Which is the best crank rebuild kit?

queen of spodes
Edited Date/Time 8/23/2012 3:06am
It looks like I am going to need to rebuild my engine soon. The thing is vibrating worse than a 500 and all of my motor mounts are properly torqued and not broken. Guessing the crank is out of balance or worn. The bike is 10+ years old so it probably wouldn't hurt to tear it down and freshen everything up anyway.

Who makes the best, most reliable crank kit? Is Hot Rods worth the money? What about Wiseco?

Ditto that on the connecting rod.. are there any makers I should steer clear of?
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queen of spodes 8/13/2012 5:21am
8/13/2012 5:21am
Sounds like Crank Works is the way to go, as I definately want it balanced.

While I have the cases split is there anything else I might want to do to improve longevity or performance? I read where some teams polish transmission parts, but I'm pretty sure that will be out of reach.
BAMX
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BAMX 8/13/2012 1:11pm
8/13/2012 1:11pm
My Hot Rods crank is going good...The Wiseco kit is cheap since they come with main bearings and seals/gaskets. I don't know about the quality though.
pete24
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pete24 8/13/2012 3:38pm
8/13/2012 3:38pm
your bike is ten years old and you wonder what the best is, stock of course
queen of spodes 8/15/2012 8:47pm
8/15/2012 8:47pm
Stock crank assembly is about 350.

Crankworks emailed and said they can rebuild mine with new bearings & rod AND balance it for $305 + my piston kit, so about $400.

Is the stock non-balanced crank still better than what Crankworks is offering?

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captmoto
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captmoto 8/15/2012 9:34pm
8/15/2012 9:34pm
queen of spodes wrote:
Stock crank assembly is about 350. Crankworks emailed and said they can rebuild mine with new bearings & rod AND balance it for $305 + my...
Stock crank assembly is about 350.

Crankworks emailed and said they can rebuild mine with new bearings & rod AND balance it for $305 + my piston kit, so about $400.

Is the stock non-balanced crank still better than what Crankworks is offering?
A stock crank or hotrod or wiseco are all balanced, it's part of the assembly process. Bearings can be had at any bearing house, take your stockers in to be measured. They are C2 grade bearings. KOWA ia a huge outfit supplying bearings to most of the major mfgs and are in some wiseco and hotrod kits. If you run a properly jetted bike with good oil at at 32:1 or 40:1 you should be good with any set-up you go with. You also have to make sure you don't have any air leaks.
queen of spodes 8/16/2012 7:09am
8/16/2012 7:09am
Is there a benefit in using a Hot Rods connecting rod vs. stock connecting rod?
Jakes Dad
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Jakes Dad 8/16/2012 9:21am
8/16/2012 9:21am Edited Date/Time 8/16/2012 9:22am
My guy installs Hot Rod rod kits, then balances andtrues the crank, With some cranks he'll modify them by installing additional or larger oiling grooves to the main bearing.

www.tdc2strokeperformance.com
CamP
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CamP 8/17/2012 6:41am
8/17/2012 6:41am
OEM is best.
DTHA70
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DTHA70 8/20/2012 8:20am
8/20/2012 8:20am
the hotrods and wiseco complete assemblies are balanced and trued from the factory, but while sitting around in a warehouse, they can come out of true, i cant tell you how many times ive had to re balance and true hotrods and wiseco cranks. like JBI said, crankworks is top notch, doing work for the majority of the teams you see on TV evey weekend. get your piston, send it with your crank, and phil and the guys at CWI will send you back the absolute best you can buy.
captmoto
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captmoto 8/20/2012 8:35am
8/20/2012 8:35am
DTHA70 wrote:
the hotrods and wiseco complete assemblies are balanced and trued from the factory, but while sitting around in a warehouse, they can come out of true...
the hotrods and wiseco complete assemblies are balanced and trued from the factory, but while sitting around in a warehouse, they can come out of true, i cant tell you how many times ive had to re balance and true hotrods and wiseco cranks. like JBI said, crankworks is top notch, doing work for the majority of the teams you see on TV evey weekend. get your piston, send it with your crank, and phil and the guys at CWI will send you back the absolute best you can buy.
How does a crank come out of true from sitting around? If it's occurring in the shipping and handling process then ANY crank will be subject to that and you should be checking anybody's work before you install it.
RACESTHILAIRE 8/22/2012 7:23am
8/22/2012 7:23am
queen of spodes wrote:
Stock crank assembly is about 350. Crankworks emailed and said they can rebuild mine with new bearings & rod AND balance it for $305 + my...
Stock crank assembly is about 350.

Crankworks emailed and said they can rebuild mine with new bearings & rod AND balance it for $305 + my piston kit, so about $400.

Is the stock non-balanced crank still better than what Crankworks is offering?
A balanced crankshaft with a high quality connecting rod like crankworks offers is a better option as long as your crank wheels are in good shape i.e you didn't pound on the and damage the crank web shafts and the press fit between the crank pin and crank pin holes are still acceptable.

A balanced crank will create less vibration, and will overall create a longer lasting engine if used with the correct piston that it was balanced for.

Do not use wiseco and be careful with hot rods, I have seen wiseco cranks fail in under an hr multiple times and I have seen hot rods cranks with issues as well such as the stuffers being cockeyed and rubbing on the crankcase or cranks coming out of true.

If you want to have your crankshaft rebuilt use a Pro x (made in Japan)
RACESTHILAIRE 8/22/2012 7:46am
8/22/2012 7:46am
Also guys dont confuse "balancing" a crankshaft with "truing" a crankshaft...

We use crankworks for our crank balancing needs so I am by no means an expert, but general understanding of balancing a crankshaft is adding or removing weight opposite the crankpin to compensate for the weight of the connecting rod and piston. Also known as balancing the rotating assembly. Single cylinder crankshafts can never be completely balanced so in this process they adjust where the unbalance is to favor the rpm range where the bike will get used the most.

Truing a crank is adjusting the crank webs on the crankpin to ensure the axial and lateral runout of the crankshaft isn't running out or atleast running out within a certain tolerance given by the manufacturer

Hot rods or wiseco crankshaft assemblies are not balanced. If they were, they would come with the piston they were balanced with. They are trued, but should be inspected before installation into your engine.
project racer 8/22/2012 12:59pm
8/22/2012 12:59pm Edited Date/Time 8/22/2012 1:03pm
I have used Falicon for crank rebuilding and balancing on various crankshafts.

The entire top end assembly, meaning piston , pin, needle bearing, rings, and circlips need to be weighed so proper balancing can be acheived, not just the piston alone.

Handle the crank like glass during transport and especially at assembly time when installing it in the cases.

Not hard to knock one out of true, if the heavy hand is used.
Jakes Dad
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Jakes Dad 8/23/2012 3:06am
8/23/2012 3:06am
I use a spacer or wedge to place between the counterbalance weights when centering the crank. Hoping that is better than not using anything.

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