MTFCA Forum

Hey, everyone!

The National Aviation Academy in Clearwater, Florida is looking for a KNOWN CRACKED CRANKSHAFT, for instructing students on crack detection. Cracked aircraft cranks are EXTREMELY RARE, (I have been working on aircraft for 49 years, and have only seen 2 actually cracked aircraft crankshafts in all that time, the last one probably 25 years ago.) but when seeing the post, I immediately thought "Well, an old Model T Crank would be IDEAL for that, especially if it is an old one that is KNOWN to be cracked!"

I have one, but shipping it from Tucson, Arizona to Clearwater, Florida would probably be pretty expensive, compared to someone in Florida who might have one, and wants to get rid of it. So I am putting this post up, hoping one of the Model T brethren in Florida have a crank that was condemned on an engine rebuild due to a crack found.

If there is no response, I will see about sending them the one that I have, that has a known crack in it, and was removed before an engine was overhauled, by well-known Model T Engine Master Ken Petrick in Tucson, Arizona.

And NO cracked jokes! Just cracked crankshafts!!

where about in florida does it need delivered?

The test method should have test specimen specs. May even be a MIL-spec if aviation related.

I will be in Siesta Keys next week, can throw one in back of truck if wanted.

Too bad actually, you were two months too late posting...

We spent 2 weeks out in AZ....could have tossed yours in the bed of the truck... sorry...

Thank you for all the replies!

The school is located in Clearwater, Florida. Is that near to any of you gentlemen?

I am no expert on the geography of Florida, since I live in Arizona. But I know that just because somewhere is close, DOES NOT mean it is easy to get to.

John Maxon;

They probably have an old Magnaflux unit they are using. These are common in A&P schools. We had one in the school I went to back in 1976. These are students just starting out, so I assume it is just to give them the opportunity to see what a crack indication looks like, versus uncracked.

Once I got into the field, I found they worked with a sample block for the area they were inspecting, and usually did eddy-current inspections. They calibrated the unit each time to the sample block that had a manufactured crack in it, as well as one with no defect, adjusted the device, and then did the inspection of the actual part.

Always interested in maintenance on machines, I checked into the maintenance requirements for the Bugatt Veyron. The forged aluminum wheels have to be scrapped every 10,000 miles. Why they do not use eddy-current inspection, I do not know. It works just fine for aircraft wheels, which not only move fast, but are subjected to HUGE impact loads on every landing. Eddy Current inspection should work just fine on Bugatti wheels, but I think they just want to gouge their customers by selling them extra spare parts. Henry Ford would have been appalled!