Notices
General Tech Good at troubleshooting? Have a non-specific issue? Discuss general tech topics here. IF YOUR QUESTION IS SPECIFIC TO A CERTAIN MODEL, IT DOES NOT GO IN THIS SECTION.

SBC crankshaft problems... is my crank bent?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old June 22nd, 2017, 3:19 PM
  #1  
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
 
LyndMc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default SBC crankshaft problems... is my crank bent?

My son just bought a K10 with a freshly built 1984 - 355. The motor sounds great but there are a few concerns.


I noticed that the balancer has a wobble and the starter didn't sound good. Recently he pulled the inspection cover thinking that the starter wasn't shimmed properly only to find that the flex plate has a wobble too! He checked to insure that the flex plate wasn't cracked between the webbing and it is not. This makes me think that the crankshaft may be bent. I can't see a crank being bent unless it was in a bad crash or dropped, and if dropped not sure both ends would wobble. I'm hoping that its just poor assembly but I'm a bit out of my wheelhouse on this one. The truck is a '85 and we're told that the motor is an '84 so we know its out of something else. If it were just rebuilt, and he has the receipts that he hasn't gone through yet, surely that would have been checked during the build.


I've been around Chevy engines since I was a kid, but I don't get down into the weeds as deep as a crank. What can you add to my situation?
Old June 22nd, 2017, 3:54 PM
  #2  
CF Monarch
 
kevinkpk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: kevinkpk
Posts: 5,917
Received 138 Likes on 130 Posts
Default

I'd suspect the flywheel
Old June 22nd, 2017, 5:23 PM
  #3  
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
 
LyndMc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

No flywheel, just a starter ring, its an automatic. Unless you meant the harmonic balancer.
Old June 22nd, 2017, 8:06 PM
  #4  
CF Monarch
 
kevinkpk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: kevinkpk
Posts: 5,917
Received 138 Likes on 130 Posts
Default

Ok, flex plate
Old June 22nd, 2017, 8:07 PM
  #5  
CF Monarch
 
kevinkpk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: kevinkpk
Posts: 5,917
Received 138 Likes on 130 Posts
Default

You won't bend a crankshaft, you might twist one, but I don't think your engine would do that
Old June 22nd, 2017, 8:11 PM
  #6  
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
 
LyndMc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

So based on the above do you think we need a new flex plate and damper? I wonder if the damper is just not seated properly? Changing the flex plate may be a chore being a 4x4 and having a transfer case.
Old June 23rd, 2017, 9:02 AM
  #7  
CF Monarch
 
kevinkpk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: kevinkpk
Posts: 5,917
Received 138 Likes on 130 Posts
Default

Drop the dust pan, make sure the bolts are tight




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 7:59 AM.