My 454 CL special has a bad crankshaft (badly worn thrust) so i'm going to replace it with another crankshaft i already have. Ive got the crank out of the block and the pistons pushed down into the cylinders but bolts sticking up thru the rods look like an scratched journal waiting to happen. I could put fuel line tubing over the bolts but i dont think the journals will clear. Is it possible (advisable) to swap out a crankshaft in a bbc with pistons, and rods still in motor or do i need to pull the heads and the pistons ? Thanks and happy thanksgiving Charlie Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Damn brother....I have always had to pull off every damned thing.....but that is a good question. Doesn't look like there is any other way to do it. I have heard of people doing that shit in car.....but never asked myself if the heads were popped as well. Good luck.....and I'll be here to learn something later. Some one will be here shortly....
if done slowly you can do it rods in , just make the hoses longer ( about 4" ) for the bolts and you can slip them over the journals as you slide it down in place ( go to the hardware store to get thinner wall hose plastic/nylon is best . they do boots to go over the end of the bolts ,http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cle-2800b1?seid=srese1&gclid=CNutrY3FmcICFYdcMgodnE4Apg ( the price is for one rod ) I have several sets of these in my tool box that I have used over the years
I"ve done a small block, not a big block.. Looks like you already pulled the crank out, so you know it can be done. Trick I used was to put longer lengths of rubber tube on the rod bolts, so I could line them all up before I set the crank in all the way. Although it looks like you also knocked a bunch of rod bolts loose...I'm thinking you might want to just take it all apart, and start over. But it's hard for us to see how the rest of the engine looks, how big your wallet is, etc.
I forgot to mention I have used heat shrink tube over the bolts in the past its nice as it stays put when shrunk and you just razor it off just cut the peices about 1/2 longer than the exposed thread
Looks like the kind of job where it would be helpful to have an extra pair of hands to help line things up.
I've done it without a problem, but with an extra set of hands. Just take it slow and easy, the heat shrink tubing is an excellent idea.
If it came out with the pistons still in it, it will go back in with the pistons in it. Get some friends over to help hold them out of the way while you and another guy lowered in in place. JC
thanks for replies guys, I did take the crank out with everything still in there, but it wasnt pretty and I dont know that I would've done it with a crank that I wasnt already junk. Two of the rod bolts did come out and I'm going to have to rig something up with a C-clamp to force them back into the bores if I leave the piston and rods in the block...another reason to pull the heads and pistons I guess. I like the idea of getting some thin wall plastic tube, cutting them long (4"?) and sliding the crank in there with a buddy. Charlie
I have done big and small blocks and for best results it needs three pairs of hands, two for the crank (damn heavy and can take a couple of minutes) and the other to help with the rods. Be careful not to dislodge the shells. JW
Making sure all the pistons are at the tops of their bores is step #1! You probably did this but double checking is easy. Make sure to have help!
Never did try that but I would hang the crank with a chain fall or something with a nylon strap around the front snout and some long bolts in the flywheel holes, and a strap in the rear Then you can lower it down very slow and move the rods out of the way at will, with out having to hold that heavy beauty in mid air Should be a piece of cake that way Good luck, G Don
Also ask yourself why it took the thrust out of it. Converter not spaced right? Too much line pressure? Ballooning converter?Did you grease the converter hub into the crank? A clutch will do it too, but usually even a very high face pressure clutch won't .
duece, I thought about that but it's a factory cast crank replacing another one and I dont see any outstanding changes made in either for balancing...thoughts on this? Since reading the posts and giving it more thought I've decided to pull the heads and pistons.Now I've got to decide whether to put some bucks into some 781 heads I have (valve job) or pull the trigger on the AFR heads I've been eyeing (for the 468 motor that will ultimately go into the 55') and throw those on top. Good point Greg, I've wondered about that but I dont know the background on the motor...300.00 craiglist motor, other than it was resportedly from a motor home. I was surprised the crank got eaten and not the bearing...seems ass backwards.
The crank wears due to metallic particles embedding in the softer bearing surface, this wears the harder surface. JW
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