340 steel crank #3 thrust bearing

[440Ramcharger]

Anyone else eat up the thrust sides of the #3 bearing journal on a steel crank? Is it possible to repair or just junk. A new bearing has .035 or so slop on the thrust facings.

[lilcuda]

Originally Posted by 440Ramcharger

Anyone else eat up the thrust sides of the #3 bearing journal on a steel crank? Is it possible to repair or just junk. A new bearing has .035 or so slop on the thrust facings.

First of all, are you sure that it's a steel crank and not a cast crank? It looks like a cast crank to me. Either way, the thrust surface can be welded up and reground by a competent crank grinder.

Lee

[440Ramcharger]

Hit it with a hammer, rings like a bell. No clunk sound.

[RoadRaceJosh]

Originally Posted by 440Ramcharger

Hit it with a hammer, rings like a bell. No clunk sound.

All that means is that it isn't badly broken.

The crank in the picture certainly appears to be a casting. The giveaway is the sharp corners on the counterweights.

[440Ramcharger]

After checking the casting #, which is 2658393, and researching, it is a cast crank from 74-80 318's

[Billydelrio]

I think a major priority should be to determine the cause of the failure. What was pushing forward on the the crankshaft to cause the crank and bearing to fail?

I have had two cast cranks welded and reground on the thrust surface. One was a Mopar 360 and the other was a Chevy 400.

If it were a Chevy 350, then the crank can simply be ground to the next thickest thrust bearing thickness, to a point that is. I have not found thicker thrust bearings for a Mopar made by Clevite or Federal Mogul. King, or some other bearing manufacturer might very well make one.

[440Ramcharger]

Several issues came into play. Very stiff pressure plate along with the timing chain cover springing a small hole in the water passage. "Chocolate milk" was in the oil pan for an undetermined amount of time.

[RoadRaceJosh]

Bummer. At least that's a cheap crank to replace. I disconnected the clutch start switch in my car to keep load off the thrust bearing when there is no oil pressure. I need to do the same for the Dakota I just bought.

Originally Posted by 440Ramcharger

Several issues came into play. Very stiff pressure plate along with the timing chain cover springing a small hole in the water passage. "Chocolate milk" was in the oil pan for an undetermined amount of time.