Cool discussion on laying a crankshaft on it's side

And they debate the use of the word 'motor' too.

https://phantombullet.net/threads/never-lay-a-crank-shaft-on-its-side.5367/

Nobody ever points out that if a crankshaft is going to bend under its own weight, it is more likely to bend when standing up than laying down. When a crank is laying down it is supported at multiple locations by the counterweights. When it is standing up all the weight is supported by the last main.

Randy Winberg who makes some of the best crankshafts in the world, told me it did not matter how a crankshaft was stored.

That is good enough for me.

I went with a buddy to Callies to pick up his crank and their inventory was all laying sideways on pallets.

Gus

It's a lot easier for a crank to fall over and be damaged (or damage someone's foot!) if it's standing on end

I don't need anyone to tell me that storing a crankshaft on its side is fine, I can figure that out by just looking at it. The mains are 3 inches thick and just a few inches long. A steel bar that size cannot be bent by a few pounds of load. The topic is silly but it pops up on a regular basis.

Always was amused by this. In theory just flip it like a burger and let it sit for the same amount of time on the other side to straighten it.

I wonder if I built crank storage rotisseries, would they sell?

Don't forget about not setting batteries on concrete as it will drain them because earth is ground

There is some truth to that. Not so much as the earth is ground but concrete generally has a dampness. Supposedly a battery that is wet from the dampness allows a conductivity between the posts causing a minuscule draw.

That was true back in the old days when batteries didn't have plastic cases.

What were the cases made out of? I know of rubber and possibly bakelite. Both just as good or better insulator as plastic.

The biggest threat when storing a crank is rust and damage from getting knocked around. I spray mine with cosmoline and made storage crates. Of couse this is only ones im putting in long term storage.

Also implying that damp concrete is a more attractive conductor than a steel tray the battery sits on in the car for its intended life that is directly connected to the battery's negative terminal?

I think the recalled "theory" above is inaccurate, concrete was implicated most often when charging a battery, and the correct issue there is, the heavier than air moist sulfuric fumes from the charging process corroded the nearby concrete, had nothing to do with the battery.

And I store my cranks on a rotisserie .

Early batteries were fairly crude. The model T used wood cases for some electrical devices. Tar was used, maybe bakelite. I'm not an expert on early battery design but it wasn't a good idea to store them on a cold, damp concrete pad back in the day. I don't think there is any issue storing a modern battery on a concrete floor but I never do it. If I have a spare battery I keep it on a wood shelf.

Who owns this site?
YB has gone downhill since Monty sold it.

Absolutely.

Hmm. My crankshafts must be longer then. I have a crank rack that they hang from the flange. So maybe my flange is warped though. They don’t fall over though.

This topic totally went off topic. Well back to the topic. So, either standing the crank up or lying down is ok then.

yes.....................

It did on the 'bullet, too which is why I posted it. There is no new information in that thread or this one. It is just interesting to see where the conversations go.

If the crank was for NASA, I'm sure it would "matter". That is unless you were thinking like using it 100 years in the future.

What, talking about wood case Model T batteries is out of bounds in this group?

Back in the day I used to be a crank-grinder and straightener...

If you store the cranks sideways, 'on a rack' then its a real bummer getting to the bottom ones...

But I remember my engineering master at school telling me the 'five-ninths' rule!

If you have a metal bar of say NINE feet long, then the two supporting places should be TWO feet in from each end leaving FIVE ninth's in the centre...

So if you are laying a crank on its side the supports should not be the large outer counter balancers, but the next ones in...

Did you look at the picture in the link of the hundreds of new crankshafts in the metal racks laying helter-skelter? And they were stacked 6 to 8 deep. Lots of weight on the lower ones with no particular pattern of position. That manufacturer is certainly not following your 'rule'.

Better not store those batteries on the ground

If you go to the link mentioned, (https://phantombullet.net/threads/never-lay-a-crank-shaft-on-its-side.5367/) (first picture on page two), one of the repliers showed a pic of factory storage of finished cranks
and said the factory doesn't adhere to the BS about not storing cranks us-supported.

If you look closely, he is mistaken, the cranks ARE supported properly,
i.e. supports under the second main from each end and nesting slots for the balance throws.

Joe

how about talking wood case model T coils instead ?

As the senior metallurgist for over 30 years, I must say this is the biggest pile of crap I heard in the past decade!

Oh yea" good ole Statics&Strength Of Materials.
But sectional dimensions come into play.
But a good practice for storing many types materials.

Thank you. I find this very annoying.

Crankshafts are not 9 feet long and I agree this has got to be one of the most ignorant adult topics and ranks with the flat earth crap.

Im sure someone will toss in a large marine type crank as an example but this is a car site and we deal with automotive crankshafts.

Whens the last time we got a storage instruction sheet with a new crankshaft?

Cranks take up less room at my shop when they are on end, and yes, occasionally they get hit and fall over like domino's! A wise sailor once said: "You rolls your dice, you takes your chances"...LOL

That is where I am at too.

I would lay them down so they don't get knocked over but I just don't have the room.

On Crankshafts that have crank sensor tone rings that can be easily damaged, I bolt them to a flywheel to prevent them from falling over.

Any automotive crank that would flex enough to be damaged when laying or standing would be worthless in an engine anyway.

I used to hang mine but found out they got longer and would not fit in the block.

Nitrousn, that's the best one so far in this discussion!!!

Joe

Some more free internet tips;

- Run a crank above 6k rpm and its stroke automagicly becomes larger, in fact turning itself into a stroker crank....

- If you have slightly oversized bearings, just store the crank in a strong vacuum chamber so the mains and journals swell up to the correct oversize overtime....


/s

or if the journals are too big, store the crank in dry ice until it gets "freezer burn".
that will insure it stays shrunken when it thaws out.............

Need to remember this "word".