Okrasa Cranks
Jon:
Wow Frallan!!
Amazing reading, this is such a small world, I had never thought that the Berg cranks came about in this way... but now that I know it sort of makes sense.
I hope you can forgive me but I just have to post your story here to, ok?
*******
Hi,
First of all I must admit that I am slightly egocentric and like to share the experiences I have had in my 32 years of ACVW journey.
Me and my dragrace partner building a VW dragster noticed the weak link in Swedish VW autocross and dragracing.
Cast cranks breaking, SPG rollers twisting and breaking even after being welded and then the famous flyweel breaking loose even on the forged Okrasa in autocross.
Scat released a flanged but cast crank. (it took a fair amount of years before they went forged albeit not multi step hammered) One Swedish dragracer broke it in first season.
Afraid like H..ll I wrote to Gene Berg.
He sent me a 7 page answer about how good his welded OEM strokers with wedgemate were. Still have the letter from 1976.
Our partner for building our dragster T1 VW engine with 911 OHC heads was Christer Lindstrom.
He insisted on that the best crank was an Okrasa. (in some way he was right)
I disagreed and bought a 78 stroke wedgemate GB. (Still have it and in good shape after all these years)
Christer had this idea of forging his own VW crank with much larger counterweights than the small ones of Okrasa. He also had an idea of doing larger main bearings from 411.
Christer has been brought up and gone through engineering schools right in the hot spot of Swedish foundry and metalurgy area.
His friends worked at the foundries doing a lot of goodies for the racing industry.
When Christer saw the BG crank and the counter weights, he asked me if he could borrow it for a week. I said yes.
He simply took it to Bofors foundry. (Same place that does world famous weapons)
They copied the GB welded crank.
Next step was for Christer to find a good place to machine his multi step hammered forgings. Now this is when the next steps comes in to place. Christer contacted Gene and they become family friends and partners for life. I know that somewere in the process Gene even sent his loose counter weigts for his welded cranks to Christer, because I remember him proudly showing them to me.
Next idea of ratio rockers came from these two guys sitting on GBs porch in CA and taking the next step. Multi step hammered forgings and machined in US.
(Very similar rocker forgings are being made by JPM today but with slight improvements and machined in house in Sweden. Even if pricey, worth every penny.)
As for TIV cranks to Jake, Christer and myself talked. Christer said he could get the original old time guys and forging tools at the foundry to make new imrpoved Okrasa TIV cranks.
These were offered to Jake and I think we had as far as deal can go, if it wasnt the weak dollar. It simply did not make good enough financial sense.
In the last few years since then, the alternatives have become so good, there is no way it will materialize.
Third story were I have been involved is the Christer designed Hemi heads. Bolt on 911 heads for either pushrods or OHC camhousings.
The moulds are in USA since 10-15 years and I know were but it seems very little is happening, if anything at all and possibly it never will but that is off topic for now.
Fredrik Frallan
Sarge:
Thanks for that, JHU!! Very cool! 8) 8) 8)
Frallan:
Any Germans out there that has Okrasa history to share?
Was it really input from Darell Vittone and his Hot Rodding that got them to do a crank?
That story sounds OK but too me it misses a lot of details and gives me follow up questions.
Why would Darrell take the cost of an imported crank to "save his behind" with customers? Why not just replace it with a 2nd hand or new original?
Whatever the story is, there was a business reason behind why it came to be. A need that could be filled by sales of performance cranks.
My guess would be local German performance needs.
Okrasa built their own motors. How and when did that start?
Is that not the resaon for the original Okrasa crank needs?
Were does Oettinger come in? Much later? How did they relate? Not at all maybe as it might be just me complicating it.
It could be fun finding those answers.
Sarge:
George Ferch was the guy who distributed Okrasa here in the US under the Powerhaus name years ago. He visits the dealership here occasionaly... would be cool to get his input here. I'll see what I can do...
johnl:
I have received the followig from Keith across the Pond. I knew I had read something about this in the past and here is what Keith offers:
Hi John – Have looked through my e-mails but can’t find one from you regarding Okrasa cranks. Sorry about that!
The US connection regarding Okrasa cranks is referred to in the chapter on race cars in my last book:
”Incidentally, as an aside, although the Okrasa crankshaft has always been regarded as a masterpiece of German engineering, the first such crank was in fact designed for Oettinger by one Cliff Collins, an American who was a partner in the then well-known Harman-Collins speedshop, which specialised in tuning domestic vehicles.”
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