196 OHV swap HELP!

Well if you ever need any help gimme a call....the flexplate was good on that car.

The "volcano" crank was used 62 and earlier with auto trannys. All stick shifts are flat cranks. 63+ aluminum auto trans engines use a flat crank also, same as the stick shifts. Some 62 Americans may also have the flat crank with auto, should be an aluminum auto (not cast iron -- all prior to mid 62 had cast iron auto trannys).

The crank has to come out to have the "volcano" machined off. If you put the crank back in the same engine it came out of with the bearings in the same places you don't HAVE to change them. You may want to once you look at the bearings, but if no copper is showing you're safe to put them back in. It's okay if there is a little copper showing one the ends where the bearing halves come together, you're really more concerned about the middle of the bearing. A few light scratches is normal also, don't worry about those.

If you swap cranks from another motor you can theoretically pull the bearings from that motor and put them in EXACTLY THE SAME POSITION in the "new" motor and they should be fine. I say "theoretically" because all motors may not be aligned exactly the same. Should work with no real problems though. It's preferred to have the crank checked and turned if necessary, then new bearings installed in either case, but unless you're planning on rebuilding the short block (new pistons and rings in a bored block) then you may as well reuse the bearings.

If the bearings are worn a bit but not real bad you can put new same size bearings in and it will last 20-30K miles at least. Check the back of the lower bearing half. There will be a size stamped in one end. AMC did send some motors out with 0.010" oversize bearings, so it could be standard or 0.010" over and still be factory. Anything over 0.010" and the engine has been rebuilt (or at least crank replaced).


Edited by farna - Jun/01/2012 at 4:15pm

The automatic transmission change to the aluminum Borg Warner happened  at the beginning of the '62 model run. I have two of them built in September of 1961 with the aluminum automatics.

Edited by ramblinrev - Jun/01/2012 at 9:15pm

farna wrote: But only on the Americans... or maybe it was mid year or later when the change occurred. Every 62 Classic I've seen still has the "volcano" crank. I thought all 62 models had the flat crank with auto until one of the members here pointed out that his 62 Classic (and several others he'd seen while gathering parts) used the "volcano" crank.