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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2081936
05/28/16 06:19 PM
05/28/16 06:19 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
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Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
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How much power have you put through a stock steel 440 crank? For how long? Ive heard of breakage before, but only once or twice. I know they are an undercut crank. How much power are you thinking of putting to one.. I know a few at 700 hp still living.. they tend to last longer than the stock blocks.... but the rods were turned down to chevy size 
Last edited by MR_P_BODY; 05/28/16 06:20 PM.
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2081947
05/28/16 07:03 PM
05/28/16 07:03 PM
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crabman173
Unregistered
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crabman173
Unregistered
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We used a stock one with mains cut down in Lenny Meltons KOS Dart--it finally made some mid-upper 8 runs all on big NOS--ran for years --suffered through a 727 explosion, bad tuning guessing and I don't know what all until finally getting a super tune up then it just ran and ran and ran The 400 stock block had two bolt stock main caps and is STILL running.
Good tune up--timing right, no detonation and never worry--I have always felt they were stronger than the block.
Last edited by crabman173; 05/28/16 07:04 PM.
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2082067
05/28/16 11:16 PM
05/28/16 11:16 PM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,096
Australia
ozymaxwedge
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,096
Australia
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CAST crank 440, indy sr heads, 150 shot of gas, 9.69@135, 200 passes in the 63 Plymouth below. I then spent a heap of cash on a stroker combo and only managed a 9.23@145. Was it worth it ?????
1963 Plymouth Max Wedge
1971 Barracuda
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2082077
05/28/16 11:32 PM
05/28/16 11:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,540
Milwaukee WI
TRENDZ
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,540
Milwaukee WI
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Factory 440 crank, turned down to 400 mains, chevy rods, 3.90 stroke. Tune up on the mark, turbos, pump gas, NO 2 STEP. Went low low nines at 3700 lbs for years. Upgraded turbos went 8.80 155 at 3700 lbs.
"use it 'till it breaks, replace as needed"
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2082376
05/29/16 04:36 PM
05/29/16 04:36 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,206
New York
polyspheric
master
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master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,206
New York
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For the same power level, ranked by life expectancy (best = 1st)
1. turbo, supercharge
2. NA
3. nitrous
Major killers:
1. heavy piston
2. high rpm
Remember, inertial load @ TDC exhaust is what breaks rods, and it increases as the square of the rpm - 8,000 is not 14% more than 7,000 (8,000 ÷ 7,000) but 30% more (8,000^2 ÷ 7,000 ^ 2)
Boffin Emeritus
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: sgcuda]
#2082469
05/29/16 08:14 PM
05/29/16 08:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,923
NC
440Jim
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,923
NC
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Stock block, crank, six pack rods, 915 heads. 575 hp 15 years. Still didn't break, but failed magnaflux. The magnaflux every couple hundred presses is the thing to do if running more than 600 HP. They will crack, but not break right away. So you can catch it before it lets go... If you magnaflux. The more power, the more often to magnaflux for cracks starting.
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2082807
05/30/16 01:45 PM
05/30/16 01:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,492
So. Burlington, Vt.
fast68plymouth
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,492
So. Burlington, Vt.
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Every bracket 440 I built over the years that had a stock crank and made over 600hp, when they would come back for freshening, the cranks were always cracked in multiple places......and not tiny little cracks either.
One of the motors had every journal cracked at both ends(two cracks per journal).
They needed a new crank every freshen up.
68 Satellite, 383 with stock 906’s, 3550lbs, 11.18@123
Dealer for Comp Cams/Indy Heads
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: fast68plymouth]
#2082870
05/30/16 03:46 PM
05/30/16 03:46 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,154
PA.
pittsburghracer
"Little"John
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"Little"John
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,154
PA.
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Every bracket 440 I built over the years that had a stock crank and made over 600hp, when they would come back for freshening, the cranks were always cracked in multiple places......and not tiny little cracks either.
One of the motors had every journal cracked at both ends(two cracks per journal).
They needed a new crank every freshen up. Same here. I even stopped magnafluxing them when I took them apart for rebuilds. I would just throw it on the scrap pile and send another crank out to be checked and polished.
1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27
Livin and lovin life one day at a time
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2082878
05/30/16 03:56 PM
05/30/16 03:56 PM
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crabman173
Unregistered
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crabman173
Unregistered
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No two steps, lite pistons, NO detonation--perfect tune up and they will run until you retire
I have only had two broke 440 steels in 25 years of racing, building etc
They are amazing units--the customers that broke them could have broken an anvil I have bought piles of them and had about 1/2 dozen not mag good but who knows where or how they had been used before that point--they were really well made units compared to everything else Mopar made Those and 727's are Mopars claim to fame IMO
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hot 340]
#2083587
05/31/16 08:27 PM
05/31/16 08:27 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,477
Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,477
Minnesota
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If you are racing, why push the limits of the stock crank? It's plain old 1053 carbon steel with undercut journals. For a few hundred more, you can have a 4340 alloy steel crank with radiused journals that is at least 50% stronger, maybe 100%. If you break a crank, you could wipe out the rest of the motor, you could dump oil under tires and wipe out your car, and maybe get injured or worse. It's one of the things that costs so little to upgrade, just like stock rods vs. aftermarket, I don't mess around with 50 year old production line time bombs.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#2083600
05/31/16 08:53 PM
05/31/16 08:53 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,395
Pa
Hot 340
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,395
Pa
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If you are racing, why push the limits of the stock crank? It's plain old 1053 carbon steel with undercut journals. For a few hundred more, you can have a 4340 alloy steel crank with radiused journals that is at least 50% stronger, maybe 100%. If you break a crank, you could wipe out the rest of the motor, you could dump oil under tires and wipe out your car, and maybe get injured or worse. It's one of the things that costs so little to upgrade, just like stock rods vs. aftermarket, I don't mess around with 50 year old production line time bombs. Eh. I dunno. It was a legitimate question. With respect, not everything is a "time bomb". But Ill buy a bigger, new crank for it. Thanks everyone for chiming in.
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Re: How good are oem steel 440 cranks?
[Re: '72CudaRacer]
#2084974
06/03/16 12:40 AM
06/03/16 12:40 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,395
Pa
Hot 340
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,395
Pa
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Here's what happens when it does fail. I am sure it was cracked in multiple places and I didn't catch it. I have run stock forged cranks for year and never a problem with them. I put a new Molnar 8 bolt crank in my new engine. Old eng was right at 600 horse power. Zero warning that anything was a miss until it exploded, tried to throw the #3 rod journal out of the block.
Brian Wow  that hurts to look at
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