273 Crankshaft

[273dart]

OK you experts or persons full of knowledge. I have a 67 Dart that I am restoring. Awhile back I pulled the engine apart. I am getting ready to re-build it. I discovered that it does not have a steel crank cause I was told that it has a number stamped on it. This is the number, although it is a little hard to read some of the numbers, 2658393 it could be 2858393. Can anyone help ID it as a 273 and the year.

Dave Davis

[mr_340]

I can't help with the casting/forging number, but it should be a forged crank. A forged crank will have a wide parting line (~1/4") at the ends of the rod journals. A cast crank will have a narrow (~1/16") parting line. A forged crank will also have a nice "ring" to it when tapped lightly.

One thing to check on that crank, I replaced the 273 that was in my Dart with a 340. The torque converter hub on the 1967 and earlier small blocks had a smaller diameter (and a smaller register in the back of the crank) than the 1968 and up engines. The small register is 1.556" and the large register is 1.815". You can measure it with a scale to see which register the crank has. My crank was forged in the 273. I kept the crank along with some older 318 cranks. They don't have the lightening holes drilled in the end journals.

[dave571]

If you go into tech archives, there is a thread there about 318 crankshafts.

If you read through the posts there are a couple, with charts of casting numbers, dates and applications used(for all early small blocks.

On the contrary to popular belief, not all 273's were forged cranks.

I just went to the thread, and it clearly shows that # as being a cast crankshaft that started production in 67, and was seen in 68 273's

[273dart]

Dave,
Thanks for the info! I had it right in front of my eyes. I have the book, how to build small block engines. My brain was sleeping. Thanks for waking it up.
Dave