LameRandomName

In terms of Aftermarket Crankshafts...

I know that they come in various strength levels with say; a Scat 9000 being on the bottom end for strength (although above stock, obviously), and perhaps a high end Callies at the top of the stack for strength.


Now, if I were to rebuild my existing LT1 as a 383, even if I do the 4-bolt conversion, I know that these blocks are not as strong as say; a Motown block.

Here's my question:

What is the strongest crank that is worth buying?

The reason for the question is simply this; if I buy a crank that is so strong that the bottom end of the block will blow out long before the crankshaft does, I've wasted my money.

Therefore, I'm looking for a crankshaft that is of approximately the same strength as the bottom end of a well prepped stock block.

FWIW, this is for a Vortech blown engine running something in the neighborhood of one atmosphere of boost.

WS Sick

A non twist forging (4340 steel) is allways gonna be tops in strength.

My buddy has a cola billet non-twist that has been abused for a good 10 years without any problems.

Injuneer

As a point of reference, George Baxter used a Callies Stealth at the 1,125 flywheelHP level in his LT1 engine. And, given that it was a blower motor, pushing 20+ # of boost, the crank was probably carrying closer to 1,250-1,275HP allowing for the power taken off the snout by the blower drive. I suspect both the crank and the block were approaching their limits in that case.

LameRandomName

The bottom end must be stronger than I have been giving it credit for.

EDS Z28

I bet you could get away with the scat 9000 cast crank.

Usually the crank failures on LT1's have been related to the snout area in the front of the crank. Most cranks fail due to high rpm racing or detonation.

I've been hammering my car around town for 45,000 tough miles on the stock crank. No problems yet at my power level, which is est to be right now at the 575-600 horse range. I've got on it a lot over the last 10 years. Great motor

OldSStroker

Great block prep helps at those 1000+hp levels.

As the stroke increases over stock, crank strength is less, so higher-end cranks should be considered. Both power level and rpm are the culprits. Ask your engine designer for recommendations of coordinated rotating parts and block prep for your hp/rpm level. Light, strong and therefore expensive is better than heavy, strong and cheaper, as far as block loads go.