1" thick VD = forged crank?

[MVRCorp]

1970 440 out of a New Yorker. Someone told me if the vibration dampner is 1" thick it's got a forged crank. Does anyone know if this is true?

[GON_RACIN]

As a general rule if the balancer is thick its because it has a counter weight, for externally balanced cast cranks.  I've got two 440's from the 70's that came out of C bodies, both have huge balancers and both have cast cranks.

[sportfury70]

If I remmber correctly, 70 and prior were all forged cranks.  If it is externally balanced, it may have 6 pack connecting rods.  If it is a cast crank, the balancer may also say "for cast cranks only"  or something like that.


Lewis

[speeder440]

1970 440 out of a New Yorker. Someone told me if the vibration dampner is 1" thick it's got a forged crank. Does anyone know if this is true?

Just look on the 440 Source site and you can see the differenaces.

[Steve DeTar]

take a pic and send it to us.  Most cast cranks have a larger Harmonic balancer, even if it is tapered.

[fasttcars]

If I remmber correctly, 70 and prior were all forged cranks.  If it is externally balanced, it may have 6 pack connecting rods.  If it is a cast crank, the balancer may also say "for cast cranks only"  or something like that.


Lewis

it's actually 73 and prior.....some of the cast crank balancers are muucho bigger but some are the same thickness as the forged untis except for the addition of a extra circular weight on the front

[jess13]

If I remmber correctly, 70 and prior were all forged cranks.  If it is externally balanced, it may have 6 pack connecting rods.  If it is a cast crank, the balancer may also say "for cast cranks only"  or something like that.


Lewis

it's actually 73 and prior.....some of the cast crank balancers are muucho bigger but some are the same thickness as the forged untis except for the addition of a extra circular weight on the front

I dont think this is correct.    In 71,    if you got a performance car it could have been forged,  if it was a low performance it could have been cast.  Some have even said its if it was two barrle or four barrel but I dont think that was correct.  What trend they followed on up the years ,72,73  I am not sure of but cast cranks did come out in 71.      In 70 I do believe they where still all forged.  My 71 Fury Wagon with a factory two barrel is cast.  My school teacher bought the car new and then I got it. It was know for fact it was running with exactly all engine parts it came out of the show room with.   It is a 383,two barrel with cast crank and it has the the 1" balancer (looks like forged) but has the added extra circle on the front like meantioned above.       


When did the 400 engine come out in?  They where all cast cranks if I am not misstaking.


I am referening to the cast/forged cranks, not the balancer size. 


Jess

[fasttcars]

If I remmber correctly, 70 and prior were all forged cranks.  If it is externally balanced, it may have 6 pack connecting rods.  If it is a cast crank, the balancer may also say "for cast cranks only"  or something like that.


Lewis

it's actually 73 and prior.....some of the cast crank balancers are muucho bigger but some are the same thickness as the forged untis except for the addition of a extra circular weight on the front

I dont think this is correct.    In 71,    if you got a performance car it could have been forged,  if it was a low performance it could have been cast.  Some have even said its if it was two barrle or four barrel but I dont think that was correct.  What trend they followed on up the years ,72,73  I am not sure of but cast cranks did come out in 71.      In 70 I do believe they where still all forged.  My 71 Fury Wagon with a factory two barrel is cast.  My school teacher bought the car new and then I got it. It was know for fact it was running with exactly all engine parts it came out of the show room with.   It is a 383,two barrel with cast crank and it has the the 1" balancer (looks like forged) but has the added extra circle on the front like meantioned above.       


When did the 400 engine come out in?  They where all cast cranks if I am not misstaking.


I am referening to the cast/forged cranks, not the balancer size. 


Jess

no all 440s were forged crank engines until after 73.......in 71 the low per 383 could have a cast crank...all the high per 383s have the forged.....71 was the last year{plus the rare cross over engines}......and 72 was the first year for the 400{minus rare cross overs}........most 400s would be cast crank engines high per or low   but their was a few truck applications where the 400 did have a forged crank as well  and some high per cars  here and their

[jess13]

Ah,  so the 440 didnt follow the same route as the 383.  I know I have had 71 383 cars ,    some with cast & some with forged but I dont remember having any 440 cars in these years (atleast not factory ones). Sounds like Mopar was testing the waters with the smaller engines first to see how they held up before they installed them in the 440's .

The funny thing is,  the cast crank setup was strong enough to handle anything the block could handle if it was tuned right.  Nothing wrong with a cast crank motor.




Jess