Factory Forged 428 $ Crank?

[427John]

John, we are talking about the OP's crank, right and it's origin?

If you'll look at Mikes pictures of the FT cranks, you'll see that there is no way that the OP crank could have been made from a FT crank. It doesn't have the markings or crank flange of the OP's and I don't think they would have welded up the radius on the counter weights. Plus the FT cranks are light and use external balance. Lastly, as someone else inferred, the crank bolt would be larger.

Yes Frank at the time of my post about the FT crank possibility the C4AE forging number had yet to be disclosed and when I clicked on the pic thumbnails to read the forging number the pic becomes so large and grainy I still couldn't read it.While the C4AE forging number does exclude it being an FT crank,the appearance of the counterweights on a crank that had been stroked wouldn't necessarily.Also when FT cranks were converted for pass. car use it was normal for the flywheel flange to be thinned to match the pass car version to allow compatibility with car flywheels and bellhousings.As far as welding up the radius on the counterweight the weld was added on the outer half  of the throw to increase the stroke including the arms of the throw to allow offset grinding  back to the original journal size to increase stroke,the additional weld on the arms of the throw and the outer half of the journal was to allow them to form a new radius when offset grinding it.Any weld added to the inner half of the throw would be ground back off when offset grinding to a longer stroke,and would typically only be required when repairing a badly damaged journal.There was a ton of labor involved which made it expensive and explains why stroking didn't become really common until the availability longer chevy rods that allowed offset grinding to a smaller journal size and the relatively inexpensive cast stroker cranks.

[427John]

Unless you have closely inspected his crankshaft thats a pretty bold statement to make,while I agree that some of the unfinished forgings were likely finished with a 3.98 stroke as yours was many more were finished with a 3.78 stroke and probability is good that some of those were welded and stroked later.
[/quote]

Well John it's not a bold statement at all. I've owned it over 30 years and looked at it very closely when I posted about the stamping on the counter throw. It is NOS, 3.98, 2.438 rod journal and not a welded stroker.
[/quote]But you were commenting on his crankshaft,and while it is the same number as yours others have posted that they have that same number crank in 3.78 stroke and others have said that they have seen them as welded strokers.While I am not disputing that is what yours is,the statement can't be made that because that's what yours is,thats what all of them are.

[cjshaker]

Yes Frank at the time of my post about the FT crank possibility the C4AE forging number had yet to be disclosed and when I clicked on the pic thumbnails to read the forging number the pic becomes so large and grainy I still couldn't read it.

Just a tip: When you click on the pic and it gets super large, right click on the big picture and choose "open image in a new tab". It will come up as a full screen picture, not the super large pictures that people post.

[427John]

Yes Frank at the time of my post about the FT crank possibility the C4AE forging number had yet to be disclosed and when I clicked on the pic thumbnails to read the forging number the pic becomes so large and grainy I still couldn't read it.

Just a tip: When you click on the pic and it gets super large, right click on the big picture and choose "open image in a new tab". It will come up as a full screen picture, not the super large pictures that people post.

Thanks I knew it was probably something I was doing wrong,my computer skills are limited.

[Blueoval77]

I have one of these cranks as well along with the story that went along with some of them. Apparently a handful were obtained raw and then cut to 3.98 . I know of a couple more in the area here with old timers.... There was a crank shop in the DC area that did these....