How do you tell if a crankshaft is cast or forged?
The best and most sure method for recognizing a forged crank is to look for the parting lines on the counterweights. A forged piece will have a wide, irregular rough patch. A cast component (shown) will have a very sharp, well-defined line where the mold was separated.
How can you tell the difference between cast and forged steel?
The basic difference between forging and casting is that the forging process does not melt the work piece material to create a new shape. In casting, metal is melted and poured or forced into a mold made in the shape of the desired item.
What are the 2 major differences between cast and forged crankshafts?
For the uninitiated, the two major differences between cast and forged cranks include the material and forming process.
What type of steel is a crankshaft?
Crankshafts are made from forged steel or cast iron. Crankshafts for high-volume, low-load production vehicles are generally constructed from nodular cast iron, which has high strength (see Appendix D). Fuel-efficient engines require a high power-to-displacement ratio, which has increased the use of forged crankshafts.
How much HP can a cast steel crank handle?
“In a typical small-block, a cast-steel crank can easily handle 500 hp. Although we’ve seen them pushed to much high power levels, we generally recommend a forged crank at anything above that power level.”
How much horsepower can a cast crank handle?
For small-blocks, a safe limit for a cast crank is 500 hp and a maximum of 6,500 rpm. With big-blocks, their bigger mains will handle 650 hp. We’ve seen cast cranks in turbo motors take over 2,000 hp, but we don’t recommend it. These days, 4340 is the standard for forged cranks.
Which steel is used in crankshaft?
How can you identify whether a certain part is forged or cast?
Forged parts are often tougher than cast parts. This can be determined by performing tensile tests on various areas on the parts. Additionally, the microstructures of forged and cast parts can be used to determine if a part was forged or cast. The microstructure of a cast part will have a more uniform grain structure.