Crankshaft grinding - video

[Altair]

Crankshaft grinding. 15:11 video.

Previously:

Crankshaft machining - GIF
turning a giant crankshaft
Crankshaft journal grinding machine - GIF
Crankshaft balancing machine - GIF
Crankshaft hardening machine - GIF

[tonyfoale]

I could only watch a couple of minutes of it. The camera movements destroyed any chance that I could watch more. Tripods are not expensive but just a steady hand would help a lot.

[Frank S]

I'm guessing not too many guys ever saw a crank ground while still in the block. Wouldn't work on today's high revving precision clearance engines, but back in the day my dad and I long before I was in my teens ground many a rod journals on an old tractor engine even some big truck gas engines without doing much more than dropping the pan and puling the head, snatching out the pistons and rods then grinding the journals enough to clean them up to an undersized bearing. usually right in the field with the plow still in the furrow. He and I sat on the side of the road once and he made a rod bearing out of a piece of his belt so we could make it the 100 or so miles home. Got home yanked the head and pan shoved his crank grinder down the cylinder bore ground that 1 journal installed an undersized bearing and ran the old truck for several more years.
I noticed there are several vintage in the block crank grinders for sale on Ebay similar to the one he had.

[tedg53]

I remember when the one automotive machine shop in the small town where I grew up got a crankshaft grinder back in the mid ‘70s. I worked at a local garage and had to drop something off at the machine shop one day, since I was friendly with the guys that worked in the shop I had access to the inner sanctum and got to see it in operation. Amazing watching the crankshaft spin off center while grinding the rod journals.

[hemmjo]

I agree the video is hard to watch, but the real crime happens 10:14 into it. He says says "We're not Rick Hendrick here, this isn't Robert Yates...a thousandth or two is not going to do anything..."

I could put up with the bad camera work, but not that attitude.

[Frank S]

I agree the video is hard to watch, but the real crime happens 10:14 into it. He says says "We're not Rick Hendrick here, this isn't Robert Yates...a thousandth or two is not going to do anything..."

I could put up with the bad camera work, but not that attitude.

attitudes like that guy had is exactly why they will never get to do the ultra high performance grinding I wouldn't want to see what he does with camshafts.
While technically he is correct being off a thousandth here or a thousandth there may be acceptable for a regrind everything become accumulative. If the cumulative amount of half a millimeter off in a series of holes in red iron can be enough to cause a beam to be rejected on a super tall building, then blasé' attitude of the total or 8 to 10 thou on a shaft spinning several thousand RPMs is not something I want to hear from the guy grinding my crankshafts even if it will not cause failure

[Toolmaker51]

There is a point "we're not_______, this isn't ______" is the very edge of OK or not. I've talked to guys just like in the video, declaring themselves 'Machinists'?
In reality, most are little more than operators. Controlling machines and part results is one thing, if the machine is purpose-built, not so impressive.
Obviously, I'm not discounting the men like Jenkins, Yunick, Black, Pink, Nicholson, Rollings, the Unsers...

[marksbug]

yup he needs another job.as well as the grinding rock needs segmented so it dont burn the thrust serfaces. there are way to many "good enough" machinist out there.and almost good enough guys too. I made a very good living fixing the **** work they did. as well as machining and building totaly new assemblys. cars,trucks,jet skis,offshore race boats, drag cars, dirt track cars circle jerkers,most everything even some aero plane stuff. good enough isant good enough.
he finds .008" stroke difference...or did he? is he off that much?or off .004 or .006" square deck the block and you will know for sure just how bad he effed it up.as well as indexing. do it right, do it 1 time and be done, forget about it and have fun.

[Toolmaker51]

Doing this one right, is the ONLY way to sell the next job.

[marksbug]

no, they do it all day long.and 98% of the people having it done, do not know 1 that it isant right 2, that it matters,3, how to check it.4 that it can be done right...5 dont give a **** how it is done or looks...and more.