Crank cast or steel

[jackel440]

I just bought some engine parts and i want to know how I can tell if the 440 crank I got is steel or cast piece?

[supserdave]

Cast=crank will look square on the edges of the counter weights, and smooth.

Steel=crank will have rounded edges on the counterweights, and a rougher look, kind of hard to explain, you could post the part number or a picture.

[jackel440]

next to the #3 main journal I found a" DF 10 "
and next to the #2 main was a "2"  "23' with a "V" above it.
I didn't see anyother marks on it.I can't find my camera so I can't post any pics.

[SeattleCharger]

I found a couple pics I have of each,
 
   first is steel crank,  the edges are rounded on the counter weights

      second is cast iron, the counter weights have bigger squared edges as he was describing, 

         tried to draw arrows on steel crank pic, heh   this is where the major difference is, the steel crank actually appears not as beefy on the counterweights, looks a little thinner and has the rounded edges,

[supserdave]

Right on Doug, thanks for clarifying.

[SeattleCharger]

Right on Doug, thanks for clarifying.

   glad I could help Dave     ,   my name is Nate,   

[jackel440]

cool thanks for the pics. i will have to go out and look at it again.I'm starting to get confused they are looking the same

[squeakfinder]

Also, if you tap the crank lightly the steel crank will wring sort of like tuning fork, the cast crank will go thud.

[jackel440]

is there supposed to be a casting or part number somewhere?

[supserdave]

Dog, Doug, Nate, its all the same right? Sorry, won't happen again .

[SeattleCharger]

heh, ya, I knew it was a typo,   


       hey jackal, sorry the steel crank pic is so small,  but if you had one of each side by side the visual difference would be obvious,
  see where the red arrows are in 3rd pic?  the edges here are either going to be rounded over on steely or very sqaured off 90 degree square edges and a little wider looking on cast iron crank,

[Mean 318]

1970 used a steel crank right?

[supserdave]

yep, thats a steel one

[hemihead]

 I thought all cranks were made out of steel ? Oh , you mean Forged or Cast. 

[SeattleCharger]

oh, I don't know,  I thought steel crank is all steel and a cast crank has cast iron counter weights   

[Ghoste]

The cast and forged issue is a matter of how they are made.  In short, they are both steel but the process used to create a cast crank requires that balancing be done externally.  Said balancing still accomplished with steel weights.

[John_Kunkel]

Also, if you tap the crank lightly the steel crank will wring sort of like tuning fork, the cast crank will go thud.

That's true if both are sitting on the floor but suspend a cast crank and it'll ring but with a different tone than forged.

[jackel440]

Awesome  tech here guys 
Do all Cast cranks have the engine size call out on them like the ones pictured?
I think the one I have might actually be a forged one.
I bought it along with a block with a 71' cast date and it has the "HP" stamp on the pad.It also came with new piston and rings.I will have to start a new thread about it.It is pretty wild what I got.

[SeattleCharger]

A digital camera is handy to photo things you are asking about on your car, you have a computer already, if you don't have a dig. camera, they are great to have, no film to get developed, fast from photographing to posting on the site, I have a link to a free photograph working program also that you can download off the internet, lets you resize or crop or optimize photos to get them into the max file size allowed here,  without shrinking the width of photo, just the kb size

  btw, I was born in Indiana,   

[jackel440]

Oh I have a digital camera,about 3 of them.And they all have taken pukes on me
I was wanting to get a new one so i could post picks of all the stuff i got to get your guys opinions on them.
I am getting 500 bales of hay this weekend.So the money for a new camera is gone for now
I will try and borrow a friends here soon and get some pics.

[squeakfinder]

And when storing a crank, stand them up or hang them because they can get bent or warped laying down on there side as pictured above  .

[max]

John's photo is the best way to tell the cranks apart and the way i have done it for years.

And when storing a crank, stand them up or hang them because they can get bent or warped laying down on there side as pictured above.

oh boy, let the debate begin.

[SeattleCharger]

John's photo is the best way to tell the cranks apart and the way i have done it for years.

And when storing a crank, stand them up or hang them because they can get bent or warped laying down on there side as pictured above.

oh boy, let the debate begin.

  I say that it doesn't matter.               But hang a cam up by a rope when storing it.       

[Charger-Bodie]

i also believe in the hanging them method.

[Ghoste]

The hang or no hang issue came up here before.  I still go for hanging.