Current thoughts on Wiseco Cranks?

[MR_Effing_Rose]

Hi all

I've just ordered a Wiseco bottom end kit to rebuild my 2006 blaster (seals, bearings, crank, conrod, etc.)... unfortunately placed the order before I found all the threads saying "Wiseco cranks = death".

These seemed to be mostly old threads though, so I'm really hoping that things have changed in the interim. All of the reviews of the crank kit were 4 - 5 star on most online stores, which is the only reason I made the leap.

At this point I'm kind of locked in to the sale either way, but I was wondering: Has anybody had recent experience with these crank sets? Why are the reviews from so many people good if they're such bad kit?

I'd prefer first-hand experience if possible: I don't want to hear stories about a friend of a friend's great grandmother who's postman swears blind his dog was killed by a flying Wiseco crank

 

[Meyers]

I cant say if they are good or bad,but as far as reviews(not saying they are bad) alot of people only post reviews right when they get a product,not after decent use of say product

 

[blasDa]

Your best bet would be to send your oem crank to ken for a rebuild, then when you get the kit, put the crank on ebay & keep the rest of the kit. The rest of the kit is good.

 

[OConnor Racing]

I won't use Wiseco rods or crankshafts. I've seen several cranks with broken webs and others with snapped connecting rods. It seems like the biggest issue is the material they're using to cast the shaft. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk.

 

[MR_Effing_Rose]

I cant say if they are good or bad,but as far as reviews(not saying they are bad) alot of people only post reviews right when they get a product,not after decent use of say product

Good point - I'll do my research a bit better next time!

 

[MR_Effing_Rose]

Your best bet would be to send your oem crank to ken for a rebuild, then when you get the kit, put the crank on ebay & keep the rest of the kit. The rest of the kit is good.

Would love to do this... unfortunately shipping alone would be more than buying a new OEM crank locally (in South Africa - $200 shipping is usual).

I've seen Ken's youtube videos - Impressive stuff! I'll be using his Blaster engine assembly video as a reference!

 

[MR_Effing_Rose]

I won't use Wiseco rods or crankshafts. I've seen several cranks with broken webs and others with snapped connecting rods. It seems like the biggest issue is the material they're using to cast the shaft. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk.

Thanks - it's great to get an opinion from someone who actually does a lot of the work! Are these recent cases that you've seen (last year or 2)?

I'll probably get an OEM conrod and pin, and rebuild the existing crank. I'll have to do this myself, as local remanufacturing is slow, expensive, and the workmanship is up to s**t! It'll take a while to find the funds for this, so I've got a long time to reflect on my poor decisions

Out of interest, would there be any way to test a crank to see whether it's good or bad? Such as MPI or dye-penetrant, or hardness testing? I've got equipment at work I can use to check it, this is why I'm asking...

 

[OConnor Racing]

The last one I saw was a bad KX85 crank a few months ago. I've never thought about checking one for cracks.

 

[MR_Effing_Rose]

Hi All

Just wanted to give a quick update, for whoever is interested:

My Wiseco crank kit from OEMcycles arrive a few days ago, and I've had a look at all the tolerances, etc.
Everything looks to be in great shape (really great):

• Runout on bearing surfaces < 0.01mm (imperceptible)
  
• Runout on magneto side end < 0.01mm
• Runout on Clutch side end (with keyway) < 0.02mm (probably a slight burr raised by keyway)
  
• Conrod Side to side play on the small end <= 0.8mm
• Conrod Radial play on big end < 0.01mm (imperceptible)
  
• Conrod axial play on big end < 0.5mm

Only 2 concerns for me, and maybe one of you can advise:

• The conrod has a shiny black colour, almost like it's powder-coated... that can't be right?
• There's a small notch where the taper connects to the straight shaft (see arrow in the attached picture). It looks like it's scoured from machining, but it could also be an inclusion if the tapered piece is actually welded to the straight shaft. I'll polish it out before I assemble, but just wondering how these cranks are actually made...

I still need to remove my current crank, and see how it's doing. If it's not in good shape, I'll have to use the Wiseco crank.

I thought I'd just buy an OEM replacement, but it turns out that a new crank in South Africa costs more than a second-hand blaster! It'll literally be cheaper for me to run the Wiseco crank, blow up the quad and buy a "new" Blaster, than trying to replace the crank with OEM!