Cast or Steel?

[modular46]

I was just reading the latest issue of Hot Rod magazine. In the "Quick Test" article on the Mustang Mach 1 they said that the manual trans has a steel crank, while the auto trans version has a cast iron crank. This puzzles me. Is our Marauder crank cast iron or steel?

Who knows beyond a shadow of doubt?:help:

[LincMercLover]

I'd say it's cast.

[EasyRhino]

I haven't done any research on this, but my 98 Cobra 305 HP engine had a forged steel crank. Don't know if the MM has the same.

[SergntMac]

I've seen our motor out and apart when I visited VT...Cast for sure.

[vaderv]

Why would they use one type for manual and the other for auto??

[modular46]

I don't know, it doesn't make sense from a production viewpoint.

[RF Overlord]

This is just a WAG, but maybe there are greater shock loads on a manual, especially when the clutch is dumped at high revs...so it needs a stronger crank? :confused:

[SergntMac]

Here's another WAG...Could Hot Rod be wrong? Anything I read in car mags (or any mag for that matter) I take with a grain of salt, unless it a techy "how to" with pics.

[cyclone03]

Anothing thing to think about, the sticks have a 1000rpm higher rpm limit.7200 rpm to 6200.Of course being the stock converter gets all puffy at about 6500 this is a good thing.

[Warpath]

Hot Rod isn't always right. But, if they are, then it may be because of what RF said - clutch dumps. MM&FF had an article about the 4Vs and their differences. MMs were mentioned. I don't remember them mentioning the cranks were different on the MM.

[joflewbyu2]

in the mach 1, the 5 speed gets a forged steel crank while the auto gets a cast iron crank. the 5 speed is limited to 151mph while the auto is limited to 126 mph. other differences are the autos are fuel limited to 6250 while the 5 speed is around 7100. the auto rpm is limited due to limitations of the torque converter - won't withstand 7000 rpms without coming apart. since the rpm is limited to 6000 rpm wide open throttle shifts, they can get away with cast iron crank instead of the stronger forged steel crank.

[modular46]

While perusing the MPS website (www.stangparts.com), I noticed that the photos they have of the MM engines for sale have 6 bolt flexplates (flywheels), indicative of cast crank!!

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by joflewbyu2@aol.
in the mach 1, the 5 speed gets a forged steel crank while the auto gets a cast iron crank. the 5 speed is limited to 151mph while the auto is limited to 126 mph. other differences are the autos are fuel limited to 6250 while the 5 speed is around 7100. the auto rpm is limited due to limitations of the torque converter - won't withstand 7000 rpms without coming apart. since the rpm is limited to 6000 rpm wide open throttle shifts, they can get away with cast iron crank instead of the stronger forged steel crank.

Care to share your source on this?

[joflewbyu2]

www.mach1registry.net or www.mach1registry.com one of those work and go into detail on the differences. also been published somewhere in the mustang publications on the differences between the auto and 5 speed.

[RCSignals]

I thought only the 2003 SVT supercharged Cobra had a forged crank?

[Warpath]

All Cobras have a forged crank since 96.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by joflewbyu2@aol.
in the mach 1, the 5 speed gets a forged steel crank while the auto gets a cast iron crank. the 5 speed is limited to 151mph while the auto is limited to 126 mph. other differences are the autos are fuel limited to 6250 while the 5 speed is around 7100. the auto rpm is limited due to limitations of the torque converter - won't withstand 7000 rpms without coming apart. since the rpm is limited to 6000 rpm wide open throttle shifts, they can get away with cast iron crank instead of the stronger forged steel crank.

In the july issue of HR Magazine, it sates the automatic version red line is 5,800rpm, and the standard is 6,800 rpm.

The engine seems to have the same cams as the Marauder, 5.4L truck intake cam, and a "high performance" exhaust cam. The compression ratio is apparently 10.1:1.

It also says the 4R70W automatic is "hopped up" with a heavy duty gear set. I've read the Marauder 4R70w is as well. The Mach1 uses a 11.25 inch brazed converter.

An interesting note is that only 6,500 Mach 1s will be built, which seems to support what I've said before, that ford shouldn't be concerned about the number of Marauders sold.