Question about storing crankshafts

[Dangerous Beans]

So i have been bumming around on the net, and i came across this bit of advice:

Absolutely never lay a crankshaft on its side-not even for a few minutes. Crankshafts should always be stored standing straight up or hanging from a storage fixture. Laying a crank on its side will cause permanent damage.

Poking around, I found similar advice on other sites, but all for ford/chevy motors. However it seems to me that some cranks (4age specifically) are fairly well supported on the counterweights when laying them on their side.

Is this something to be worried about? Is it only an issue for two plane cranks?

[thechuckster]

huh? is not like a crank is made of playdough - i'd be more concerned with wasps laying nests in the oil gallery and corrosion on the bearing faces. Cover with grease, wrap in gladwrap, store out of harms way.

[oldcorollas]

if you drop a cast crank, from vertical to horizontal, and it lands badly, it could crack (same for cams) but storing a carefully laid down crank, that is supported ok, seems unlikely to cause issues?

[mookschank]

A crank lying on it's own exceeding the elastic deformation limit from it's own weight? Maybe if a truck runs over it as well...

[NME308]

The factory chevy crank in my HQ spent several years laying in storeage on its side...

Better make sure I dont stress than one too much now!

Cheers,
Jason

[Dangerous Beans]

huh? is not like a crank is made of playdough - i'd be more concerned with wasps laying nests in the oil gallery and corrosion on the bearing faces. Cover with grease, wrap in gladwrap, store out of harms way.

Funny you should mention wasps, there were some living in the bolt holes on the block.

i thought it might be an issue with cranks where the counter weights aren't all in the one plane, as they might rest sticking up in the air and thus stress the crank. that said, i don't think that any of the books i have read mention it.

[Muzza]

One thing i remember about Tafe was that they layed the crank on the side but was supported with a frame they made up by to points, one at the front and one at the back of the crank.
And we weren't allowed to use the until they made a third point to support the crank in the middle.

So if its on the side and u made something up that keeps it off the ground at one end and at the other end, best gess is that it will bow/warp.

[allencr]

It's an Old wives/farts tale!
How do all the forces pushing pulling twisting through a crank at redline compare to when it's just laying there?

[thechuckster]

... so if a crankshaft falls over in a workshop and there's no-one there to hear it ... has it really bent?

[kriso]

sounds poo poo to me have had plenty of cranks stored before just covered in grease and wrapped in a towel and placed somewhere it can't be knocked/ stood on etc, no worries with them if you dropped one how ever well lets just say it aint going in one of my engines thats for sure.

["Z" UTE]

That standing the crankshaft upright is in the "How to rebuild big block Ford engines" laughed out loud when I read that. Aero engine crankshafts are stored in a cradle that supports each of the main journals. The support is lined with lead to prevent damage to the bearing surfaces. Remember these cranks are balanced to the Nth degree to reduce vibration stresses on the airframe. If you do make a cradle, never line the supports with felt, it will absorb moisture from the atmosphere, and corrode your crank.

cheers Chuck.

[TERRA Operative]

If the crank will deform if you lay it down, it will stretch like soft toffee if you hang it up by it's end.

Ie. Just lightly oil it, wrap it in a bit of plastic and place it carefully away.

[RobertoX]

... so if a crankshaft falls over in a workshop and the customer's not there to hear it ... has it really bent?

fixed ....

[pandaah]

^^ hahahahaha

[Dangerous Beans]

^^ hahahahaha

Don't laugh, that is a very important question (at least if it is my crank ).