Originally posted by warmonger:
Wow! Talk about going cheap this late in the game! The duratec has been around 10 years and they are going to start making cast cranks now. Better hold on to the old cranks and engines just for this reason.

No, you have to take the vehicle & drive cycle into account. The 500 & Freestyle have either a CVT or 6spd automatic. The higher stiffness of a forged crank is preferred for high rpm applications. In lower rpm applications, a cast iron crank can actually be preferrable. Since it is not as stiff, it tends to give a little more damping and can be a little smoother from what I've been told by crankshaft gurus.

And don't worry, the forged crank isn't going away. The 3.0L for the Fusion coming out later this year is basically a Mazda6 engine. Forged crank. VCT on intake cams.

The 500 & Freestyle 3.0L engines are being built in the newly renovated Cleveland Engine Plant #1.

All other V6 Duratecs are still built at Cleveland Engine Plant #2.