[Foreman_450]

I thought I would just post some pictures up right quick for anybody wondering the difficulty to replace the crank. I bought this Honda thinking it was going to be a quick high profit flip, but when I got it home and rode it a little bit I realized it had more than just a little wrist pin chatter... Didn’t wanna sell it knowing it to be on its way out so I pulled it apart. Rod bearing has just a little bit of slack, oh well.
Anyway, it’s actually pretty easy.

 

[shadetree]

i've done tons of crank shafts, once you do 1 or 2 ?, they all are pretty much the same, not much too them, the main thing you MUST be sure of when putting them back in the cases ?..is make sure that you get the timing marks correct between the crank idle gear, and the idle gear timing mark !!. if you don't get these right ?, well..get ready for a bad day !!..lol.

 

[shadetree]

and wash that bottom end out !..lol..what a mess !!..lol.

 

[Foreman_450]

Yep, that’s the only thing, making sure I get it all back in time. But I’ve got the manual!!! lol.
And yeah, I’m going to take a couple cans of brake cleaner to the whole thing.

 

[shadetree]

Yep, that’s the only thing, making sure I get it all back in time. But I’ve got the manual!!! lol.
And yeah, I’m going to take a couple cans of brake cleaner to the whole thing.

look at the cranks large gear, as well as the idle gear, both will have a punch/stamp mark on them at the teeth, line these up ?, and you will be ok .

 

[Jeepwm69]

Same crank as a 420 if you can't find one for a 500.

I think Hot Rods is making a crank for them now. For a while Honda had them backordered.

 

[Foreman_450]

Thanks Jeep, I did some research on it a couple days ago and found that out. And you can order them through Partszilla but it’s around $380! I seen the hot rods crank for $315, but I found some crap about them on another Honda forum so I wasn’t so sure. I did find a used crank off eBay from a 420 that is garrented to be good with no slack so I’m going that route.

 

[retro]

Most of the Hot Rods cranks are Taiwan and the rest are coming from the mainland. So used is probably your best option.

 

[shadetree]

Thanks Jeep, I did some research on it a couple days ago and found that out. And you can order them through Partszilla but it’s around $380! I seen the hot rods crank for $315, but I found some crap about them on another Honda forum so I wasn’t so sure. I did find a used crank off eBay from a 420 that is garrented to be good with no slack so I’m going that route.

just did the same thing, used crank from power sports nation, 75 bucks shipped !. only down side to the crank ?, is who ever removed it from the cases thought it was a good idea to smack the clutch end with something very hard....like a hammer !..lol. mushroomed it a tad, had to break out the Dremel and grinding stone to tapper it back down, problem solved .

 

[Foreman_450]

That’s where the crank I got is from, along with a front bumper for a Rubicon and rear differential for this Foreman. They have quite a few parts I Recon.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Most of the Hot Rods cranks are Taiwan and the rest are coming from the mainland. So used is probably your best option.

I had a 500 crank rebuilt years ago using a Hot Rods rod from a KTM that crankworks milled down to fit. Wasn't much cheaper than a new OEM crank by the time I paid for shipping and the crank rebuild cost.

Now they have Vesrah rods available for the 500. I have one in the shop to put on a bad crank but haven't needed it yet.

I have 3 bad 420 cranks that need rods too. Only have one 420 so hopefully a quality rod kid will come out by the time I need one.

 

[retro]

Now they have Vesrah rods available for the 500. I have one in the shop to put on a bad crank but haven't needed it yet.

I have 3 bad 420 cranks that need rods too. Only have one 420 so hopefully a quality rod kid will come out by the time I need one.

The Vesrah connecting rod kit for a 500 Foreman should fit on a 420 Rancher crank shouldn't they? They look like the same crankshafts to me. Same stroke, same rod length. You can bolt a 500 jug & piston onto the 420, so that provides the proof that rod length & deck height is identical.

 

[shadetree]

Now they have Vesrah rods available for the 500. I have one in the shop to put on a bad crank but haven't needed it yet.

I have 3 bad 420 cranks that need rods too. Only have one 420 so hopefully a quality rod kid will come out by the time I need one.

The Vesrah connecting rod kit for a 500 Foreman should fit on a 420 Rancher crank shouldn't they? They look like the same crankshafts to me. Same stroke, same rod length. You can bolt a 500 jug & piston onto the 420, so that provides the proof that rod length & deck height is identical.

but what about wrist pin at the top of the rod ?, and is the crank the same at the bottom of the connecting rod ?, not being neg here..just learning !..lol.

 

[retro]

but what about wrist pin at the top of the rod ?, and is the crank the same at the bottom of the connecting rod ?, not being neg here..just learning !..lol.

The wrist pin bores are the same because the pistons and jugs interchange. Same stroke and same rod length too. I'll wager that they are 100% interchangeable rod kits.

 

[shadetree]

but what about wrist pin at the top of the rod ?, and is the crank the same at the bottom of the connecting rod ?, not being neg here..just learning !..lol.

The wrist pin bores are the same because the pistons and jugs interchange. Same stroke and same rod length too. I'll wager that they are 100% interchangeable rod kits.

hmmm..ok..well..i always leave my stuff stock, that way I don't have to guess !..lol.

 

[shadetree]

last thing, lord help ya'll when it comes to get the oem crank apart ?!..honda did not make them to just press apart so easy ?...ask me how I know !..lol.

 

[retro]

You was trying to do it wrong tho... there is only one correct way to press a crank pin in & out of the crankshaft halves. If you were to push the used pin all of the way through (it is 3 inches long) you would enlarge/damage the crank half pin bore. It wasn't designed to have 3 inches of worn out pin shoved through it... Vesrah claims to be an OEM supplier so its possible that some Honda rods might be supplied by them. Maybe they have an agreement with Honda concerning no advertised sales of certain rod kits? Some day they'll release them and they'll be the same part number as the 500... just you watch!

 

[Jeepwm69]

Now they have Vesrah rods available for the 500. I have one in the shop to put on a bad crank but haven't needed it yet.

I have 3 bad 420 cranks that need rods too. Only have one 420 so hopefully a quality rod kid will come out by the time I need one.

The Vesrah connecting rod kit for a 500 Foreman should fit on a 420 Rancher crank shouldn't they? They look like the same crankshafts to me. Same stroke, same rod length. You can bolt a 500 jug & piston onto the 420, so that provides the proof that rod length & deck height is identical.

The Vesrah rod I picked up is for the 05-11 air cooled Foremans.

The 2012-up 500 cranks are the same as the 07-up 420 cranks.

 

[retro]

So maybe the crankpin diameters or lower rod width might be different? On specs alone the connecting rods seem to match between the 05-11 500 and the 07-up 420. I might be on another wild goose chase though...

 

[Jeepwm69]

So maybe the crankpin diameters or lower rod width might be different? On specs alone the connecting rods seem to match between the 05-11 500 and the 07-up 420. I might be on another wild goose chase though...

I'm not qualified to answer that, and since Honda doesn't sell rods there's no cross referencing part numbers.

I do know when I contacted Mr Crankshaft about rebuilding a 500 crank he said that 420 Rods were supposed to be coming soon, and I would think for someone in his business that if an air cooled 500 rod was the same as the liquid cooled 420 and 500 rods he would be advertising 420 crank rebuilds.


Where did you find specs on the 420 rod?