I was looking through some of last year's issues of CAR CRAFT and found a chart for identifying cranks by the shape of their endpiece(or whatever it's called). I found that the endpiece of my 350's crank matches the 400 piece on the chart. I was excited, thinking I had a stroker and didn't know it. When I measured the stroke as best I could (the bottom end is assembled), I got very close to 3.5 inches. What's going on? Could the endpieces have been switched somehow? Or is the chart in CAR CRAFT incorrect? My 350 rebuild pistons fit just fine and there is no valve-piston interference when I turn it over. Thanks in advance.

Shine,
350 and 400 cranks look basically the same on the flywheel end. I have not seen the chart you mentioned, but the best way to id a crankshaft is to use the casting number or measure the stroke like you did. Yours is either a 350 or 305 crank. I bet the casting number ends in 442.
Hope this helps,

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Bill Koustenis
Owner
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

Don't put too much faith in that article. I have the same mag and just for the heck of it took it out to my shop and checked the end-piece photo with my 383 crank. My crank IS a 400 but the picture said it was a 350! Don't know what the problem is with that article but in my case it just isn't right.

I gotta feeling that was the crank article that they came back the next month or two later and said "Oops", we got the wrong crank ends pictured if I remember right and reprinted the correct ones. pdq67

If your stroke is close to 3.5" (3.48") and you have a 4" bore then it's a 350, no matter what flange is on the end of the crank or what Car Craft says.

305 and 350's have the same stroke. I seen that book as well but have made that same mistake with the 400's. The only way I can tell now is if the balancer is on it.

Thanks guys. I guess the chart is just incorrect. The funny thing is, the chart I was looking at is the reprinted, supposedly "corrected" version! Oh well, nobody's perfect, I guess.