Crankshaft replacement

I would say no but---- I am the guy who 30 years ago told a Mexican truck driver that he could not replace a burned crank in a 350HP Cummins Diesel in a cabover Peterbilt without removing the engine. They bought bearings, crank, gaskets and a couple of rods and, worked on it in the parking lot that night. When I got to work the next morning, they had it running with a recon crank. That would have been 60+ hours in our shop with all the right equipment to pull it out and rebuild the engine. I have no idea how the two of them handled that 420 lb crank.

What about any front suspension components or the exhaust manifolds and pipes? If this can be done you might still want to have the ability to raise and lower the engine in the car, either with a floor jack underneath or with a hoist hooked up to it. Not taking the engine out will save you the hassle of dealing with unbolting the tranny and exhaust and all the other wires, hoses, etc. that are connected to it, but will it present other problems not worth the hassle? You were planning on torquing everything down and checking crank/rod bearing clearances underneath the car? I guess it can be done. Most things can when getting to work depends on it.

Both my chiltons and haynes manuals said I couldn't take the tranny out without being attached to the engine on my 90 escort but I did. Got it back in, too.

Don't forget to drain the oil first. ;>

Matt

No you need clearance for the flex plate which is in the transmission bell housing. The flex plate has to come off to remove the rear main seal housing.

Know he has to pull the tranny out first and support the engine by some means, and not from the bottom. Looking grim.

Matt

Why do that? Just pull the engine, it comes out the top. the transmission stays where it is at. I've done it many times.

Because he wanted to replace the crank with the engine in the car. Seems ass backwards doing it that way, he should pull the engine out and instead, as you suggested. I was pointing out the futility of leaving the engine in.

Matt

There was a day when replacing the crank in chassis was do-able, those were the days of the split rear main seal. So for a old timer, it's not so ass backwards.

Right, meant ass backwards for his situation

Perhaps you can just grind the crank in the chasis. They used to do that years ago. In the 50s and 60s, my dad spent about half his work time doing this.

Of course, not many people do this anymore.

Jeff

If there were a tool to atach to the end of the connecting rod and then crank the engine for several revolutions until it became round again?

Actually, the grinding wheel assembly thing was a like an electric drill and a fine stone at the end where the drill bit would be. It was held in place by a belt or loop that went over connecting rod journal. I am sure there was some way of resurfacing the stone so that is was perfectly flat and would line up with the crank properly. I think there was something to help get the grindings.

There was also a device that put under one of the drive wheels. It has a motor that turned the drive wheel, which in turn caused the crank to turn (of course, the other drive wheel had to be locked to be on the ground with blocks on either side.

Modern trucks and cars require too much precision these days for this to be useful. Besides, the truck motors usually go like 500,000 between rebuilds, and there is much more to be done than just the rod journals. But, in the old days, it was quite useful (and profitable). I think my dad hasn't done this for 10 or 15 years.

Jeff

Anyone knows of a tool that can be attached to the crankshaft in that one journal, with cutting blades of sorts, that you can turn as in a rachetwrench, grinding it? It could attach to the end of the connecting rod and then you could crank the engine a few times as necessary. Anything that would allow me to grind the journal with the engine in the car would be great. Taking the oil pan out would be easy but removing the engine it's a different story. Thank you

You can't grind it in the chasis. You have to get rid of the dust and grit. Plus, there is not nearly as much room in a V6 to get the equipment in that you have in a big strait 6. And, you can't turn the crank with an automatic transmission.

You're best bet is to get a crankshaft kit with a reground crankshaft and new bearings, so you won't have to wait for the crankshaft to be ground.

However, if this happens in your old Devco trunk, my father can come to your rescue.

Jeff