Any new Connecting Rods besides $ 350.00

I realize that new Connecting Rods have been hard to come by for the Vintage Husqvarna's and I should be thank full that there is one currently available now that I need one. But still shrug my shoulders at $350 when I can buy a $ 90 one for a Maico. I know it has been discussed here before, has anybody found anything lately ?

i would be skeptical of a 90 dollar rod, for a very low demand model. doesnt really add up, when the mass produced jap bike replacement rod kits cost that much. does the maico one somehow directly match up with a kx or something?
for the huskies, phil has them here in the states and andy has them in the uk as well..i guess you have to look at how many hundred hours a rod is good for...

i agree, it would be nice if they were 200 bucks...

I've used Prox / Mitaka con rods in Japanese bikes with no issues. They are the $90 ones I take it?

Obviously they are Chinese and normally if someone contacts them with an item that is in demand they will make it, if they feel there is a long term profit in it.

Otherwise your only choice is higher quality lower productions runs that are being commissioned by HVA specialists.

I've used Pro X as well with no issues.
Think you are gonna just have to bite the bullet!
Unless you can find a good used crank, but most times they are pitted under the lower part and only going to last about 10hrs.

I assume you are talking about a rod pin and bearing kit. Then you still have to get installed and trued, and properly. In chainsaws there is really no rod repair just new crankshaft. It is hard to believe what some of the prices are on ebay, like $25 for a whole crank.

I have enough used cranks so I have no interest in knowing for sure what options exist. Engine case problems, starting gear problems would not put any metal chunks into the crank cavity. I have stated before seeing yamaha on a rod in a 250. The replacements are not forged as I recall but machined. Has anyone actually rockwell hardness tested the insides of the bearing surfaces vs the originals?

Might I ask why you need one? I wore our a 500 crank and that took a lot of use, it has the same big pin and a longer stroke and much heavier piston. I have bought a bunch of engines off ebay and parts bikes to disassemble and it appears corrosion and taper failure are the only reasons a crank on something other than a 500 is suspect. I suppose if one wants a proper restoration a new rod and pin could be on the list.

im certainly no expert on japanese parts, i do know some of the 90 dollar rods are spotty and some are fine...cant remember which are which, altho wiseco rings a bell in that regard. wiseco=good pistons/bad rods? something like that? regardless, the oem husqvarna rods are certainly better quality than what those rod kits are, as the real deal husky crank bearings cost more than a cheap rod kit.

Its all based on cost. I was going to have some made for us all. But stopped as three sources of rods became available. Forrest has some - rods made in Europe, Phillip
had some made, and Halls had some made from different source. Of all things the pin is a big cost, as Husky used a different pin size. ( don't used other suppliers for pins for other cranks warning they are not the right size for Husky, even if it states the same size - hot rods and Pro X listed in their catalog today are not husky pin sizes ) So combine cost of high quality metal, cost the making the pin, bearings cost etc it not a bad price at all.

Exchange rates from euro made rods also can be high also.

I still plan on making some rods for my projects that would be perfectly engineered. A small run to make it cost effective and I will have extras. Sometime in spring. Just for the heck of it - since I had all the details completed and would make more if needed if others stop making them or supply them.

Oh ! This desire to make all came about after taking a seminar on vintage rods from custom UK shop owner, how their made, what their made of, crank failures, and heat treating failures. We got to handle some well made rods that ended up, melted, broken, or curled up like pretzels. All so interesting to see.

primary kick 250 to 430 rods are a uniqe size. Nothing else on market same. Some close but then add in machining and bam at $350 anyhow.
It is what it is.

Just curious how come no discussion about the four stroke rods? The piston is larger in diameter than a 430 piston while the stroke is 76.5mm and they use a bronze bushing at the wristpin.

How much are the ones from Halls? I got a water pump impeller for $10 when other places has $35 on their websites.

Now that I am thinking about it the $ 90 Rod was actually a Yamaha Rod for a 465 that I used for a Maico. I believe Yamaha used the same Rod in Outboards and all kinda stuff so it was mass produced. Since then there is a Chinese replacement for the Maico which is a direct replacement and considerably less than this Rod. Well I did go with the used Crank and Rod route and I split the Crank and inspected the Journal and Bearing. Trued it up and it all ran fine until the Liner gave way. There will be no way to know if the loose Metal from the Liner took out the Bearing or if the Bearing going bad took out the Liner. One way or another I got 33 Vintage MX Laps out of it. I don't think we are going with the used Crank Rod feels good route this time around.

I'm always nervous using old rods too. Seems strange to pull an engine apart and not replace it.

Fitted a new HVA factory rod in my CR250 as the big end had destroyed everything when it went 'bang'

The 400 we just built we left the big end and rod alone as it was smooth n tight. Hopefully this will not come back to 'bite me in the arse' !!

Just think of it this way! It's only $175 x 2 weeks or $87.50 for 4 weeks.

Then it doesn't look so bad!

we will have to start calling you pay pal, lol

The biggest issue I have found other than finding trashed rods because of sucking dirt is, inactivity. The rods just setting unused or/in non running bikes is
the pitting from either rust of kind of a galvanic action between the rod pin or bearing.

Even if I think it might be good I have been splitting them apart just to see what that pin and lower crank journal looks like. Some are clean and look great
others really needed changing right away and would not last very long.

Its funny I was at Wheels of Time Museum one year ago and the TV show guy gave a tour for a special new member and I asked if I could tag along. He showed us newly
acquired 1918 bikes and 1920 bikes ( along with others) he just got in. Bikes were not torn down and just heated up the cases and of all things he just goes and within a few kicks these 90 and 100 year old bikes just start up!

So go to eBay - see that their is a sharp 390 for sale. Go take a look. Says its been just setting for 30 years and not really run. Do you start and run it or do you that it apart first
and inspect and then run it ??

The Main cases all look good. Philip just got the order for a Rod, Right Bearing and Gaskets. The Crank has a hair line crack, which sounds bad but its just at the thin spot between a balancing hole and the edge. There is no strength concern here. However I don't want it to break loose a peace and have it bounce around looking for the worst spot to end up.

I never take a bike apart until I start it, and unless the bike gives some indication it needs work, I dont take it apart. I bought a 1984 KTM125 that needed a "top end". I got the bike started and it had a massive rod knock so I took it apart. When I got the crank where I could inspect it, I found that it had NO bearing or cage on the big end, the only thing left was the pin, but it still ran. I've heard from people who find lots of bikes with damaged rods/pins/bearings from the bikes sitting, but I've never had one.

I am going to use a YZ250 connecting rod in a 82 250WR engine. It is 130mm center to center. To make up the 5mm short condition, I am going to use a 1979 YZ250 piston that is 4-6mm higher at the wristpin to top of piston dimension. I do not know of a piston to work with this rod in a 430. The only mod required to the rod is to make the big end thickness to match the removed rod.

The YZ 250 rod I got is a new Hot Rods that is made from forged and heat treated 8620.
If anyone offer an all machined item, you want it from forged billet

what about the port cutouts on the piston?

Someone has done this before but he did it with the stock Husqvarna rod. It was not a problem for him and he also changed the exhaust porting to give much stronger mid and topend range.

He cut ramps into the top of the Yamaha piston to keep the port timing intact with the 4mm higher piston and of course ended up with a higher compression ratio