Opinions-Forged vs Billet Cranks for blown alcohol-PLEASE?

I have always runs billet name brand cranks, and just bought a blown alcohol fathead hemi with a forged crank. Without getting into name brands and whose motor, can anyone with experience tell me about their forged crankshafts. Some of my friends who run tractor pullers say they prefer the forged cranks. This crank has 15 runs, 1/8 mile passes and bearings look perfect. THANKS! upfront for any ideas or help from you! Jim
PS_THANKS to ITA!!!

 

crank

Theoretically the grain structure of the forged crank should be stronger. My billet Bryant seems to make bearings look better almost like it twists less.
The reason I went with Bryant is because they can make a schedule and i've never seen a forged crank match their finish/detailing.
Crower told me that fuel teams have switched back and forth and some prefer forged.
Rods are about the same story. Billet has taken over but the grain structure isn't as good on paper.
I work with prototype aircraft and lots of times we use a billet part to expedite a schedule and make a few flights but it always gets scrapped once the forgings are available.

 

My engineering education says forging is better, and my real life practical experience says any process can be screwed up!

We have run billet cranks that didn't last 4 runs, but it wasn't the cranks fault.

We are forging people, 4 sets of forged rods just got here and 3 forged cranks SHOULD be here next week.

 

THANK YOU for the ideas on forged cranks!!!!

I have been talking to the tractor pullers who run 3 and 4 hemi or wedge blown alcohol motors and some of them are running forged cranks now and they tell me that 8 to 10 second pulls most of the time are really hard when they bog the engine down until it just stops! One puller told me he broke several billet cranks and went back to forged and as long as it is a good company with good specs and finish, he is happy with forged cranks. I run Bryant Billet cranks and just bought the fathead motor with a forged crank and I think I am going to try it on some 3.80s runs in the 1/8 mile in a 1600# dragster-THANKS for the help and advice and thoughts-Jim

 

Cranks

Personally I think alot depends on your application and how much HP your running. I ran a BBC with a CAST 4.25 crank to about 1700hp at 7800rpms with no problems. Over 1800 it started flexing and beating mains to pieces. I put a forged 4.25 crank in and it was good to about 2000 or so before it started eating mains. I bought a used billet Bryant and a used billet Crower and have had no issues above 2000hp with either. I also switched from a BBC to a KB Hemi when we switched to a billet. Good Luck.

 

Billet Cranks

Will, I have 2 Bryants and a Winberg in my 3 motors, but just bought the fathead and was not told it had a billet crank, just told that the motor was in the funny car when they bought it and they did not know what crank was there. I was disappointed when looking last night and seeing a very nice looking crank, but forged. Just trying to make up my mind to buy a crank and rebalance or try a forged crank, 1/8 mile racing, and 1760#s dragster with driver? THANKS to all with suggestions ahd guidance! Jim

 

Blown Alcohol Use?

I was just asking about blown alcohol use, not nitro-THANKS!

 

This is one of those questions where everyone will have the preference but I think very much depends on horsepower/blower.

2 of our cars are blown.

Car 1 will run very soft tuned BBC with 8-71 blower at 20% OD. With a glide. This runs a forged Callies crank. Great crank, never had issues. Aiming for soft tuned, low 7's with this car.

Car 2 runs BBC again but turned alot harder, run 6.42 so far, with kobelco 14-71 at 15%, this runs a billet Byrant crank - now we would run the Callies in this motor but only soft, we'd back the motor off a little just to be safe. Not trying to say its 8000hp, I am just saying for this application we'd use/prefer billet.


Material is the most important thing when talking forged or billet, people see billet and instantly assume its the best, not true again and if you started out with inferior material then its weak to begin with.

Remember that forged cranks should still use 4340 steel (good cranks) and that forging does add strength via grain flow.

Why billet is stronger is that you can pick any material (highest strength possible) because you don't need to pick it to be forgeable (properties of the material) - IE heated and pressed in forging die.

So you pick the best as all that's involved is machining.

Any part - crank, rods, pistons, no matter what they are and if its listed as 'billet' or 'forged' what is more important in every application is the material used. Say you had a crank made from 'billet' but from 1020 steel (same steel used for bolts) then its weaker than 4340 'billet'

Think in a round about way - billet or forged crank - its all about the material.