Anyone using this crank as a stock replacement?
Registered User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,275
Hey Rob, I found some info I think you might find interesting at :
http://www.automotiverebuilder.com/ar/ar99928.htm
It says:
CRANKS
350 - The crank for the LT1 looks just like the one in the late 350 and has the same casting number 14088526, but it’s balanced for the lightweight pistons that were installed in the LT1. In fact, if you are short of LT1 cranks and don’t have a balancing machine in your shop, you would be better off using a crank from a 305 instead of a 350 because it’s actually closer to the balance specs for the LT1 crank.
Obviously that does not apply to your case but this may be of some help regarding balancing:
HUB AND BALANCER
The balancer is a two-piece assembly with a pulley that bolts onto the hub. Separating the two made it easier to install the Optispark distributor on the assembly line and out in the field. The holes in the hub are offset, so the balancer only fits on it one way, but there’s no keyway in the hub to index the hub on the crank. This shouldn’t be a problem unless the damper was drilled at the factory to "trim" the final engine assembly.
If it was drilled a lot to compensate for an engine that was out of balance, you could end up with a shaker, depending on how everything stacked up with the remanufactured engine compared to the original engine. If you encounter a balance problem on a remanufactured LT1, try rotating the balancer assembly on the crank 90° at a time to see if it eliminates the problem.
This clearly indicates that some cranks and their balancers were matched and the balancers in those cases are not neutral. Both the balancers on the engines I have are like he said and drilled like crazy.
Sorry it's long but I hope it helps you and provides some info for others.
Dave
http://www.automotiverebuilder.com/ar/ar99928.htm
It says:
CRANKS
350 - The crank for the LT1 looks just like the one in the late 350 and has the same casting number 14088526, but it’s balanced for the lightweight pistons that were installed in the LT1. In fact, if you are short of LT1 cranks and don’t have a balancing machine in your shop, you would be better off using a crank from a 305 instead of a 350 because it’s actually closer to the balance specs for the LT1 crank.
Obviously that does not apply to your case but this may be of some help regarding balancing:
HUB AND BALANCER
The balancer is a two-piece assembly with a pulley that bolts onto the hub. Separating the two made it easier to install the Optispark distributor on the assembly line and out in the field. The holes in the hub are offset, so the balancer only fits on it one way, but there’s no keyway in the hub to index the hub on the crank. This shouldn’t be a problem unless the damper was drilled at the factory to "trim" the final engine assembly.
If it was drilled a lot to compensate for an engine that was out of balance, you could end up with a shaker, depending on how everything stacked up with the remanufactured engine compared to the original engine. If you encounter a balance problem on a remanufactured LT1, try rotating the balancer assembly on the crank 90° at a time to see if it eliminates the problem.
This clearly indicates that some cranks and their balancers were matched and the balancers in those cases are not neutral. Both the balancers on the engines I have are like he said and drilled like crazy.
Sorry it's long but I hope it helps you and provides some info for others.
Dave
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 1969
Posts: 27,728
From: Little Rock, AR
Thanks, Dave. I had already gone back and read that stuff on that page to refresh my memory. Looks like I am going to take up ChevyIron's offer on the crank. I did not expect to get an offer like that. Will see how that "turns" out. 
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 1969
Posts: 27,728
From: Little Rock, AR
Update
ChevyIron graciously offered me a crank and I paid the shipping. I got it today and the shop says it only needs a polish. That's pretty awesome.
Where can you get a response like that from people you don't even know? Truly amazing.
ChevyIron graciously offered me a crank and I paid the shipping. I got it today and the shop says it only needs a polish. That's pretty awesome.
Where can you get a response like that from people you don't even know? Truly amazing.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 1969
Posts: 27,728
From: Little Rock, AR
Latest update:
Had the engine running for a couple days (fired right up the first time) and took the car out for the first time today. All seems normal.
It's been a while since I had an engine down to bare bones. I hope the sucker stays together, LOL!
Thanks for the "organ donation", ChevyIron! 
Had the engine running for a couple days (fired right up the first time) and took the car out for the first time today. All seems normal.
It's been a while since I had an engine down to bare bones. I hope the sucker stays together, LOL!
Thanks for the "organ donation", ChevyIron!
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