Another myth put out to pasture

[Jack E/NJ]

itslow>>>Imagine how much floor space would be consumed if the cranks were stored horizontally.>>>

OK, I imagine they wouldn't take up that much space if horizontally nested or just piled in a mountain of cranks in a corner somewhere. Carefully of course. And also no higher than the yield point of the cranks at the very bottom of the pile. 8^)

Jack E/NJ

[Mart]

Ford wouldn't have had the cranks around for very long. They would have been into cars and out the door in very little time. I'm terrible for storage, I just let 'em lie on the shelf.

Mart.

[CT AV8]

Originally Posted by alchemy

If the myth that an unsupported cast iron crank will bend due to prolonged exposure to gravity is true, do you really think some lightweight wood will keep the cast iron from bending? Wood's density is WAY less than cast iron, and even cast iron can't hold up to gravity. The wood will probably be pulverized.







.

Yes, I do. Density and compressive strength are different things. A flathead crank weighs 70 lbs. The main beating journals are 2.5" diameter and although I don't have one to measure, are about 1.5" wide for front and center with the larger rear around 2". This gives me a collective bearing area of 12.5 sq in. Divide 12.5 by 70#= 5.6 psi. Douglas fir has a compressive strength 7,239 psi parallel to the grain. It's not even close to being " pulverized".

[CT AV8]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

One of my flathead rebuild books has a diagram showing a plank with 3 blocks of wood attached to a perhaps 1" plank. The 3 blocks are cut into a 'vee' shape at each journal. Not being any kind of metalurgist or real mechanic, but a career woodworker, I thought nobody could build that accurately enough to make it support evenly. Even if it was originally built by a professional woodworker with extreme precision on jigs and fixtures, the blocks would shrink and swell at different rates and with the 'vee' design, shrinkage or swelling would raise or lower the support on the journal at the whim of the atmospheric conditions. Three steel tabs welded to an I beam might work if you ground the center one and used a feeler gauge when checking the center one but....zzzzzzzzzzzzz why?

GB, I've seen those "V" cradles as well. I was thinking more in the shape of a bearing retainer. Drill 2.5" hole in wood and cut in half. The idea is to support the crank as it was originally designed to be. I guess deflection is caused by setting a crank on the counterweights placing too much load on the journals. Once you've gotten rid of the weird cantilevering effects, you wouldn't have to worry about minor swelling and shrinkage of the support. If you do, you can always use a PSL vs Doug fir.

[Mike B]

Do a Google Search for "locomotive crankshaft storage", the click on Google Images, first one I saw was of about 5 Locomotive cranks stored horizontally, and only supported on/near the ends.

[cmbrucew]

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Originally Posted by Mike B

Do a Google Search for "locomotive crankshaft storage", the click on Google Images, first one I saw was of about 5 Locomotive cranks stored horizontally, and only supported on/near the ends.

Locomotive crankshaft and camshafts can be 2 or 3 pieces bolted together.
Bruce

[itslow]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Do a Google Search for "locomotive crankshaft storage", the click on Google Images, first one I saw was of about 5 Locomotive cranks stored horizontally, and only supported on/near the ends.

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

Locomotive crankshaft and camshafts can be 2 or 3 pieces bolted together.

Point being?





How about one from a ship?



Sizes are increased compared to an automobile, but the concept and principles are the same.

[Mike B]

My point is they don't seem to be concerned with the crank deflection

[Jack E/NJ]

>>>itslow>>>

Bet my crank is bigger than your's. Looks like each big end in this photo gets it's own oil puddle.

Jack E/NJ

[47COE]

I saw that ship engine crankshaft too. The crankshaft weighs 300 tons. 38 bore x 98 inch stroke. 7790 HP for each of the 14 cylinders. I'd like to see the machine that grinds that crank.

[itslow]

Please refer to the thread "Gravity bends a crank?":

https://fordbarn.com/forum/showpost.p...&postcount=141

[tiger.1000]

EUREKA ! next time they send a space shuttle up, pack in a bunch of crankshafts! If a man can float in air, so can a crankshaft.....can't it ?

BUT.....

[flatheadernie]

What you need to do is keep all the warped ones is case of VAPOR LOCK LOL

[robert dick]

how do we know the shafts didn't have any runout when stored ?