Crankshaft repair

Alan Roehrich · 06-22-2014, 11:49 AM

It really is not necessary to chrome a crankshaft these days. Chroming was commonly done when it was much harder and more expensive to nitride a crankshaft, only big corporations had access to it. When you grind a crankshaft, especially if you have done a repair, once you grind it very much, you grind through the nitriding, and in some cases, the heat treating. You end up with a journal surface that is not real hard, it won't get quite as slick, and it will be more vulnerable to debris and sticking. You don't want the entire crankshaft hard all the way through, but you really need to get the surface hard. Chroming a crank merely makes the surface hard, and there is a risk of hydrogen embrittlement. These days, most good crankshaft repair businesses have access to both heat treating and nitriding.

06-22-2014, 11:49 AM	#10
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,111 Likes: 1,570 Liked 1,815 Times in 413 Posts	Re: Crankshaft repair It really is not necessary to chrome a crankshaft these days. Chroming was commonly done when it was much harder and more expensive to nitride a crankshaft, only big corporations had access to it. When you grind a crankshaft, especially if you have done a repair, once you grind it very much, you grind through the nitriding, and in some cases, the heat treating. You end up with a journal surface that is not real hard, it won't get quite as slick, and it will be more vulnerable to debris and sticking. You don't want the entire crankshaft hard all the way through, but you really need to get the surface hard. Chroming a crank merely makes the surface hard, and there is a risk of hydrogen embrittlement. These days, most good crankshaft repair businesses have access to both heat treating and nitriding. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S