Originally posted by Dan Nixon:
[QUOTE] Oh, I believe the reason why Duratec so predisposed to whip is the fact that Ford shortened the crank from the Porsche design without otherwise compensating for this.
right, but, not only did they shorten the crank but they also thinned out the crankcase webbing that supports the main bearings.
With this the case, I wouldn't be suprised if the webs were to be inspected with non-destructive testing methods (eddy current, ultrasonic or dye penetrant) and cracks were found. In fact, I'm sure that if the crankshafts were inspected using the magnetic particle method that radial or transverse cracks could be found on a few of the crankshaft journals as well.
