Cheap 383 crank - is there something wrong with it?

[TX Mudder]

I am looking through ebay and see this:

from ebay

I know they are cast steel, but for me that is not that big of a deal.
Is there something wrong with it that I am missing?
I need one set up for 5.7" rods, standard 350 rod journals and main journals, 2 piece rear main.
I don't want to have to do ANY machine work on it - just want to be able to buy the rest of the rotating assembly, balance it (by the machine shop), and run it.
-- Mike

 

[TX Mudder]

Also, there is this one that is cheaper

cheaper 383 crank

Is there somethign wrong with it? I feel like I am missing something.
-- Mike

 

[Beast388]

Hmm....don't know much about the 2nd one you listed, but I have the same crank as the 1st one. I paid $240 for it about 3 years ago, so that price is excellent as long as it is brand new.

I've had my 388 up to 6k rpm and the "nodular iron" crank has help up just fine. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

 

[4DiggerDan]

I've run a lot of engines really hard with cast cranks... Never had one let go. Having a little "give" in a crank isn't entirely a bad deal. I didn't look at the links, but I bought an Eagle cast crank 1 piece rear main (had to, so I could use it in a late TBI roller cam block) for like 170 bucks. Granted, thats my cost... I'm still building the mill down at work when its slow. Figured if it was ready to drop into the Blazer in the next month I'd be happy...

Don't forget, when you go to the balance shop, have the rod bolts ground or "clearanced" so that you don't run a rod into the cam (unless you're running a small base circle cam, which is a whole 'nuther can of worms.) Really, its only the number 2 and number 7 rods that will be coming up and greeting the nose of the cam when the lobe is pointing down (unless you're running one of Comp Cams new drag race only "4 and 7 swap in firing order cams", then it would be #4 and #2. Comps way of keeping high current ignitions from inducting a cross fire between 5&7 and therefore melting down your drag engine.) but most balancers will do all eight rods to maintain balance. (yeah that last part was just trivial [censored]...)

Or you could run 5.565 rods, which were stock to the 400, and have the locations of the rod bolts moved closer to the cap (this was GM's way of "clearancing" for their mill that had a 3.750" stroke.) But then there's less pistons available... And that short a rod in a stroker just plain sucks!