Counter balanced crank shop

Chuck Sea/Tac

Chuck Sea/Tac

Well-known member
Anyone know of a reputable place doing this. Bert’s is so far behind on engines, they’re not taking piece work now.
 
Hello Chuck, this is Don from the Evergreen A’s. There is a guy that will install counter weights on your own crankshaft for a very reasonable price. I’ll see if I can find him.
 
I should say that they are “Sweat On” and then welded. Plain weld on weights are readily available. I’m still trying to recall who it is.
 
I noticed the weights on my crank have welds at the far end of each weight on both sides but not continuously welded. I noticed the machine shop secured the weight with a safety bolt through the counterweight into the crank. The bolt is a machine socket head cap screw counterbored flush to the weight and staked in 4 places with a punch so it can't back out (I hope!). :eek:
 
jeepguy1948 said:
It’s DAN4BANGER
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Many years ago, I heard that he had some counterweights that when he'd put them on an engine it was unbelivably smooth. At the time I hear they were fluid filled. However, I have no idea if they were actually produced by him that way (back then).
 
Gene F said:
Many years ago, I heard that he had some counterweights that when he'd put them on an engine it was unbelivably smooth. At the time I hear they were fluid filled. However, I have no idea if they were actually produced by him that way (back then).
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Just from a physics perspective, it feels like it would be hard to achieve the required density with a fluid filled counterweight. Unless you filled it with mercury or something.
 
Yes it means you heat it up, slip it on, it cools, it’s locked on. Exactly like the ring gear on the flywheel. The welding required then is very small, not enough to cause distortion.The weld is just for insurance, probably never actually does anything
 
Well that sucks! I’m hearing that all too often and am really getting concerned. That said, if he still sells the weights I believe that you can install them yourself and then get the crank balanced (if it’s even needed). It might take some phone calls but I imagine that you could eventually find somebody local to do the whole job. I think the key is his weights, I think that they are far better than the weights that are just a chunk of steel that you weld on. With Dan’s weights just a tack weld would do the job.
 
This was posted in another thread.


Jim Brierley
Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,122


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Re: Southern Ca banger machine shop?
Try Ed Tolman at edtolman@gmail.com. He owns a machine shop in Pomona, and is a Model A guy that started rebuilding A/B engines a couple of years ago.
 
jeepguy1948 said:
Well that sucks! I’m hearing that all too often and am really getting concerned. That said, if he still sells the weights I believe that you can install them yourself and then get the crank balanced (if it’s even needed). It might take some phone calls but I imagine that you could eventually find somebody local to do the whole job. I think the key is his weights, I think that they are far better than the weights that are just a chunk of steel that you weld on. With Dan’s weights just a tack weld would do the job.
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Yes, things happen. Gosh about 10 years ago, maybe more my engine rebuilder who was originally retired from another trade re-retired from the A engine business. Some portions he farmed out to the local machine shop if they were needed. However, he was fussy, so he hated doing that. A quality thing... Then he told me he was selling his stuff. Of course I immedeatly started hinting about I might be interested. Turns out he had already pre-sold his equipment. He said his machine shop wanted to get into the Model-A rebuilds, and they were taking it. He said they planned on using it as fill-in work thill they got their A engine work built up. Of course I knew that that meant. You guessed it - I have not heard of even one engine coming out of that shop. Which means it's a pile of junk in the corner of the shop, or a shed out back. Picked through, rusted, etc.

Retired... more like turned their back on the customer base that they relied on for so long. Y'all view it however ya like. Retirement done the right way is fine - just need to plan for more than ones self. Just my 2-cents.
 
Gene F said:
Yes, things happen. Gosh about 10 years ago, maybe more my engine rebuilder who was originally retired from another trade re-retired from the A engine business. Some portions he farmed out to the local machine shop if they were needed. However, he was fussy, so he hated doing that. A quality thing... Then he told me he was selling his stuff. Of course I immedeatly started hinting about I might be interested. Turns out he had already pre-sold his equipment. He said his machine shop wanted to get into the Model-A rebuilds, and they were taking it. He said they planned on using it as fill-in work thill they got their A engine work built up. Of course I knew that that meant. You guessed it - I have not heard of even one engine coming out of that shop. Which means it's a pile of junk in the corner of the shop, or a shed out back. Picked through, rusted, etc.

Retired... more like turned their back on the customer base that they relied on for so long. Y'all view it however ya like. Retirement done the right way is fine - just need to plan for more than ones self. Just my 2-cents.
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We have discussed this several times here in the past, but a Machine Shop is about the least profitable discipline in the Model-A hobby. Then my Crankshaft Grinder is likely the least profitable machine in my whole building. To setup and install weights properly, and then grind and straighten one crankshaft is worth about $700-$800. When you factor in the time from degreasing to bagging, and then consider a good quality used crank grinder is over $25k, -plus the consumables (-the last grinding wheel was in excess of $500 before shipping), ...and this does not include the equipment to fixture the crank so the weights are properly aligned, most Model-A hobbyists are unwilling to pay what it costs when many good machine shops have an hourly rate in excess of $150. FWIW, I had an appliance repair shop come to my place to repair (-actually replace) the ice maker in the shop fridge. The repairman's hourly rate was $185 an hour. So to your point, it likely isn't that the grinder turned his back on his customer base, but likely he could not find anyone that was willing to take on his work load.
 
To Brent’s point, Model A people are notoriously cheap. It’s tough to compete on a rebuilt crank that’s approaching 100 years old at costs sited. You can buy a new Scat crank for $1700-1800 that’s brand new, or dig even deeper and buy a new Burt’s engine that is widely promoted here.

So why would someone run 3 phase power and buy thousands in equipment and materials to restore A cranks for nearly nonexistent margins? Some will say you can restore other cranks of the same era, but with the rarest.y of other makes, setting up to grind one crank you’ll never grind again…. We should e extremely grateful the aftermarket community supports us like they do.
 
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