New Crankshaft for 3A block.

[chickenfriend]

Stock crankshaft from the dealer looks to be about 1000$.

Eurospec sells a cast crank for 400$.

If the engine gets rebuilt, it would be daily driver, so I don't see the need to go to a forged crank, which eurospec also sells for about 600$.

Even cheaper was a crank kit I saw, can remember the name, but it was 200$, cast crank.

Another option would be to grind the journals on my stock forged crank down to the next crank bearing size. No one local does this. Seems it would be better to go new.

Any quality reports?

[suburbangeorge]

Isn't a 9A 16V crank the same other than possiblly the need to rebalance? If so, there are tons of those out there. vagcat.com is down but this http://www.not2fast.com/vw/stuff/vw_engines.shtml seems to indicate that they're the same.

[WaterWheels]

If the engine gets rebuilt, it would be daily driver, so I don't see the need to go to a forged crank . . . Another option would be to grind the journals on my stock forged crank down to the next crank bearing size. No one local does this. . . Any quality reports?

Can't give you a quality report as I have never needed to purchase a new crankshaft for a VW. That VW used fordged parts is I believe maybe a little overkill, but I think they wanted to be sure the engines held up. Yes the dealer will be a lot more expensive, everything from them seems to cost twice the going price other places. If it is really just going to be driven in a more or less normal way on the street then a cast crankshaft should be no problem. Just be sure you get it from a place which sells quality parts, crankshafts are important parts.

Find it hard to believe that no machine shops will machine the crankshaft to the next undersize. First it is not as hard to do it to a Volkswagen 4 cylinder engine as it is to do to most US engines. Second it is normal to have this done, that's why the data is posted in repair manuals and the bearings are sold. It's the same as them saying they don't bore cylinders to the next oversize

[chickenfriend]

Isn't a 9A 16V crank the same other than possiblly the need to rebalance? If so, there are tons of those out there. vagcat.com is down but this http://www.not2fast.com/vw/stuff/vw_engines.shtml seems to indicate that they're the same.

Thanks. Yes, I think the cranks are exactly the same.

A good used 9A 16V crank could be an alternative possibilty.

[Glegor]

Thanks. Yes, I think the cranks are exactly the same.

A good used 9A 16V crank could be an alternative possibilty.

pretty sure the ABA, 3A, and 9A all use the same crank..

ABA having a trigger wheel on the #4 end of the crank tho..

and i KNOW that lots of obd1 ABAs had FORGED cranks.. so that would be better than the cast euro spec unit, plus most likely ALOT cheaper, being that you can score an ABA bottom end for like $50..