Adding weight to the crank

R

Roger Zeedyk

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Oct 19, 2006
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I have heard of people lightning the crank shaft to get it to spin quicker. I heard today some of the mod trucks are adding weight ( as much as 85lbs) to the crank to help maintain there RPM's. Is this true and if so how much does it help? Thanks
 
You can add Mallory metal to the counterweights. Engine builders have been doing it for years in NASCAR, primarily for the super speedways, where they want to maintain inertia. Yes it will definately help stay above the charger in sled pulling.
 
WICKEDDIESEL said:
You can add Mallory metal to the counterweights. Engine builders have been doing it for years in NASCAR, primarily for the super speedways, where they want to maintain inertia. Yes it will definately help stay above the charger in sled pulling.
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Thanks for the responce!!! how much do most guys add?
 
Thick main girdle is a necessity. It is actually easier to balance a heavier crank.
 
the farther away from the centerline of the crank you move the weight the more inertia it will have, but get too much out there and you might start getting crank flex....
 
Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just add weight to the flywheel, flexplate, or clutch, or make a custom harmonic balancer?

or are you not able to add enough?

Thanks
Fnschlaud4620
 
WICKEDDIESEL said:
You can add Mallory metal to the counterweights.
Click to expand...

Is that really how the big time sled pullers add weight to the crank?
 
the machine shop where I live counter weights the crank. They are huge. It is only good for a sled pulling truck....too dangerous for the street. they help out tremendously for sled pulling.....keeps the momentum going at the big end of the track
 
GMac said:
the machine shop where I live counter weights the crank. They are huge. It is only good for a sled pulling truck....too dangerous for the street. they help out tremendously for sled pulling.....keeps the momentum going at the big end of the track
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Also harder to get it slowed down though when you lose part of your drive train and it wants to rev to the moon!

So are they actually drilling the cranks out and replacing it with the heavy material or are they actually adding chunks of counterweight to the crank?

RyanB
 
DSCF092402.jpg
 
Well, I can now see how you can gain the 200lbs!!!! simply amazing. Now for my next major question....$$$????
 
A picture is worth a thousand words huh!
Bet that one carries a little extra stroke too...
 
RyanB said:
Well, I can now see how you can gain the 200lbs!!!! simply amazing. Now for my next major question....$$$????
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If I may, I'd like to quote "If you have to ask how much, then it's too much for you".
 
WICKEDDIESEL said:
A picture is worth a thousand words huh!
Bet that one carries a little extra stroke too...
Click to expand...
I thought "You can add Mallory metal to the counterweights. Engine builders have been doing it for years in NASCAR, primarily for the super speedways, where they want to maintain inertia. Yes it will definately help stay above the charger in sled pulling." was the correct answer?
 
joefarmer said:
I thought "You can add Mallory metal to the counterweights. Engine builders have been doing it for years in NASCAR, primarily for the super speedways, where they want to maintain inertia. Yes it will definately help stay above the charger in sled pulling." was the correct answer?
Click to expand...

Obviously not, I think the priciple has been taken to the extreme. We use to add about 20 lbs. to SB2's, on that crank, one counterweight carries that much. Guess that is why, it takes such a long time to spool the charger.
 
Probably a stupid question, but why not use a bigger bellhousing and just put a custom flywheel with extra weight out near the edge? It wouldn't take as much weight as that added to the crank (as shown above) since it would be farther from the center line?

Just thinking of what my SouthBend DD clutch looked like when I installed it, I think adding a ring 1" thick and 2" deep all the way around would do the same thing (might only take 50 or 60 pounds of metal since it is that much farther away from the center). Also, this would probably be alot cheaper than all the work shown above in the crank.$.02

I'd want one hell of scatterproof bellhousing and blanket though...

:pop:
 
joefarmer said:
If I may, I'd like to quote "If you have to ask how much, then it's too much for you".
Click to expand...

actually no...it was a general question that I am sure someone else would have asked...after much thought, info, talking to others and listening....I would deffinatly have the money invest into it if I felt it was going to be worth it in the long run. Right now I have the cash to do almost anything to the truck but am still saving (idea's that is) for another year or two and at that time they will become reality and my money will be spent.
 
I was quoted $3000 to add that weight to my crank. Make sure you have someone that knows what they are doing and is experienced do the work.
 
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