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Need Crankshaft Help

Ljohns

Freshman Member
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I am new to the Forum.

I posted this on the A/H board before I realized there was a special Spridget board.

Maybe somebody here would like to assist.

My wife and I have owned a Healey BN1 (Bugeye) for 25 years. This car was rebuilt for autocross competition in the 1980's with the help of a friend that owned a local British car repair shop. We no longer autocross but we have quite a few parts left over, both stock and competition. One of the items on my "to do list" is to organize these parts and offer them for sale to other British car enthusiasts.

The first parts I am dealing with are some A-Series crankshafts. I am not too knowledgeable regarding details of parts like this. We no longer live in the same state as our friend that helped with the rebuild so I was hoping some of you on this Forum wouldn't mind giving me some input as to what I have and what a fair price might be for selling them.

I have 3 crankshafts.

1.) A new, still in the box BMC unit. We have let the paperwork get away so we don't know where we bought it or what we paid for it. It is marked with EN16T and 12G1321. From the research I have done I believe this to be a factory Tuftrited crank. Can anyone here confirm? What would it be valued at?

2.) A used crank marked the same as the first. EN16T and 12G1321. Value?

3.) Another used crank. It is marked AEG 566 and EN40 B/11. I believe it is the strongest crank ever used by BMC. Value?

Any help would be appreciated.
 

spritenut

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All are 1275 cranks EN16 are the later toughened cranks but the EN40 is the cream of the crop being nitrated to .010 and cross drilled.
This was stock in 1967 only, the EN16s are stock from 68 thru 74
 

Spridget64SC

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Pretty much agree with spritenut. EN16T is the steel type and indicates the crankshaft has been Tuftrided. The tuftriding is a shallow hardening process. Same with EN40B. Steel type and these were Nitrided. Depth of hardening depends upon time, temperature and chemistry of the nitriding "bath". Most of the EN40's I've come across in the past would grind to +20 and still have a hardened surface. You can tell by the tone of the grinding wheel if you cut through the hardening. You might find a EN40B in a transition 68 engine. Transition 68 engines are those thick oil pan flanged, no hole above the center main engines. Rare as can be here in the US.

The value question is a bit harder to answer. I'm thinking about $250 for #1. Since it is new and unused, it would only need some light cleaning and polishing and be ready to use. #2 is an unknown and therefore is a bit more risk. May need just cleaning, mag'n and polish. Might need grinding. Unknown quantity means less $'s. Let's say $125. #3 is more inigmatic. Highly prized, but also a risk. I've had more of these show cracked than show good. With that said, I've know people that wanted a EN40B crank and would pay whatever was needed to get one. $350 for it if it mag'd good.

The above is just my opinion of price. Really it is what the market will pay at the time the buyer wants to buy. You could probably get more (or less) depending upon the area of the country and how much the buyer wanted the item.

HTH,
Mike Miller
 

mightymidget

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You could always have a machine shop determine the condition, then sell with the machine shop condition report.
 

Spridget64SC

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I would just say it a little differently. The machine shop condition/inspection report would adjust the value of the crankshaft. Value might go up, might go down, might stay the same. Most of the time a clean and mag check investment is around $50.
 
G

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Spridget64SC said:
. Most of the time a clean and mag check investment is around $50.

Which, IMO, is money well spent. Kinda hard to sell a question mark.
 

Spridget64SC

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I would agree. I typically won't buy a single crankshaft alone without a mag check to go with it. Although I've bought a few dozen, which were included with a much larger purchase, without mag/crack checks. The per unit cost was pretty low, so the risk was reduced.
 
OP
Ljohns

Ljohns

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I borrowed a micrometer so I could measure the cranks and see if they are worth spending any money on.

#2) EN16T Used - It looks like this one has been ground 10/10. I don't know if this one is worth having magnafluxed and checked by a machine shop to see if it must be ground again. What do you guys think?

#3) EN40B Used - The good news is the rod journals are standard. The bad news is the mains are already ground 20 under. Is this worth anything?

#1) EN16T New - I looked on some web sites of major Spridget parts dealers. They are pretty consistent asking $550 for a "rebuilt" crank. Shouldn't a new one be worth at least this?
 

Spridget64SC

Jedi Trainee
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There are additional variables that also affect price. The amount of filet radius left on the journals when ground will greatly affect the price, especially for race use. Were the crankshafts that were ground, ground due to a bearing failure? Have side clearances on the rod journals been increased too much. Are the threads in the nose and on the flange still in good shape. Is the keyway damaged on the nose. When ground, were they index ground? Meaning were they ground in manner that ensured exact stroke?

Again, the price is based upon market. The prices I provided were what I considered fair racer to racer prices for good std/std cranks and what I knew would be a "Selling" price. Meaning offer a known good crank at the price and you would most surely have a sale in a short period of time. Now that more information is known about each, the prices adjust.

#1) sure you can ask $550. It might go quick or you might have a door stop for a while. Just depends upon what the market is at the time. $550 is pretty steep to me whether rebuilt or new. Someone would have to really want a new STD/STD in EN16T. Put it out there and see if you get a bite. That is the only way to know for sure.

#2) Being 10/10 is not a real problem. Just drops price a bit if it is known good and doesn't have other issues. Price drops a little, $100.

#3) What that tells me is the mains were ground for trash or coolant getting in the oil and wearing the center main. I have a real disdain for cranshafts with rod and mains of different sizes. Price drops for this one to about $200. Reason is that the rods need to go to 20 to match mains in my book. If the mains are not good, then the crank is worth even less even being a EN40B. 30 under cranks are not usually race items unless nothing else is available.

Having raced for 30+ years and accumulated tons of parts, I'm on the low end when it comes to prices for cars or parts. Good luck however it turns out.
 
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