One piece crank.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 4
From: Out and about
One piece crank.
Does anybody know why there are no 1 piece cranks available for HD's? It would seem to eliminate lots of the issues associated with the three piece design and I would think that there would be substantial aftermarket demand for such a thing. Could it be purely a cost issue?
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Peterborough, Canada
Then you would need to change the rods to a 2 piece design and then change the the roller bearings to the standard 2 piece half shell design found in your cage, now you can add a few more cylinders and then you wind up with something that no longer resembles a Harley.
Remember, Harley folks don't like change, my three piece crank has not let me down yet.
Remember, Harley folks don't like change, my three piece crank has not let me down yet.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 4
From: Out and about
Thank you for an insightful answer.
Then you would need to change the rods to a 2 piece design and then change the the roller bearings to the standard 2 piece half shell design found in your cage, now you can add a few more cylinders and then you wind up with something that no longer resembles a Harley.
Remember, Harley folks don't like change, my three piece crank has not let me down yet.
Remember, Harley folks don't like change, my three piece crank has not let me down yet.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,984
Likes: 7
Plane bearings need 35-65# oil pressure to keep from metal to metal.
Not saying it can't be done but that means redesign of the whole lub system. Separation and vent on top for sure. From Harleys point of view.
Buy Victory's and most of the metric V-twins are one piece.
Bout the only noticeable thing is the slightly offset cylinders. From the side by side rods.
From the point of view of a person with a Harley now who has crank concerns,---get it trued and welded and that will work pretty dog gone good.
Not saying it can't be done but that means redesign of the whole lub system. Separation and vent on top for sure. From Harleys point of view.
Buy Victory's and most of the metric V-twins are one piece.
Bout the only noticeable thing is the slightly offset cylinders. From the side by side rods.
From the point of view of a person with a Harley now who has crank concerns,---get it trued and welded and that will work pretty dog gone good.
Last edited by Old Gunny; Feb 21, 2012 at 08:27 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: USA
The design of Harley rods is a different story. The female rod would have to be 3 piece (2 rod caps), and there's not much meat on the female rod journals to bolt caps to (half the thickness of the male rod journal). The rod cap bolts would have to be tiny.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
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From: Bedford UK
I don't know of a one piece crank, otherwise we would be hearing about it regularly on HDF. I also don't believe the Harley engine design allows for fitting one. Some Jap V-twins use them, Moto Guzzi as well, but the rods are beside each other and they use plain bearings.
Don't be too bothered by the 'problems' you read about. They get exaggerated out of all proportion on the internet! The vast majority of Harley owners around the World are happily riding around in complete innocence and ignorance that they should be having 'problems'.
Don't be too bothered by the 'problems' you read about. They get exaggerated out of all proportion on the internet! The vast majority of Harley owners around the World are happily riding around in complete innocence and ignorance that they should be having 'problems'.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,532
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From: SoCal
I don't know of a one piece crank, otherwise we would be hearing about it regularly on HDF. I also don't believe the Harley engine design allows for fitting one. Some Jap V-twins use them, Moto Guzzi as well, but the rods are beside each other and they use plain bearings.
Don't be too bothered by the 'problems' you read about. They get exaggerated out of all proportion on the internet! The vast majority of Harley owners around the World are happily riding around in complete innocence and ignorance that they should be having 'problems'.
Don't be too bothered by the 'problems' you read about. They get exaggerated out of all proportion on the internet! The vast majority of Harley owners around the World are happily riding around in complete innocence and ignorance that they should be having 'problems'.
Last edited by qtrracer; Feb 23, 2012 at 10:01 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: USA
There is nothing inherently bad about the multi piece crankshaft design. If you build them to the hilt, then the cranks should be welded and balanced. Snowmobile motors that turn 10k rpm and put out 150+ HP out of the box use multi piece cranks with 1 piece rods.
Never heard of sleeve bearings referred to as plane (or plain) bearings before. Curious where that term came from. A plane is flat and 2 dimensional. A sleeve bearing is curved and 3 dimensional.
Plain Jane bearings?
Never heard of sleeve bearings referred to as plane (or plain) bearings before. Curious where that term came from. A plane is flat and 2 dimensional. A sleeve bearing is curved and 3 dimensional.
Plain Jane bearings?