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"Crank walk" Myth or Fact

Is crank walk something I need to worry about when building a 4G63? If so how do I make sure it doesn't do it?
 

boostedinaz

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Apr 20, 2006
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Scottsdale, AZ
Technically any motor can "crankwalk" because it is just excessive crank end play. The problem was slightly more prevalent on 2G DSMs but never as bad as the internet will have you believe. Since you have a 6 bolt you need not worry.
 

beigetsi

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Sep 13, 2009
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st.petersburg,fl
I though this question was answered in your stroker post. I do see a positive correlation in your grammer and sentence structure. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif
 

turbowop

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Joined
Apr 29, 2001
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11,971
Location
Yakima, WA
If only I had a nickle for every Honda owner that asked me if I worried about crankwalk. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

I could buy a couple good beers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beer.gif
 

chrisb33

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May 3, 2007
Messages
363
Location
Manila, Philippines
it's real dude. any engine can crankwalk. mostly common in 2g's though but if you think about it, 2g's already comes with a main girdle to help prevent it from crankwalk.

but there are bone stock 7 bolt engines there at the tuners that reaches up to more than 500whp
 

prove_it

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Jul 3, 2008
Messages
4,201
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Sioux Falls, SD
The issue with 2g 7 bolt engines has to do with the crankshaft redesign. The crankshaft has a different amount of nickel (I think that's the right metal) in it. Also mitsu went to a three piece thrust bearing in the engine. These two design changes cause the crankshaft to actually wear against the thrust bearing which causes excessive play.
From the factory it's an issue, but not too many stockers had the problem. What happened was tuners were installing 2600lbs clutches and becuase of that, the thrust bearing had to deal with WAY more stress than it could handle. You got to remember that when you push the clutch pedal in your actually pushing against the crank, not the block. So the crank wears down on the thrust surface and the bearing then gets some play and wears out too.
I have actually seen one where the thrust bearing actually fell out and the crank would move about a 1/4". One thing that has helped the 7 bolt is replacing the thrust bearing with a one piece design like what mitsu used in the evo. That's how 500 horse on a 7 bolt is possible, however the crank will still wear down and won't last.

6 bolt=good
7 bolt=fail
 

boostedinaz

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Apr 20, 2006
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Keep in mind that almost any problem with a 2G will almost always end up being balmed on crankwalk. I have seen a TON of people who are quick to diagnose problems as crankwalk. When you ask them what the crank endplay is they have no idea.
 

fivestardsm

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Sep 8, 2006
Messages
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Location
Middle, Michigan
Quoting SmoothCustomer:
Not with a 1g.



I am sorry to disagree, But I have a 6 bolt that crankwalked. It had all the same signs of the 7 bolts also.

I was driving home from The detroit area 2 years ago, and the car stalled at the end of the service road. So I tried to start it back up and it wanted to lurch forward because the clutch wouldnt disengage. I jumped out to check to see if I lost the fluid out of my master cylinder and it was fine, so I jumped back in and it was fine. Well at the next corner it did it again. I just ground the gears a few times and it started to act fine. I babied it home and parked it. It still does it to this day, I just dont drive it.

Someday I will rebuild it to along with all my other projects.

Even though I am one of the exceptions to the rule, I will say that it is 90% more likely to happen in a 7 bolt then a 6 bolt. I have seen a few other 6 bolts crank walk aswell.

twocents.gif
 

prove_it

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Sioux Falls, SD
Did you have a big clutch? It's very rare for a 6 bolt to walk. I don't doubt it, but it's gotta be like 1 in 50,000 chance.

Also I wanted to add that the reason why 2g's stop running after crankwalk is because there is crank sensor on the timing belt crank pulley. When the crank walks, the sensor gets damaged.
 

DailyDSM

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Sep 6, 2005
Messages
433
Location
Carlsbad, CA
I had a 6-bolt 2.4L "crankwalk" due to spun thrust bearing after 50 miles on a built motor. It can happen but mine was due to either a machining error or user error upon initial startup.
 

prove_it

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Jul 3, 2008
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Sioux Falls, SD
Yea I'd chalk that one up to poor fitment during the build somewhere, basically the same issue though.
 

fivestardsm

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Sep 8, 2006
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Middle, Michigan
Quoting prove_it:
Did you have a big clutch? It's very rare for a 6 bolt to walk. I don't doubt it, but it's gotta be like 1 in 50,000 chance.

Also I wanted to add that the reason why 2g's stop running after crankwalk is because there is crank sensor on the timing belt crank pulley. When the crank walks, the sensor gets damaged.



Un built non turbo 6 bolt in my 91 Galant Gs wich the motor came from a 91 eclipse that was a donor car.
 

prove_it

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Jul 3, 2008
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Sioux Falls, SD
That's weird, I mean it's not like Mitsu's to have random failures and weird problems /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif
 

CutlassJim

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Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
1,698
Location
Manchester, NH
dsmcrankwalk.jpg


Thats the rest of the picture. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I also had one of the crank on grass with a leash around it but Im too drunk to find it.
 
Last edited:

donniekak

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
748
Location
surprise az
For all of the "crank walk is over rated" people, call all of the junkyards you can find and ask for a 95-97 4g63 crankshaft. If any of them say they have a good one, go look at it. Crankwalk is so over rated, a major oem manufacturer changed the whole block design of one of their higest production engines to fix an "over rated" problem. For all of the people that say "crankwalk can happen to any engine", yeah and anybodies dXXX can fall off. But if almost every man in one family is peterless, it's a genetic problem. 4g63's are great engines, but to deny a real issue makes people sound like the honda "vtec yo" fan bois.
 

Rausch

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Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
12,049
Location
Cleveland, OH
Quoting SmoothCustomer:
Not with a 1g.

Oh, but I digress. Ask me how I know.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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