CRANKSHAFTS & CONNECTING RODS
QUICK STROKE CHECK

QUICK STROKE CHECK

If you’re taking an engine apart and are unsure of the cubic inch or the crank stroke, here is a quick way to figure it out. Simply rotate the engine until one piston is at BDC. Take a measurement from the deck of your block down to the deck of the piston. You can use...

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ROD STRAIGHTENING

ROD STRAIGHTENING

When checking and correcting rod straightness, I use two bars against each other in the rod vice. Since the vice isn’t mounted to the cabinet strong enough for most correction work, this allows you to use it. I feel the two bars gives me a better feel for how much I’m...

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STUCK CRANKSHAFT HUB

STUCK CRANKSHAFT HUB

Every once in a while, you'll have a hub that wants to stick firmly on a crankshaft grinder spindle. Instead of beating on it with a hammer, when you have precision bearings involved, we keep a piece of scrap steel with two holes that correspond with two of the holes...

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TOUGH CRANK DOWEL REMOVAL

TOUGH CRANK DOWEL REMOVAL

This happens to be a Ford flathead V8 crankshaft that my collet puller would not budge. Sometimes, it is easy to use a punch to drive them out, but, in this case, there was not enough room to get the punch in and drive it out. I taped a dowel in front of the hole. I...

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POPSICLES ON COMPANY TIME

POPSICLES ON COMPANY TIME

This is a way to check the corner radius on your crankshaft grinding stone for wear, while grinding and without the need to shut down the spinning wheel. Grind a notch in an ice-cream stick or popsicle stick for y'all from the north with the corner of the stone. Then,...

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RELUCTOR WHEEL INSTALLATION TOOL

RELUCTOR WHEEL INSTALLATION TOOL

RELUCTOR WHEEL INSTALLATION TOOL We made our own reluctor wheel installation tool for LS engines, and it works like a charm. We used junk materials from around the shop, including an old valve stem, and have about 2 hours of labor into making it. A chunk of 1/2" plate...

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