Motorcycle crankshaft rebuilding 

Yeah it makes me long for winter. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for stopping by Robert.

Thanks for coming to my defense. I have learned that in life you find those who need to be charged a lot of money by a fellow who has impressive looking equipment or a good line of BS so they feel they are getting the best possible work done. If they do not know how to do what you do for them they need other reassurances that you are doing things the right way. Once you charge them 3 times what the job is worth they have too much invested to doubt the result. That is just human nature. Thanks for stopping by.

Amateur Redneck Workshop That answer in full of wisdom!!!!

It is not a hard job at all. When you are trying to get to no runout You can place one crank throw on a solid piece of wood and hit the other crank throw with an aluminum hammer (or some equivalent soft hammer) and slowly move the two crank throws into perfect alignment. They will rotate around the big end rod pin but very slowly. A really good smack is usually 1/4 to 1/3 thousandth. Of course sometimes it does not move at all and you have to go back and whack it again. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for the advice and sorry for the delayed response.... I will take your advice on board and give it a go. Currently making a device to pull off the small cam sprocket so that I don't risk damaging it with drifts.

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Everyone wants more stroke. Thanks for stopping by.

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@@AmateurRedneckWorkshop do you think you can make a crankshaft in that stye to replicate A bigger one..in other words..go from a 69 to A 74mm crank...I'm using the set run a 420cc...stock crank is 66mm...I want to a 74crank x 92bore..502/503cc.. 69mm x 92bore is 480cc I may have to cut the case of the engine to 3mm or 5mm..longer

I wish I would have had a good crankshaft to use instead of that one then I could have shown zeroing it in for no runout. Thanks for stopping by.

Glad you were here to see it. Thanks for stopping by.

Summer in Houston is not a pretty thing. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for the stickers. Thanks for stopping by.

I am glad you understand what I was doing. Remember to get the main bearings true to the manufacturers specs. Thanks for stopping by.

Give a man a good hammer and their is no telling what he can destroy. Thanks for stopping by.

Wildman Tech m

Thanks for stopping by. Have a good time in California.

Thanks for stopping by Dudley.

Go slow and measure everything. Good luck. Thanks for stopping by.

They must be good or the big boys would not use them. Thanks for stopping by.

On some high hp dirt bikes, they weld the pins after they true it up. But, yea, they work pretty well for most applications just pressed together.

That is interesting, never heard of it before. Thanks for stopping by.

The proverbial "they" say you need to feel some pain to know your alive. Actually I don't feel much pain from the comments. 😁😉 Thanks for stopping by.

I've seen several wiseco cranks with 2-3 thou on average.

Sorry for the late reply. RU-vid does not deliver them every time. Thanks for stopping by.

At one time their was a notable difference in price between the whole crankshaft and the rod and bearings. I don't know current prices. Thanks for stopping by.

I agree. There are less and less people doing actual "rebuilding" or "building" engines anymore. Anyone can buy new and put it together, but it takes a real craftsman to do it this way.

@@AmateurRedneckWorkshop I came across this video as I'm looking to rebuild a 3 cylinder crank for a waverunner. A new crank, all in, costs about $1300-1500 CAD. If I can successfully rebuild it myself, ive priced parts at just about $500, not including the core itself. So I think there is still a difference!

@@chrisjohnston4369 you can do it if you are careful to get it all aligned. Measure the length and get it back together the same length then use a dial indicator to check it for true. If it is a bit out put one crank throw on a 2x4 and use a aluminum hammer to move the other crank throws to alignment. It takes a lot of healthy blows to move the crank throws a few thousandths. Put it between centers and check for true. Do one section at a time rather than assembling the whole 3 cylinder crank at one time. True it up as you build it up. Thanks for viewing.

@@AmateurRedneckWorkshop thanks for the video, super helpful. Right now I am trying to build my jig for truing and my setup for measuring phase (I don't have a lathe so it makes it a bit more challenging), any tips for setting phase correctly? I figured score the old parts before taking apart but that also assumes they are in correct phase in first place, and would only get them close not exact. I've learned they need to be in 1/4deg phase of eachother or better, or the engine won't run great. Any tips to get this step right? Thanks again!

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Go for it. Thanks for viewing Simon.

No need to grind on these, just buy a new crank pin, rod, and bearings. Thanks for stopping by.

We also had a 50 ton press and did a lot of motorcycle press work. Just surprised that I had never run across one.

Glad you liked it. I found that when one main bearing was dead on the other was also and of course that makes sense. Thanks for stopping by.

I am sure everyone would love to see what you come up with. A model engine would use a small crankshaft anyway so it would not need to be very thick. Bore one hole and part off more than one piece? Thanks for stopping by.

You put the crankshaft between centers in a stand or a lathe and use a dial indicator to see how far out of true they are. Then supporting one side on a piece of wood you take a soft hammer, lead or aluminum, and smack the other side that needs to move in the direction it needs to move. After a few good smacks it will move a thousandth or two. Recheck it between centers and rinse and repeat until it is true to less than one thousandth of an inch. That will get you about twice as true as the factory requires. Thanks for stopping by.

