509" Big Block Chevy Build : Crankshaft Polishing 101 

Patience is a virtue, but cleanliness is next to godliness when it come to engine building. Keep up the great content!

Great video, my grandfather showed me these ideals on rebuilding farm tractors, because we didn't have a machine shop near, said we would save time and money, same with decking the block and heads for that .ooo fit and those engines ran true and without problems for years, I talking like 1966 times dairy farming in western NY.

I like that technique. I’ve always used a long piece of sandpaper and worked the ends around the journal radially, but the string looks like it would be a lot less taxing. Thanks for sharing.

Andy Ty, i like this way of polishing vrs the way i did mine on my 440 crank , going round it back and forth with thé Paper and Cleanliyness is so important , Be Blessed Sir👍✌

another good video Andy! showing people when things need to be fixed!

I’m glad I found your channel, I had my crankshaft polished at a local machine shop that butchered the journals, but me not being an expert, assumed that it was normal, and I ended up with all rod bearings wiped out, and the main bearings weren’t much better. Luckily, no spun, bearings or hard knocking noises. I have since found another machine shop who currently has my crankshaft and I’ll see what it comes back like, and likely do my own final polishing and cleaning on it.

I feel better about myself after I watched your video! We do it the same down to the gorilla tape to hold the cloth. I was taught this at 16 by my high school mechanics teacher who was originally from Jamaica but worked for Detroit diesel for many years. Good video as always Andy. Nolan.

I learned some money and time saving pointers. Thank You! JD

Way back when I started building motors we all went to doing stuff like polishing the crank and honing the block by hand. Because we were limited on money, good video nephew.

Great information/explanation on bearings Andy!

Love that high pitched ring of a forged crank🥱makes me feel all warm inside 😂a machine shop without a 6 week wait would really make me go nuts

You would be amazed how this job is done in some remote areas of the world, how about Burlap cloth, water, and white clay. I saw that done to a small diesel in northern India about 40 years ago. I know its not a high performance engine but the same idea.

Great videos thx for the tips

That was very interesting Andy. Good video! Thanks

This is an awesome method, thanks for sharing

Great stuff to know what and why it's done the way you do with

I was taught not to allow crosshatch on mains as it scrapes oil away, mains should be polished, what folks thoughts ?

Andy thanks for posting this. I just came across this. I have done my version of this but let’s just say that there is a difference in opinion about whether this should be done. The measurements tell the tale. I know that you do work for DV so between the demonstrated results and that I’m going to continue to this. Regards.

Thank you Andy.

Hot water and dawn dish soap with some pipe cleaners then plenty of compressed air followed by laquer thinner and more compressed air to get that crank super clean

First of all! Check if the crankshaft is bent! I don't know why they come straight out of the box this way, they most always need to be pinged to bring it back straight , they are usually .001-.0015 and don't use this method for polishing! Use a machine to turn it in the clockwise direction.

That debree smashed in the bearings is most likely bures in the oil pathways breaking off while running. An engine that would have a forged crank would most likely have a perfect filtration system, which means the debree was inside the pathways already. Just something to think about, LOL.

Andy, would using something as wide as the strip of emery cloth, to do the turning with, be an improvement on the shoelace? I'm thinking about the evenness of pressure across the journal. Perhaps something like the leather from a leather belt.

Use a hockey skate lace, it's wider and distributes the load on the paper more evenly.

What kind of grit of emery cloth you used? I am in the process of doing that on the car, after slight rod knock, and worn bearing, fortunately the crank is not scored or damaged, to the point you can feel something under the finger nail.

New sub! Thank you for your time and knowledge... I am about to do this process on my BBC crankshaft does this process require balance? I heard you say back in the engine i just wanted to double check thanks again

You have a dep groove still in one of your journals. What did you do to correct that?

Andy another great video iv been polishing cranks like this for years and always wondered about the material I’ve removed. Not my race engines but the budget builds iv done for myself and friends. I just got done with a 400 SBC for a friend that I honed polished crank cleaned and cleaned and out together for him with a small hyd roller vortex heads and a airgap intake with a new proform 750 that runs better than I thought it would. We put on chassis Dyno mon night and made 403 through a TH 350 with a lil stall and 390 gears. Just wanted to share that with ya and I am hooked on this Chanel I have to get me some of those mics and measuring tools that you have any input on some good names would be a big help. Thanks Andy

What are your thoughts on polising compound to get somewhat of a mirror finish

what grit for polishing, and what is the abrasive? Thanks in advance

Andy what grade of paper was that you were using bud ? I have a crank to clean some water marks out of and this video you posted is absolutely awesome. Duncan

Nice,I have one getting polished very soon. What grit emery cloth

What grit emerycloth and do you do it dry

Hi i enjoyed the Video im a new sub i ca me here from uncle tonys garage.. when r u putting up more vids on the big block FORD THE BOSS BLOCK??????????????????????????????

OLÁ. Polir ou não polir, eis a questão. Sabendo que a RUGOSIDADE do eixo é quem forma a PELÍCULA de Óleo (não confundir com folga de Óleo) , não tendo um RUGOSIMETRO, como garantir que haverá PELICULA (FILME) de Óleo SUFICIENTE? ABRAÇOS...

My mom told me if I keep polishing my crank I’m going to go blind🤪

I don't want to hurt feelings but, someone assembled that dirty those nice parts didn't deserve that

Why polish it if you're going to put scratches back in it

If youre building an engine and you use anything budget you've already blew up your block. You should never ever ,ever use cheap parts inside an engine ever. Everything needs to be checked 4 times and checked again. If anything is out of spec you need it machined ! . I cant tell you how important it is to have everything perfect of damn near it ,or you'll lose your investment down the road and that i will promise you ! .

That is not how to polish a big block Chevy crankshaft. My video shows the correct procedure lol.

Thats a brick of a crank