454 crankshaft end play? and advice

[redgrizz]

Upon tearing down a 454 that only had 42,000 mi, we found the crankshaft endplay to be .058". The crankshaft lobes nearly contact the sides of the retainer cap flanges when moved forward. Moved towards the rear, there is at least a .030 space between the crank lobes and the bearing caps. So what can we do to get this crank back in spec of a .006 - .010 total movement?

[87S10355]

if im not mistaken you can have the crank welded up and machined down but it would probably be cheaper to get a new crank.

[redgrizz]

We haven't removed the shaft yet, what would be worn? wouldn't the main bearings / thrust bearings wear before the actual crank? Also, are stock cranks cast or forged? this is a 1973 - has 2 bolt mains.

[GreaseDog]

yes, the thrust bearings will wear before the crank. remove the crank, inspect it thouroughly, check for wear and taper, if the crank itself checks out ok, replace the mains, and go from there.

[87S10355]

whoops i miss read that post, since the crank is not touching the mains, the thrust bearing should be all that is wore, it acts as a wearable spacer between the crank and the mains/block. was this motor hooked to a manual transmission at some point? the reason im asking is b/c everytime you press the clutch pedal you are actually pushing the crank forward which will cause the rearside of the thrust bearing to wear out allowing for all the slop you have now. I have seen a mid 90's camaro that was so bad it had ate into the block and the motor was ruined guess thats what happens when you give a teenager a camaro that looks fast. The guy didnt figure this out until after the car had got a new clutch flywheel and all the hydraulic system replaced, and the clutch still would not disengage in the car, you could put a prybar against the flywheel and oil pan and literally move it 1/8th inch it was horrible.