Input on Billet cranks

We are shopping for a 3.75 billet crank. I ran across on the web that Ohio and Procomp sell a new 4340 billet hemi crank in the range of 1,100 to 1,500 range. Has anyone out here ever ran those cranks? If so what were your results. I KNOW the crank is not a place to gamble on reliability BUT we really have a hard time swallowing that 3,200 dollar nut right now considering the other stuff we gotta buy right now to get back up and racing. Between the rule change part money and the hurt part money were feelin like po folks. Nope check that we ARE po folks!

And Pomona is 60 days away!

 

I truly know how it feels to be one of the lesser funded drag racers (poor, damn poor, so poor I can't hardly afford to toss my two cents in poor) But I used to buy cheaper cranks and always seemed like I regretted it later. Sometimes cheap parts can kill enough other stuff that once you figure it all in I would have been better off dragging my feet till I could afford better parts. Just my two cents worth and I had to borrow them from my wife.-Dave Germain

 

Cranks

I have been fortunate enough to get to use Velasco and Bryant cranks, but for a stock stroker I would not be afraid to use the Ohio crank. (Apparently Steve Plueger uses them) But after having said that, if I had my choice it would be one of the more expensive guys. Remember drag racers can blow anything up. Good Luck

 

Just so ya know, Plueger switched to Velasco in all his Nostalgia engines.

Henry said they came back a month ago with aprox. 40 runs each, and still looked brand new.

And I HAVE THEM IN STOCK!

 

I'm a poor boy too, but I'll be buying a new Velasco from Robert on Monday. I simply can't afford to have it fail.

 

I heard Plueger was running them but have not talked to him yet to find out why he switched back?
Weve always run a velasco or bryant. But my couriousty has got me going on this one. I guess my first question is who in the US makes the cores for Bryant and Velasco.....Or do they make their own cores? I did a little research on Callies today and their using Chinese cores as in these other low buck cranks. Does anyone know in the US who makes the billet cores???

 

ohio sucks dont do it take it from me we run a bryant but we did get a few passes out of the ohio before it almost cost us a lot of money like 10 passes and we are not going real fast 6.10 to 6.40

 

Velasco makes his from billet bar stock. One big round bar.

Lots of chips,labor,annealing,cutting, grinding, polishing,heat-treating
and balancing.

Billets are a lot more work, but the material is far superior to forgings.

The price reflects this.

I have a saying. Cry once!

 

Can you pm a price on a 4" BBC Billet Velasco crank.

Thanks, Lock

 

We have about 100 passes on a billet Ohio BBC in a blown TD with no problems. Also have 3 other motors with them in them in pulling tractors. One is a 650 ci injected BBC and the other 2 are 540 ci 14-71 motors 46lb boost, 2200 hp @ 7600 rpm. Injected motor has approx 200 passes. 540's 35 passes All were just magged and checked out great and will be going back in for 2010.

 

I've been told that they buy their billet blanks from China, can anybody confirm that?

Tim Steed

 

cranks

Any opinions / thoughts on the Winberg cranks?

 

Winberg cranks are used by a lot of the NHRA nitro guys.

The Bernstein team and Tony Pedregon's team use them.

No problems that I've heard.

 

Ohio Cranks

I have some friends in Alaska who built a super comp dragster using a complete motor from Ohio crankshaft , 14 runs,crank broke in several pieces, took out aluminum block like a fuel motor explosion, cracked heads and destroyed everything. They told him he would have to package everything up and send it back to Ohio from Alaska for them to look at for any consideration. Does anyone have any idea what shipping costs are to Alaska?
He's not very happy with them!
PS they are very experienced professional drag racers, many years of experience and Alaska Raceway Park Champions, many times
Ricky

 

I think there might be some fog beginning to surround this topic. I know ohio sells SEVERAL grades of cranks. Im really not thinking a super comp dragster was running a hemi billet crank. Please reply if you KNOW they ran a hemi BILLET crank.

 

Just my 2 cents

I used to run a cast 4.25 stroke Chinese crank in my 565 BBC til I switched it out to a Forged Ohio since I wanted to go above 1800hp. The cast crank never broke nor did it crack. It flexed a little and chewed up some bearings when I cranked up the boost over 20lbs but it never broke. The Chinese forged Ohio has been good so far too. Not sure how much power your thinking about making. If its under 2000 then you should be fine with the Ohio. If its over 2000 then I just cant say. However, Most folks say you cant put over 800hp or so on a cast crank but mine lived at 1800hp. Dont believe everything you read or hear til youve tried it yourself. Good Luck.

 

I saw the Ohio crank that cracked after 10 passes. It cracked through the rod journal, the lightening hole through the rod journal was offset so badly that the material could not have been more than .125" thick on one side, and the rest of the construction looked really poor. I don't know if they have changed the quality, but if not one look at the piece should be enough to let you know you don't want to risk it, the crank is one of the few parts that really has a good chance to hurt the driver of the car not just the car itself.

 

I have a bryant in 3 pieces on the shop floor.completely killed a good motor. But it was bought in a used motor no telling how many laps on it. A crank is not the place to scrimp on.

Oh yeah got a new bryant for the new motor

 

im sure im probably a nobody here but heres my 2 cents on this. we run a 2850lb blown hemi promod. i have crowers, velascos, bryants and 1 ohio crank. i still have both of my bryants each in 2 pieces (less than 20 runs each) still have both my crowers 60 plus runs on 1 still excellent the other is new. still have both velascos 1 is in 2 pieces with less than 20 runs the other is on the bench with a crack in it after 9 runs. my ohio is still in great shape after about 10 runs and going back in next season.we are one of those VERY po race teams with absolutely no sponsorship so have to save money where we can and i think the ohio crank was by far one of our best decisions.

 

Were all these cranks bought new?

Just curious.