Crank needs polishing

[MotoBando]

Does any one here know of a decent machine shop in San Diego area? I'm rebuilding the bottom end of my 4.6 and as tempting as it is to just slap in new main & rod bearings I thought it'd be worth it to have the crank journals polished and have the bearings matched if undersize is needed. Some copper in the old bearings is visible, but nothing too bad. Thoughts?

 

[p m]

Call Ed Hale Automotive in Santee - the big guy passed away a few years ago, but last time I heard his wife was still running the shop.

 

[ptschram]

Before you start possibly throwing money away, have a competent machinist measure the journals. You might get lucky and have a good crank not needing any work.

 

[pjkbrit]

I would not touch the crank unelss you have a good reason to...confirm it's within std spec, not scored or scratched, then throw in new bearings. I've rebuilt many an engine on perfectly good old cranks and not had a problem. Conversely where I have had to have a crank ground, it's tough finding really GOOD machine shops that do it right.

 

[MotoBando]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. There is some very very light scoring (lines) that I can feel when I rub my fingernail tip across it. My fear is if I take it to a shop they will be all over me like a hobo on a ham sandwich telling me that it needs to be ground / polished, rather than tell me it's good and send business out their door. I did try the penny test (using an old penny) and no copper came off on the crank journal...

 

[pjkbrit]

Moto...well...hummm...VERY light scoring should be OK...how many journals are like this and is it just the rod journals or both the rod and the mains? I would advise you get it measured in any case...what you don't want is oval journals...that will mean a regrind and oversizing a set of bearings.