Featured Technical Myth, or truth? Storing cams and cranks horizontally vs vertically

Works best on end if used as a rural mailbox post.

 

The shop I worked at 42 years ago used Storm Crankshaft in Mt. Vernon, N. Y., I checked and they are still in business. One day I stopped in to drop off or pick up cranks, there was a dump truck with a load of scrap cranks, looked just like a load of firewood. A guy was back there tossing cranks around like you or I would toss firewood. Micrometer in one hand looking for go /no go on the regrind cores. I think cranks are a lot stronger than we think they are.

 

Brake drums are round, they don't have ends

 

No reason, but I'm def. old school---choice between two identical cranks, one laying flat on concrete or the other one standing straight up on the flange----take your guess.

 

I think maybe I don't know.
Hope that helps.

 

Wonder how many crankshaft ads will get their photos changed now?

 

I heard that 65 years ago but never have had it proven to me one way or the other. I had a buddy who stored his spare cranks hanging by the flanges on racks made from either angle or channel iron hanging under a bench. There wasn't any chance of knocking those over and they were out of the way.

 

Heard the myth 50 years ago, never paid any attention. Just for perspective though a common production
motor will develop 1000-1500 psi on the piston during combustion. At a 4" bore the area is about 12.5 sq in.
Since F=PA that's easy 12,000 lbs trying to distort the crank. I don't think a 40-50 lb crank resting on a couple
of counter weights is in much danger

 

^^^^^^ here is the real myth…………..they take up the same amount of space regardless of how you store them……..

( I would be more concerned about the possibility of them being knocked over, if stored on end, than by putting them on a shelf, with or without support ).

I think they’re more concerned about sagging if stored horizontally with support at each end, thus creating load in the centre………….

 

This thread is hilarious

 

Can some AI genius do a domino deal using crankshafts?

 

I wonder if this rumor started with some of the Navy mariners who returned home after running steam at sea.

Some rotating assemblies will sag under their own weight. When running down big industrial kit (like power generating steam turbines) the machine is run at slow speed until it is cool. Stop them hot and they can inbalance pretty badly (rotor sag). Common practice for some places to store spare turbine rotor assemblies vertically.

A cam or crank is a lot more rigid though. Much less likely to sag, especially at room temperature.

Cheers,
Harv

 

I just checked every one of my cars and motorcycles.

Every cam and every crank is horizontal.

 

Years ago a local machinist and engine builder demonstrated to me how flexible an engine block was by placing and adjusting an inside micrometer in the cylinder bore holes so it was self suspended. Using only his thumb and fore finger he was able to squeeze each cylinder out of round enough for the micrometer to drop out. So who knows what effect the weight of a crankshaft and an extended time period might have. Probably negligible in most cases but gravity is a constant force and molecules are movable.

 

I agree with Gimpy, all mine are horizontal too, except for 2 John Deere’s and 3 Cub Cadets out in the shed. They will last forever. Now, I’ve got to got make sure all my batteries that are sitting on the concrete floor have a piece of wood between them and the concrete.

 

Original location at 10th and Cherry Avenue, Long Beach.

Hello,

Having carried around a crankshaft in our last build of a 292 c.i. SBC motor, it was heavy. Prior to installing it in place, we had put the machined crank on its end. Why? Well it did take up less floor space, but the guys at Reath Automotive had all of their cranks on end. And, they also said due to being the “machined crank” center of hot rods in So Cal at the time, it helped with shop space. Direct from the source… but, a long time ago in 1959.

So, what was the mystery ?


Reath Automotive was well known for its fast flathead builds. He even tried to sell us a stroked flathead that was the main floor display model. But, a lot of local racers had Stroker kits from this shop in Long Beach, at 10th and Cherry Avenue. And how were the famous Reath Cranks shown in the display portion of the shop? They were on ends as it balanced well and nothing of value was touching the floor.

