Likely going to drop my crank and pull the cam out of my 3406A block tonight. I've always been told to store cranks and cams in v-blocks or stand them upright in order to prevent them from bending/sagging. Is there truth to that or is it just an old wives' tale? What would be the best way to store them for a couple months?
Store upright. I have never been in a machine shop and seen them laying flat.
I’ve seen them stored both ways. Mostly standing up as it saves space. Smokey Yunick had shelves upon shelves of cams etc laying in piles. I can’t imagine sitting static horizontal being any worse than what it would see during operation. Only issue I see horizontal is one rolling and getting damaged that way.
I thought this question was going to be about how to prevent rusting.
don`t think it matters which direction you store em in HOW do you keep em from rusting
[QUOTE="92U 3406, post: 815527, member: 62173" I've always been told to store cranks and cams in v-blocks or stand them upright in order to prevent them from bending/sagging. Is there truth to that or is it just an old wives' tale? [/QUOTE] Total BS on the bending & sagging unless the cam or crankshaft likes Cheeseburger's .
All my replacement cranks have been shipped to me wrapped in a cocoon of shrink wrap lying on a pallet. Many have been on that pallet for a number of years. To me the shrink wrap is the worst challenge. Oh, I did get a 3408 crank in a crate that defied you to get it out without a chainsaw.
I kinda figured leaving it on the floor wouldn't hurt it. Its a pretty heavy piece of iron. Right now it's supported by #2 and #5 crank journals and the four ends of #3 and #4's counterweights. V-blocks would just support the assembly at 2 of the main journals.
For the short period of time your more then fine! But if the the crank may be stored for years and years - that’s another story! For the people who didn’t understand why the whole question was asked - find out why it is super important to level Machine Tools with a super precise spirit levels, and check the leveling periodically. And even have Machine Tool sitting on the separate concrete pad from the concrete your walking on while working on that machine tool! And those are even bigger chunks of cast irons!
And for people who wants to argue with me I have a warning: I have a book to beat you with! Although I lost Connoly’s “Machine Tool Reconditioning”! Which breaks my heart! And I never got around to buying any Richard King’s books. BTW the author of that little blue book is a founder of DIN standard, which now is a European Standard!
In my experience with milsurp firearms... I think cosmoline will work for a 100 years or so. I seem to wear it on a semi regular basis!
Super great stuff! Just PITA to get it off. But WD40 works on it!
I’ve seen how main journals look after couple of tens of hours working in the engine. Just because it was not handled too gently when taken off of the grinder, and nobody bothered checking straightness before installing it in the block. Too bad I don’t have any pictures saved!
Our machine shop always had'm in wooden v blocks.. Even the engine builders would store'm in blocks until it was time to reinstall.. If they were mine, they're be standing up..
Got a couple of Russian 91/30 rifles a few years back that were absolutely oozing the stuff, pulled the wood and soaked them in gasoline for 2 days. Took care of that problem. Smaller pieces, I use mineral spirits.
Stuff was coated thick with cosmoline when I was in the navy. The smaller stuff we would put in boiling water for a bit and then wash it off with JP5. The large stuff was just a pain. The machinists around here alway stored the cracks standing up. Fresh ground cams were wrapped in heavy cardboard and laid on a pallet. For the most part I figured it didn't make much difference which way you stored cranks. I used to have a deflection gauge and checked the cranks when I dropped them into a block and bolted everything up tight. The thing is, I never found one out of spec so just stopped taking the time to do it. Truth is I would never use a crank that had been sitting for years without sending it in to the machine shop anyway for a clean and check unless I didn't have the time or money for that and the owner said put it in anyway.
One big reason why we don't store a crank or cam upright is the possibility of it being knocked over …. " Timber ! " One falling over hitting the concrete could sure do damage to the item or the curious youngster that instigated it . Tall heavy items lay flat until we need it .
Built some v-blocks. Crank is going to be sent out when the block goes out for hot tank and machining. Crank looks decent. Probably just need a light polish on the journals.
Had this discussion 20 years ago. Cooper Bessmer GMVE8, IIRC. Crank about 15 feet long, 10" rod and 12" main journals. The machine shop we sent it to said they definitely bend and should be supported with wood blocks at several mains.
I like it !
no argument about machine tools.
We use a set of wood V- blocks all the time for various projects to protect the steel shaft from abrasion . They were kind of expensive as we had to cut them ourselves but worth it in the long run . We almost have them paid for ...