The results are back from the machine shop, the crank is good!

Results:

Main Journals:  Standard 2.5″  This engine:  2.454-2.452″ Undersized at:  .048″

Rod Journals:  Standard 1.312″ This engine:  1.290-1.289″   Undersized at:  .023″

Magged: OKAY

Straightness:  OKAY

The man at the machine shop recommended a polishing of the journals at most, but said the rod journals looked nice.

Ziploc makes great bags for your crank shafts awaiting their destiny.  Just oil up the crank, place it inside, push out the air and lock it in.  You could get a little extra fancy and add one of those silica packets from a shoe box until you know exactly what you’re doing.

As for this crankshaft, I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with it just yet.  All of the other pieces that make up the engine are inside of a large plastic bin in my garage.  So, which ever way I end up going, I at least know that this crank is supposed to be a good foundation for an engine.  Whether I gather up replacement parts to fix the cracked pieces on this one, or use it as the basis for another engine, it’ll be nice to know that the piece holding it all together is straight and strong.

After everything, I am thinking that this engine was fully rebuilt at one time and the person who did the work was very angry when the engine wouldn’t turn over all of the work.  The owner may have let it sit for a while, trying to decide what course would be best to take and finally decided to get rid of the car.  Wanting to make sure that no one could use the car easily again, the person may have taken a hammer and destroyed the parts he knew would cause this car to be out of commission indefinitely.  With the crankcase destroyed and the bell housing smashed, just sliding new parts in would have been difficult.  Destroying the gas tank with what looks to be a pick axe may have also been part of an angry seller’s plan.

Either way,  there are enough empty crank cases out there awaiting a nice crank like this, and enough cars waiting for a good engine.  The car this came from is being hot rodded by a father and son who are looking to do it properly.  So, the car is finally getting a new lease on life, and its parts may do the same for another Bantam or two out there.

Thanks for reading.