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1937 V8 crankshaft

Started by Tom Kelly, March 07, 2007, 11:24:55 AM

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Tom Kelly

My reprint of a Cadillac parts manual shows some different part numbers for V8 crankshafts for different year cars. Are all 346 V8 crankshafts the same? I bought one at a swap meet for a spare and now I dont know what it fits. Thanks for any help, Tom

Doug Houston

The Cadillac parts book shows all 37 V8 cranks as one number; all 38 through  41 shafts another number. But part numbers tell nothing, so a lot of guesswork results. The book also shows another part number from 1942 thru 1948. I believe that these were the ones with the cast counterweights, with hex head bolts holding them.

Ill speculate here. The rear main oil seal was changed in the 1937-38 time frame, and Im guessing that this is the difference between the 37 amd the later one. The original arrangement was an oil slinger ring behind the rear main bearing, which threw seeping oil into a sort of ring cavity in the bearing cap and the block. A drain tube drained that oil back into the oil pan, and all was well. Unfortunately, it didnt work properly, and oil leaked out. A retrofit was devised to use a rope seal, as used on later engines, and all was well after that. Ill stick my neck out here, and speculate that the shaft might work on all engines from 1937 through 1948, but there are wiser ones than I, so all of this is just an educated guess.

Recently, I had two V8 crankshafts in the garage, side by side. One was from a 41 engine, and the other from a 48. There is no visible difference between them, other than the counterweight mounting, as Ive mentioned above. The shaft was going to be used in a 40 engine, so I gave him the shaft from the 41, as he preferred (That sounds funny to me).

Tom Kelly

Doug, Thanks for getting back to me, In my 37 motor it has the oil slinger on the rear of the crank. this slinger is also on the rear of the swap meet crank. so it sounds like they are the same. In my parts book (reprint of a Cadillac parts book that covers from 1935 to 1942 I think) it says when installing one crank into another year motor (and I think this was 37 into a 38)to use a different bearing, and they give the bearing number. That number starts with a 9.... but dont know the number as Im at work now and dont have the book with me. Porblem is that I cant find that bearing number listed in the book, so I dont know what area of the crank is different.
Thanks again.
Tom