Re: 352 Crankshaft

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2012/4/26 9:50:43

Some new (to me, at least) information on the Packard 55/56 cast steel crankshafts has come to light via a June 15, 1955 article from Automotive Industries and republished in Mid-America Packard's newsletter "The Data Plate", (Vol. 30, No. 4). Get your hands on a copy if you are interested, and I've asked permission to post the article on the PAC forum.

With Packard's sale of their Harper Ave forge and foundry in 1954, they apparently contracted for raw steel crankshaft castings with Auto Specialities Mfg. Co.'s Riverside Division Foundry which had a long history of casting crankshafts though primarily for smaller engines. The article describes a novel pattern and casting box method. At this point in 1955 only Packard & Ford Motor Co. were using cast steel crankshafts, though within a few years Chrysler joined the trend and thereafter it apparently became the norm.

I believe finish machining on the castings was done by Packard at Utica as I believe I've seen photos of that operation.