoudanis2627 i painted the block. I left the old oil pan, valve covers and timing chain cover on so I didn't have to mask it all up. All that stuff I replaced with chrome or aluminum. It definitely looks like hell in the pic🤣🤣🤣it's a lot better now