Iron crankshaft welding

[1972ho]

Can the ford 4MA cleveland crankshaft rod journal be welded and run without problems.

[PackardV8]

Can the ford 4MA cleveland crankshaft rod journal be welded and run without problems.

Is it actually made from cast iron or more likely is it a cast steel crank?

[Walter R. Malik]

Can the ford 4MA cleveland crankshaft rod journal be welded and run without problems.

If the correct welding wire is used, it would be no problem.

[nhrastocker]

Can the ford 4MA cleveland crankshaft rod journal be welded and run without problems.

Contact Adney Brown at Performance Crankshaft.
(586) 549-7557

http://performancecrankshaft.com/

[ec1]

I used to do Welding on a Gleason machine. As long as you use the correct wire and are good at welding cranks yes it will hold up fine. There is a different wire for forged vs cast cranks. The Ford cranks are of a premium nodular iron.

[mag2555]

Are you taking about welding for purpose of stroking, or just for repair?

[1972ho]

I just had one journal welded but I had heard years ago the welding on cast iron/nodular crankshaft was a no no so I had it done anyway and it look perfect.

[Schurkey]

Can the ford 4MA cleveland crankshaft rod journal be welded and run without problems.

Is it actually made from cast iron or more likely is it a cast steel crank?

Cast steel? So far as I know, every "cast steel" crankshaft is actually made of cast iron, having enough carbon to place it well above the limits for "steel".

Eagle, for example, actually admitted that their "cast steel" cranks are really cast iron. I don't know why the FTC doesn't take action.

The Ford cranks are of a premium nodular iron.

Yup. Cast iron.

[BCjohnny]

True cast 'Steel', as opposed to 'Iron', cranks have been produced, and will become more common

Steel is much more difficult to cast than Iron ...... temperature, pouring & shrinkage etc ...... so production engineers avoid it where possible

Nodular and ADI cranks, have been developed to such a degree that they can take care of most 'lower' power applications, leaving much more expensive forged cranks to take care of the upper end requirements, however as the 'power density' of ICE engines continues to climb 'cast Steel' cranks will bridge the gap

Now the need is there, and the economies of scale will follow, expect to see a lot more true 'cast Steel' cranks appear, especially in the light diesel sector

IIRC Ford patented a 'cast Steel' manufacturing process for Flathead V8 cranks in the thirties

AIUI the current aftermarket 'Cast Steel' cranks are usually high nodular Iron or ADI and don't generally meet the requirements of being a 'Steel'

['Steels' are generally assumed to have <2% Carbon, 'Irons' more ...... were it ever that simple]

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