bubbaf100

Customer just brought in a Howard's Track Smart 3 forged crankshaft.
For SBC 427. 4.185x3.875.
400 main 2.100 rods journal 2 piece rear main
3.875 stroke 4340 Forged Steel.
He got on special for $698.27 via Competition Products.
Part number H403876012T
Any pros or cons on this crank?
The tolerances so far are spot on doesn't need nothing. Yet?
Got to balance the kit and see from there.

zipper06

Have you checked with Howard's if it a Chinese forging :?: I know that their cheaper cranks are Chinese forgings, but they do an excellect grinding and heat treating on the cranks.

Zip

oldandtired

They are probably imported, but at lease Callies does all the machining and nitriding.

TheYellaBrick

It'd give me the willies to put a chinese crank in an engine...I certainly wouldn't be 'enjoying the ride' knowing my bottom end wasn't bullet proof.... :shock: :shock: :shock:

bubbaf100

What they told me this morning it's an import forging
under Callies machining and nitriding.
They also told me its a private label Compstar.
So far it looks good. So far it's needing very minimal work for
balancing. Lets see how it does under a nice load to 7500
on the dyno.

markdunlap

Anything now in days under $1000 is going to be an offshore forging, I believe.

I have been using MANLEY cranks lately. They do all maching in house on the offshore forging. In addition, they do provide a detailed spec sheet for every dimension and a hand sign off with date on every dimension. Same price range as the HOWARDS and COMPSTAR. They look better than EAGLE and don't have any taper across the journals.

One thing you give up on these cranks is they are not thermally hardened like a CALLIES Magnum or other higher price units. They are chemically treated which is only to a depth of .010"- .015", so when under cut they loose their surface hardness.