Author Topic: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads  (Read 17586 times)

Jon Mello

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Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« on: December 28, 2011, 03:44:16 AM »
Here are some pages from the 1967 Crane Cams catalog. It is interesting to note that not only did Crane offer cams and
all the various valvetrain components, they also offered fully-prepped ported and polished cylinder heads. These could
be off-the-shelf or you could supply your own. These "Super Port Flow" heads are also referred to as "Fireball" heads.













Jon Mello
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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2011, 06:07:10 AM »
Great documentation and details, Jon.  Thanks for posting!

-Chad

Jon Mello

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2011, 05:33:24 AM »
Thanks, Chad. Here are some more pages from the '67 catalog.





















Jon Mello
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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2011, 07:09:02 AM »
Wow, Jon, even better content.  Thanks for posting.

I enjoyed it all, but the pic of Bud Moore next to what I bet is actually one of the Cougar T/A engines (not a 427), is fantastic.  Cool AVIAID pan too.

Thanks again.

-Chad



Jon Mello

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2011, 07:49:09 AM »
Thanks, Chad. I thought you might like that. I also thought that might be a Cougar Trans-Am engine but they did run a 2x4 carb and manifold set-up in '67. I guess this could have been before the season started and before paperwork had been filed with the SCCA/FIA to legalize those pieces.
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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2011, 08:14:34 AM »
The engine looks similar to these Bud Moore Cougar pics posted on a site dedicated to the memory of Fran Hernandez (headed up racing for Lincoln-Mercury during the 1967 Trans-Am effort):

Right side of engine, here.
Left side of engine, here.
In car with single 4-barrel head on, here.
In car with single 4-barrel from left, here.
In car with dual 4-barrels, here.

-Chad

Jon Mello

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2011, 05:12:08 PM »
Thanks for the links to the photos, Chad. Great stuff!

Here are some more pages from a later year Crane catalog, courtesy of Frank Dihartce. Thank you, Frank!








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69z28302

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2012, 02:47:12 AM »
That was great story. I hated to here of the company closing. I used several of there cams throughout the years. Thanks for the story.

When I was growing up I heard some people talk about a 3/4 cam . What the HeLL are they talking about?

MM

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2012, 06:20:32 PM »
I had heard some of the employees tried to get it started back up again. I'm not sure if that is still going on or not.

As for a 3/4 race cam, that's just a generic term for a cam that does not have an all-out racing profile but one that is still a bit more radical than a mild performance cam.
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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2012, 04:09:51 PM »
Jon, Crane is currently in business.  It is my recollection that it was eventually bought by another company that had been involved in the motorcycle industry.  The address is now in Fort Lauderdale rather than in Hallandale, Florida.  They initially offered only a basic line of camshafts for cars but their website <http://www.cranecams.com> reflects a nearly full line of camshafts and ignition items.  For those of us who appreciated the contributions made to motorsports by Harvey Crane and his support of racers at the grassroots level, it is a bit sad but that's the way of the business world.  At least we continue to have corporate entity focused on the needs of enthusiasts.

c

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2012, 02:38:05 PM »
Many thanks to Robert Lodewyk for sharing these pages from his 1969 Crane Cams catalog.










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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2012, 04:54:51 PM »
Funny how things develope, circa 1981 I remember being in high school and taking a ride north from S.Miami to "Crane Cams" in Hallandale. my buddy was picking up a set of oval port B.B. Chevy heads, he had dropped off three weeks prior to be re-worked. Those heads turned his 427 equipped 69 camaro into a fire snorting monster. Shortly thereafter, I found my self selling scores of "Crane" products at Boston's largest speed shops. It was there that  I was liucky enough to get a hold of some "Crane Fireball" 292 small block chevy heads. As I recall, these were a pair of the finest street heads I have ever used on a 350 based engine and had great rev capability. Advance another ten years and I find myself working in "Crane's" original city Hallandale Florida, now known as Hallandale Beach. "Crane had made the move to Daytona about 1990, a few years before I got here, but the building still exited till a few years ago. I would often stare at the building and dream of the "Glory Days" of the past. It was a sad day when the building was knocked down in 2004 for the eventual condos that now reside there.     

Jon Mello

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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2012, 05:18:03 AM »
Thanks for your recollections of Crane. It is a real shame that Harvey Crane is gone and the company has had some changes and struggles but they have a great legacy and they made some really great products over the years.
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Re: Crane Cams and Crane "Super Port Flow" heads
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2013, 01:13:47 AM »
My father tells stories of his new 67 Camaro 327 4spd he sent the heads to crane, had a matched cam, aluminum intake and holley...he said the difference was so dramatic... they (crane) wanted gear ratios and car weight etc.
Honestly they just wanted their products to perform as well as possible given all the variables... which is more than most will ever contemplate.   
James
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Current caretaker of 1971 LT1's - 11130 and 21783 Check out the Black 69 RS/Z28 45k mile Survivor and the Lemans Blue 69 Z 10D frame off...
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