aftermarket Crankshaft

[Timbercruiser]

Im looking for advice on a quality aftermarket  crank for  a 372 Husqvarna.  The saw will see heavy use . Anybody making a oem quality aftermarket ??

[weimedog]

Not that I have used or seen. OEM for a production saw...I use Nachi Bearings as well.

[joe_indi]

There are saws made in China which carry fancy names that are copies of the 365. The 372 and 365 share the same cranshaft. We are fortunate to get the cranks for these knockoff saws at a fraction of the cost of the OEM part. And, they run quite well. I have even been able to rebuild the crankshafts of MS460s and 461s using these crankshafts. Some have survived nearly 2 years of the abusive use common here, and they are still going strong. So check if any 365 'clones' are available and try a crank off one of them.

[Timbercruiser]

Im just wondering  if anyone put some through  heavy use ??  There sure is alot of them around to pick from. They sure are cheaper than oem stuff

[O.R.Birr]

I bought a 372xt clone saw last year around mid November of 2019.  The brand in these saws is Farmertec.  It failed this month.  Seeing the failure was at the connecting rod where it connects to the crank, it looks as though the connecting rod is probly just mild steel, not forged nor hardened.  I worked my saw in hardwood, mainly oak, up to 24" for roughly 60-80 hours since it is my bucking saw.  I really put that saw to the test.  It had a sticking throttle cable and I had to use the chain break to stop the chain from spinning one day a dozen or more times.  I'm actually impressed it lasted as long as it did.  My saw needed to be taken apart and cleaned up good anyhow. Just know that with the cheap ones, don't run lean oil mixes.  I'm installing a Raiseman brand crank, bearings, and gasket kit.  Costs a bit more than Farmertec, but still very resonable.  Called a Husky dealer why their cranks cost over $300.  Asked if the connecting rods were forged or hardened.  He said he didn't know and promised to get back to this afternoon.  It's 7:34 PM.  All their website states is the crank for the 372XP is a 3 piece forged into 1.  That doesn't necassarily mean it has 3 forged and hardened peices.  No mention of the connecting rod either.

[celliott]

Personally I'd take a chance on a good used OEM crank before aftermarket, if new OEM wasn't a consideration.

[sawguy21]

I agree. As far as I am concerned cheap internal parts simply don't pay for themselves considering the time and work involved when not if they fail. I worked in the small engine industry for years and learned the hard way.

[O.R.Birr]

Does anyone know about OEM cranks?  I'd like to know if they are forged and hardened.  I've got a Husky 55 with an original crank from 1996.  That would explain why if it were the case.

[sawguy21]

Other than a poor fuel mix or dirt ingestion OEM cranks are pretty hard to hurt. You have had 24 years out of it, I don't know its history but that should tell you something about the quality. Of course some guys can break a steel ball with a rubber hammer.

[celliott]

This was a nearly new Jonsered 2171 I picked up cheap, was locked up. Still had stickers on the fuel tank, piston was completely fine. Had to be defective from new. OEM isn't infallible, someone missed out on warranty work here.
I just don't know how one can tell quality differences in the aftermarket stuff without just testing, and even then there is a lot of variability. It's generally agreed, I believe, that meteor makes a good quality aftermarket saw piston. Other parts, I don't know.
BTW- used OEM crank from a 371xp of unknown hours and new crank bearings just because. Still going strong.



 

[Real1shepherd]

Cranks are not as forgiving as aftermarket pistons and cylinders. OE cranks on pro saws at least, are pretty precise and hardened for the job at hand. It's not a ten minute job either replacing one.

Totally agree with the above posts;find a saw case that's had the top end only trashed or better yet.....find a OE case & crank where somebody has robbed everything up top and just trying to get rid of the bottom end.

Kevin

[ehp]

if your time is worth anything to yourself and you like your saw and going to keep it go OEM all the way, yes more money but alot less chance of it breaking down again and then it ruins your crankcase . Changing a crank is not hard but time you figure new crank bearing and seals plus gasket kit I want to do it once and be done with that 

[O.R.Birr]

The fact you're fixing it the first time tells you something.  All saws break.  I'd be happy to have it break only once a year.  I'm thinking about having a 5' crosscut saw on hand for the time, (you know, just for a back-up saw).

[Real1shepherd]

That's why if I have a job in the woods, I bring four saws in the truck. It's called backup. I rarely have to go into a second saw, but stuff happens.

One day just from a fluke of weirdness, I got into the third saw by the end of the day. I could have stopped and fixed any of them given enough time, but nobody was paying me for that.

Kevin