"This was the hot rod/drag racer's dream shop... plenty of space for machining, building, on the spot repairs, and a huge showroom full of the latest stuff. Everything possible in parts and service was in stock. Including more words of wisdom from the big master himself, Joe Reath. But, we all could see the glory and different attitude of the whole drag racing parts/racing/building scene with this new shop and in the coming years, the whole drag racing scene was changing, too."

Jnaki


The famous machine shop and after the milling/balancing took place. Photo is similar in both shop locations…

The huge corner store on Cherry Ave. and 33rd had everything, a large showroom, multiple machine shops/ working garages, tons of ready to buy motors, parts, and the displays were like a museum, all laid out in an orderly fashion for every hot rod/drag racer. They had hit the big time and outgrew that original small store on the corner of 10th and Cherry Ave.


Note:

For space allowed storage, the balanced/machined new crankshaft from Reath Automotive fit only one way in the 58 Impala trunk. Well protected with blankets and shoved against a barrier to prevent movement of any kind. Then, as we got it home, stored on a white towel on the ground near our workbench. We needed every inch of workspace in the tight backyard garage as there were white towels spread out all over the counter surface, work bench space and on the floor.

My brother was a stickler for cleanliness and as this was a full on itty-bitty zillion parts puzzle ready to be assembled. It was laid out in a nice way for easy access for the day’s work by the two brothers. YRMV

 

I have heard that rumor for years and years about crankshafts and camshafts being stored vertically to keep them from flexing or bending I think it's a myth. Because of space I used to store crankshafts vertically then one day I was walking through the garage and my wallet chain caught 460 Ford crankshaft and it dropped it right on top of my little toe.
That was about a year and a half ago I walked around with a limp for probably 2 months.
Crankshafts now gets stored horizontally I don't care if they warp My toes are more important.
As for camshafts I don't generally use used camshafts because they are cheap enough to replace generally speaking but if I do have to reuse an old camshaft I store them horizontally on a piece of foam on a shelf in the corner in the garage, The foam is mainly to keep them from rolling around If I can I will also put them in a box.

 

Batteries… I asked my dad why he charged them on a block of wood.
He said “not to get acid on the concrete”.
I’ve been doing like that for near 50 years now.

 

I think the bigger danger is distorting your floor if the engine stand fails.

I suspect the amount of time required for that to happen can be measured in centuries...

 

I refuse to eat from the dog bowl.
The deer trough, not so bad.

 

I have heard that "saggy crank" can be fixed with little blue pills.....

 

A good one for the T-V "Myth Busters" to catalog deflection at specific intervals & keep them occupied for years to come.

 

This was new to me, but I have heard it about vinyl records, you should store them standing up, not leaning or stacking them in a pile, and then once a year you should turn them around 180' to prevent the disformation.
I got alot easier to believe in that "myth" compared to the cam/crank, but were talking gravity during long time so I would think its possible

 

Don't leave cartridges in the mag in that rifle, either. The spring will weaken...

 

Good reason to not wear wallet chains!!

Ben

 

Ehh, they don’t work so well.

 

A little assembly lube, it'll straighten right up and go right in. Run it hard for about 20 minutes before you idle 'er down.

 

Hanging a crank by the flange is how they make cranks for a straight 8 engine from a V8 crank?

 

Reminds me of this pic of Denis Jenkinson with the crank from his Duesenberg

 

I've seen the crankshaft argument before.

The materials term for what is being described is "Creep". When a material is subjected to a high stress that shouldn't deform it over time, any deformation is due to creep of the material. Simply, a steel crankshaft at room temperature is very unlikely to experience creep. A vinyl record at room temperature may experience creep.

Whether or not you will see a dimensional change in a material when stored in one position for an extended period of time depends on the material, temperature, and load. If your crankshaft deforms significantly due to horizontal storage, I would expect significant deflection during use.

In short, turn your record collection occasionally, but store your crankshafts horizontally on a shelf and don't worry about them.