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So I picked my motor up from a local machine shop after having the basic work done. Block bored and honed, crank cleaned and polished, rods resized for ARP bolts, etc... This is a 99 model LS1 btw...
Well I noticed the 1st journal on the crank has some ridges in it, enough where you can feel them with your finger nail. I asked the machine shop and they said it was fine and within spec. But.... It has me concerned. I took some pics, what do you all think about this? The motor was running strong with good oil pressure when torn down so it didn't have a spun bearing or anything.
My idea of polishing a crank is the surface should be smooth like glass. Am I wrong?
Looks like ****. I would polish it at least, if not have it turned .010".
According to the machine shop they polished it. The other journals look nice, all except for this one. Guess I need to take it to another machine shop for a second look. I just don't feel confident putting this new motor together with a crank that looks like that...
They must have forgot that journal, that doesn't look polished at all.
agreed...that looks like total llama poop
A good shop would have chamfered the oiling holes and polished it using a three step process....new 180 or 220 belt, used 320 or 400 belt and either a scotch brite finisher or a dead 600
Now based on the visual scoring present, I would expect the journal to mic small afterwards, and perhaps need .001" undersize bearings which then forces your hand to decide on just getting a grind.
Problem is, there are so few good crank guys around anymore that it could size and or index worse afterwards if ground by someone who cares more about your coin and less about the success of your build.
Seriously find a good machine shop, that crank is not just unacceptable its REDICULES! Go back and ask for a kiss because .....well you know the rest.
Yeah no kidding... What's pathetic is this machine shop has been in business for a long time. I'm going to take it back and give them one chance to get it right, if they won't then I'll have to find another shop. Unfortunately there aren't too many left in the Chattanooga area. Now this is holding me up from getting the motor built. Freaking ridiculous...
You are going bk there? I hope to slap them around with the crank? I'd stay far away from any machine that did that to a crank and then tries to pass it off. I'd check carefully every ting they did. Unfortunately this is todays world, real pros are mostly all gone. Anyone can open a shop and do as they please. Good luck
If you can't find a decent shop near you send it out someplace to get it done right.
Last edited by RockinWs6; Oct 2, 2015 at 07:50 AM.
KCS, that's a good question! I didn't notice that yesterday when I picked it up but I'll have to give it a good look when I get home from work. Almost looks like it's broke or cracked on that counterweight. I sure hope not...
Just a random question but... I have a good crank out of a 2004 5.3L LM7. It's the same stroke as this LS1 so could I use that crank if this LS1 crank is trashed? The 5.3L crank is perfect, no ridges or anything in any of the journals. If it'll work I may take it to another machine shop to be checked.
Just a random question but... I have a good crank out of a 2004 5.3L LM7. It's the same stroke as this LS1 so could I use that crank if this LS1 crank is trashed? The 5.3L crank is perfect, no ridges or anything in any of the journals. If it'll work I may take it to another machine shop to be checked.
It may need to be balanced, but as long as it has a 24x wheel and the bearing clearances are good, it should work fine.
Whats acceptable at one shop is not necessarily acceptable by another.
Was this a performance oriented machine shop or a mom and pop re builder/refurbish er?
Odds are your going to need a tighter bearing.
It would be best to get that crankshaft inspected and measured properly before investing more dollars.
Whats acceptable at one shop is not necessarily acceptable by another.
Was this a performance oriented machine shop or a mom and pop re builder/refurbish er?
Odds are your going to need a tighter bearing.
It would be best to get that crankshaft inspected and measured properly before investing more dollars.
It was a mom and pop machine shop. They have been around for a long time so I thought I'd give them a try. Apparently that was a bad idea. Unfortunately there aren't any performance oriented machine shops in the Chattanooga area, especially ones familiar with a LS engine.
Don't even bother with it. Even if they cleaned it up or grind on it, I wouldn't trust their work.
Get the 5.3 checked out or check online for a good used crankshaft. Sometimes you can find them already polished on a std. journal for a reasonable price.
The classified section is probably the best place to purchase LS parts anywhere in the world lol.
Well... The crank is apparently fine. I took it by Race Engine Design in Rossville, GA to get their opinion. The crank isn't broke, that was a piece of lint or something on it. They said the grooves in the main journal won't hurt the bearings or crank. If it was out of round or had high spots, then it would be an issue. But the journals were true and clean. The tech there told me extra oil can be trapped in the grooves, which is a good thing. So... I guess it's ok to run.
I asked about the 5.3L crank and the machine shop told me it would definitely have to be balanced, as the trucks counterweight is balanced different than a LS1. Guess the weight of the rotating assembly is the reason.
Guess the mom and pop shop did ok after all. Learn something new every day... Lol
Man I don't know what to do... Like you I'm skeptical of using this crank, but why would two machine shops tell me it's fine? But you clearly see ridges in the journal.
Summit Racing has refurbished cranks for around $300.00 that are .10 undersized. I guess one of those would be fine. But using a different crank would require me to get the rotating assembly balanced wouldn't it? Not a big deal but my pistons are already pressed onto the rods. Would that matter for balancing?
Wish there was a reputable shop around here... Frustrating...
That crank is probably just fine. Ive built many engines, and some are just slap together miscellaneous craigslist "Junk". I would make sure you run good bearings. I like King coated....they take a beating and embed much poop.
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Engine builders, got a crank issue 