I think is the seat Ole was sitting in. Thanks for stopping by.

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Yes you can make a jig but I am certain you still have to check it with a dial indicator to be sure it runs true and most likely adjust it. Thanks for stopping by.

Welding on the crankshaft will certainly warp the parts and do damage. If it is actually loose and moving apart then the crankpin holes in that side are probably wallowed out. Are you certain that the side to side movement of the rod is because the crank throw is further apart from the center than it is supposed to be? Have you measured both sides? It could be that the rod itself is badly worn. A worn out rod and bearings is the most common cause of problems in that type of engine. It only takes one time with poor oil to fuel ratio to ruin the rod bearings. If it is the hole in the crank throw that is loose then get a new crankshaft. Thanks for stopping by.

I am glad you got the point that I was trying to make, some did not. Thanks for stopping by.

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If you search for the item on the internet you may find one to copy. You can use the same type of device you use to hold bicycle or motorcycle wheels when you put in new spokes and balance it. 2 upright pieces, wood or metal with bolts through then with a 60 degree center would do the job. Anything that holds a crankshaft between centers will work. adrenalineworld.com/k-l-mc310-3-in-1-truing-stand-35-9573/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsqLSBRCmARIsAL4Pa9QsjfmbqasBoAHzLteJttcTf-cOWhxW1YYoHLz6Jj1s9kVpPJVGS4EaAuPHEALw_wcB www.ebay.com/i/192388137386?chn=ps Thanks for stopping by.

It's basically the same thing as a wheel balancing stand, only with dead centers on either side.

When you put them between centers you must confirm that the crank bearing surfaces on each side of the cranksyhaft show zero runout. If you have zero runout then everything is dead on straight. In fact if you have zero runout on one side you will surely have zero on the other. I guess I did not explain well enough what I was doing with the dial indicator. If the center had not been ruined on one end I would not have stopped with the explanation but would have trued it up completely. Thanks for stopping by.

I use a hydraulic press to take the crankshaft apart and to put it back together. That is the only clamp like tool that I use. When taking it apart I use a bearing separator to hold one side at a time while I press the crank pin out. Thanks for stopping by Murat.

I can believe that. You need a big air conditioner for that shop. Thanks for stopping by.

You can buy a crankshaft from a motorcycle dealer. I guess you will have to build the engine around the size of the crankshaft you purchase. Most of the crankshafts will come complete with the rod installed. I am sure this will be a fun adventure for you. Thanks for stopping by.

Well my email is in the first minute of the video. Drop me a note and we will work things out. Thanks for stopping by.

My email address is in the first minute or two of most videos. It is also in the about section. Drop me a note and we will work something out. Thanks for stopping by.

You know that is what was in the extra piece of video that I left out. The oil passage was indeed there to the center of the crankpin. I was using two cameras and one camera had an extra piece of video and I thought it was some sort of mistake so I left it out. Sorry. Thanks for stopping by.

thanks :)

Yes I watch Doubleboost every Sunday, great guy. Thanks for stopping by.

I have never used a tube or jig. When I was doing this work I was too pressed for time to experiment. Anything that makes the pieces start off straighter would make things better. After each section is added to the crankshaft you need to put it between centers and align what you have put together. You also need to get the correct width with each section before you add more pieces. Normally getting the correct width was much easier for me than getting each web aligned. Thanks for stopping by.

Obrigada por apareceres.

I would normally put the crankshaft between centers on my lathe because I have one and use a dial indicator to check to see which half is high on my side. Then I would put the other side on a 2x4 and hit the half that is high on my side with a heavy aluminum hammer. An aluminum hammer is soft enough not to leave any dings. This would most often rotate the side that is high forward about one thousandth of an inch. And then I would put it back in the lathe between centers and check it with a dial indicator to see how much that side was still high. Then I would repeat the whole thing until both sides were even and no runout on the dial indicator. Thanks for stopping by.

Glad you like it. Thanks for stopping by.

I will put the crank between centers and get alignment with a dial indicator.

The worst one that I ever tried was a Bultaco. I had to take it to a larger press. Thanks for stopping by.

That crankshaft uses the center hole of the crank on one side to supply oil to the rod and crank bearings or so I was told so they did not want to risk a repair of the center hole. Thanks for stopping by.

It can certainly be done. Lets talk about it, my email is in the first minute of most videos. Thanks for stopping by.

I often thought of using a jig made of two "V" shaped pieces to get the fit started going back together. In real life I never had time to do it. After you do this job for a short while you get pretty good at lining them up before you press them back together. Then it is only a matter of a few thousandths correction. I would love to meet everyone but I went to the Bar Z Bash in 2015 and it cost me $1600, way too much for a couple of days in the California sun. Think of the nice mill I could buy from Grizzly with a couple of years expenses. Thanks for stopping by.

Please consult this helpful article; us.misumi-ec.com/blog/shaft-hole-tolerances-for-clearance-interference-fits/ This should be an interference fit. Thanks for viewing.

@@AmateurRedneckWorkshop thanks for spreading knowledge sir ..love from india...

