Billet & Forged Crankshafts

[More Power]

Member Hans Hauschild recently sent me the following photos of GEP's new 6.5. You can see the GEP banner behind the engine.





I was told last summer that GEP was planning to increase power from 205 to 235. Hans indicated to me that GEP is now saying 250!

Part of what I heard last summer involved forged steel crankshafts, a block girdle, cooling system mods and fuel system upgrades.

A asked an independent OEM yesterday about the new engine and the billet crankshafts. I was told "Crankshafts are being stockpiled - approx 400 to 500. The machining takes longer because of the material. The first ones are made from billet steel to run tests."

It appears from the above images that the girdle is sectioned a bit (notched) on each side to show its design.

Notice what looks like an electric fan-clutch....

It's interesting that they used 1989-95 accessory drive components, though the belt tensioner is in a non-stock location.

Some have theorized that the compression ratio has been reduced to accomodate the 250 hp rating.

More news when it becomes available....

Jim

[ronniejoe]

Using machined from solid (billet) components for testing is very common, even in the aerospace world. Large scale production usually would wind up being made from forgings.

That girdle looks very similar to the one that Andrew Ashwill made for his engine project. His was "billet", this one is cast.