G`day guys
I`ve heard that a datsun forged steel crank can be machined to fit a 2lt pinto, giving it a bullet proof bottom end capable (with other work) of up  to 10,00 rpm.
Does anyone know much about this?
Is it worth doing money wise compared to buying a 2lt forged crank?
Cheers
Troppo

The standard escort crank is mega strong and will handle 200 hp no probs.  If you are turboing it then maybe an upgrade is required but for N/A the standard crank is more than fine.  The weak point in a pinto is the rods or more specifically the bolts.
 
What are the plans for the engine?
 
You won't get a Pinto to rev to 10,000 revs anyway with out mega mega bucks spent if at all.
 
Better to put the money into proper head work which is where all the power is to be gained.
 
Cheers
 
Matt

The Elan Factory do this conversion, very helpful place give them a bell

Well i`m not looking at using 10,000rpm but i was told it was a better crank and i just wanted to check what others thought of it. i`ve never really had a hot engine in an escort, mild was aboutI as far as i ever went. This time i want to get a fair bit of head work and then get some block work done when i can afford it. I`m a boiler maker/sheet metal fabricator so the body work is easy for me but anything more complicated than carb or exhaust and i`m lost so i`ll be asking a lot of silly questions as the project goes on
Cheers guys
Troppo

It's actually the harmonics in the spinning crank that cause the rod failure. Around 7100rpm is the critical speed to try and not hold engines at for too long. Run them thru but not hold at this rpm.
 
The Elan Factory do the Datsun steel cranks for the pre-crossflow/crossflow motors either based on the L16 crank(standard stroke, not fully counterweighted) or a L18(giving stroked & fully counterweighted), not sure about a pinto replacements though.
SFE

thanks for that SFE

SFE has it, the datsun crank is for the Crossflow. Nissan/datsun rods can be used in the pinto and are/were common as a longer/stronger rod combinatino, esp when doing stroker conversions. There are now cheaper options out there (chinese rods etc) and the nissan stuff (like our pintos) is becoming increasing scarce and rare.

10 000 rpm is not a realistic limit for the old pinto. It can be done, just, but is not cost effective. You're better off with something like an F20C. For that sought of rpm you are getting custom EVERYTHING.

Have a look here for some prices, oh, and dont forget to convert from Euros. http://hastech.se/products.html

SHaun

I see what you mean, those prices are ridiculous. I want something with balls that is drivable and reliable, i just dont know what to look at, i know the basics of engines and gearboxes but thats it, I couldnt tell a rocket box from a zetec
 

A datsun 2000 sports crank ( steel, fully counterweighted) with a lot of machining can be used in the ole pinto but they'd be like rocking horse excrement to find and probably expensive too. A few of these cars still race though. Only seen one of these conversions done. Could be worth looking closely at later Nissan motors though. They may have similar bore spacings and be related.
Best to change rod bolts, detail rods(or replace), balance everything & not hold revs near 7100rpm IMO. 
SFE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for all the advice guys, like i said i will probably be asking silly questions like this again but i have to learn somehow. Thanks again all, i appreciate your help and advice