[Fot] CRANKSHAFTS Repairing a cracked crankshaft

[Greg Solow]

There are good crank grinding people who really know what they are doing. 
The best of them are able to repair cracks in steel cranks. Some years ago 
we rebuilt an AC Ace  6 cylinder engine. This was the single overhead cam 
engine designed and built by AC, not the Bristol engine.. The crank had  3 
cranks in it. The procedure is to grind the cracked area away until there is 
no more cracked material, then weld the crank back up with the proper alloy 
steel. The crank is then stress relieved and reheat treated, then reground 
to the proper size and configuration. Obviously this is a fairly expensive 
procedure and is only worth doing when the crank is an expensive, not easily 
replaceable piece.
    The technician who has done this for us in the past is Armando, at 
"custom crankshaft repair" in San Mateo. His phone number is 650 342-0568.
He is an expert in the heat treatment of cranks. He has done the best, most 
accurate and consistently sized journals we have ever had done. His 
timeliness sometimes leaves something to be desired.
                                                                             
                Greg Solow