@@AmateurRedneckWorkshop sir...if the application is drag racing and we are facing the issues of Crank web twisting and run outs...what should be interference fit value???.0.008" or more

The engine is a single 350cc 4 stroke with oversquare geometry...82 bore and 70 stroke

@@naveedaka sorry but I do not know the answer to that. Possibly you should check with others who are drag racing to see how they handle this.

That is certainly good news for me. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for stopping by.

I like it. Thanks for stopping by.

Certainly that would make a great video. Email me at hswaters at yahoo dot com.

I did machine work for Stubbs Suzuki but never for anyone as far off as Sugarland. I did machine work for Bruce Bristal Honda and a few others that I no longer remember.

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Luciano quintiroli

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Well when I was doing crankshaft rebuilding I got them dead center of factory specs every time. Most of the factories were in Japan and Europe at that time. Thanks for stopping by.

Amateur Redneck Workshop sorry for the worthless coment i actually really enjoyed your video and learned alot. You say its easy to do but i can see you have an acquired skill. I will remove my stupid coment in a day hopefully you get to read my apologies.

If you can get the crank pin and the bearings and the rod you can rebuild it. Thanks Skuzzn.

No I cannot. I have no supplies to do that and I am not in that business. A specialty shop should be able to help you. Thanks for viewing.

Your answer show how little you know about the process. Please describe your process for doing this job. Keep watching though and thanks for stopping by.

Amateur Redneck Workshop i just personally destroyed so many things on my bike by using hammers. Even after being told to always use a rub mallet on bikes. Yes i did watch whole video you got skills that i don't have.!

Thanks for stopping by.

Wrong David Dale. Some wiseco cranks are 2-3 thousandths run-out. Not sure what soiled your panties about this video, but they all get a good smack with an aluminum or brass hammer. Maybe you should just trust wiseco or hot rods and just buy another. Wouldn't wanna stir up your anxiety...

Been using metric when it matters for most of my life. Thanks for stopping by.

sure... i'm retired,still love to rebuild engines(bike,pwc,boat,car),my mind,and most of my tools,still work in .001" and .0001",it's those daMM 16ths 32nds 64ths lol

Well maybe you should just do it yourself. It aint brain surgery. I saw the mechanics at the "....obscured brand name" doing it with a try square and a ball peen hammer but they got a service manager and shiny clean windows up front. Thanks for stopping by.

Don't think I'd come to you for English lessons either, yet.. Here you are..

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@@AmateurRedneckWorkshop obrigado brasil....

Well Jack some of them probably watched the video. If you had you would have noticed that I said I used an aluminum hammer to move the throws. As for needing two dial indicators that is just great for selling indicators but believe me if one indicator shows no run out then two indicators will show no run out, give it a try some time. As for the jig for the assembly I have never seen one anyplace. I suppose the factory has them but then I also expect they still have to do some fine alignment. Which way the hydraulic element faces is of no importance at all. As long as it does the work nothing else is to be gained from screwing around looking for another position. I would like to congratulate you on having honed your troll skills to a much higher level than the average troll can ever expect to achieve. Personally I have rebuilt many single and multi cylinder crankshafts with no complaints from the customer. How many have you done? Where is your video of you showing the perfection you suppose i should have achieved? I would bet you have never even had a motorcycle crankshaft in your hands. Thanks for stopping by. I was in a bad mood and really needed you to take it out on. I feel a lot better now.

I will not address your personal comments about me and your assumptions what I have seen (or not seen) or did. I can only tell you, Harold that I started riding motorcycle when I was 5, started racing when i was 12 and we were always thinkering how to make them go fast. Engines, like small 125cc or later 250cc were all two strokes and were routinely overrevved. That's why close tolerances in crankshaft assembly were essential. otherwise engine would explode during the race. I didn't rebuilt as many crankshafts as you, but probably some 30-40. As for the crankshaft assembly jig, there is one "home made" at the machine shop. It is on the video at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y4CQBU0Zohk.html, somewhere around 5 min 39 sec from the beginning. If you have a lathe (I see you do) and a milling machine (or access to one) and materials from the scrap yard you can make one jig like this in half of a day. With a jig you will not only work much faster, but right away get results probably an order of magnitude closer to true, which in turn will minimize tunning. You can also find a video with use of a factory made jig by Austrian KTM. After assembly they measured runout and came out with 0,02 mm !!! Not bad!!! Micrometer gauge is now-days not expensive item. I see you are using a professional grade by Starret I appreciate your time and effort to publish a video and apologize that I did not put out one. It was not my intention to criticize you, just to make things better, I feel that you are honest and sincere person and I wish you the best.

jackcbr1100 shut the fuck up jack, he explained it was all unacceptable through every step, including the lathe and non jig pressing/reassembly, and the lathe part he all denounced... ise your ears before you criticize the obvious. Now you are the one who looks dumb.

He failed when he lost the needle bearings as far as I'm concerned.

I have to say your second comment was spot on, I dont think I could've said it better myself. Harold does seem like a nice enough guy though, trying to help.

I have no idea what you said but thanks for stopping by.

Try Sweden I think Keld is there. Thanks for stopping by.