What letters are these on the webs of 1 & 2 cod rod codes?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I'm trying to read the codes for the big end shells as there are no big end shell colour codes  visible.

All four webs seem to have the same letter but can't decide if it's an A or a B it looks more like a B.
The conrods for 1,2 & 3 are marked [2] with number 4 conrod marked [3] all have the letter [F] on them.

What are the views here please?
Any advise as to shell colour code welcome.

If its a letter B I'm thinking they would have been 3 x Brown, 1 x Black.

..codes on crank web by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

The lettering is not visible on my phone but is on my PC - the clearest mark is on number 2 journal RHS web.

[Oddjob]

Wash the crank with petrol or something that dissolves the oil film. As it dries you stand the best chance of seeing the codes then. Don’t forget it’s letter-number, so as the letters are on the crankcasing at the back it’s the number you need for the mains, that means you need the letter off the crank and the number off the rod to work out the bearing. The letters on the rods should all be the same as it’s the weight code so the crank is balanced.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

On the mains shells the colour codes are clearly visible on four of the bearings. I was worried that cleaning the crank with petrol might remove the black letter marks. I guess I've nothing to loose really. I did wonder if using all black shells might be a way forwards. DS has them in stock  for the big ends.

[Bryanj]

If you fit all black you will need to run it in a while, instead of being ready to go straight away

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

If you fit all black you will need to run it in a while, instead of being ready to go straight away

It would be my last option tbh I would sooner buy a new pair of green & brown shells & plastiguage them.
These are the shells I have removed I think they need replacing just due to the white metal wear & odd pitting type marks what's your view Bryan.

.No 1 Big End shells by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

.No 2 Big End shell by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

.No 3 Big End shells by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

.No 4 Big End shells by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Bryanj]

Yes Ted, i am beging to suspect the man i got it from told me porkies, they look like oil not changed often enough to me mate, sorry

[Trigger]

Those shells are fecked and with that much damage the crank could be worn 

[Orcade-Ian]

Ted,
Before you spend any money on shells, I would get that crank measured, especially the right hand side (in your pic) main bearing journal - that centre ridge is very noticeable, even with my eyesight!  The big end journals don't look quite so bad but they have full width shells which can hide the truth.
A normal mic anvil might go on the worn section but even a carefully used digital vernier should pick that wear up.

Ian

Graham, does anybody metal spray and re-grind bike cranks these days?

[Sesman]

Agree with Trigger and Ian. I’d be very cautious over that crank. A good clean up, inspection and measure is required.

[Sesman]

I’d also be checking for debris in the crank oil ways…though I’m sure you will be onto that too.

[Rozabikes Tim]

T
Graham, does anybody metal spray and re-grind bike cranks these days?

I used SEP in Kegworth years ago....

[Sesman]

Ted, goes without saying, but the oil pump and galleries would benefit from close inspection too?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

There is certainly some ridging on a few of the main bearings that I can feel with my fingernail the best out of all 5 bearings is journal number 5.
Big ends are okay but not put a micro-meter on anything yet.
There was muck in the sump pick up screen filter & in the main oil gallery if that what it's called where the end caps sit.

Here are the mains shell pics.


https://flic.kr/p/2obPakN

https://flic.kr/p/2obLGKa

https://flic.kr/p/2obNXoy

https://flic.kr/p/2obNXoi

https://flic.kr/p/2obPajL

[Trigger]

Ted,
Before you spend any money on shells, I would get that crank measured, especially the right hand side (in your pic) main bearing journal - that centre ridge is very noticeable, even with my eyesight!  The big end journals don't look quite so bad but they have full width shells which can hide the truth.
A normal mic anvil might go on the worn section but even a carefully used digital vernier should pick that wear up.

Ian

Graham, does anybody metal spray and re-grind bike cranks these days?

It is not cost affective, as the price is per journal.
We used to metal spray and regrind CX500 cranks back to take green shells but, that is only one con rod journal . It was a common problem that was caused by the owner that CX cranks got fecked and it depended on the owner if he kept riding it to the extent of ovaled  the con rods and if they still kept riding, then the rod would snap and go through the gear box. Stopping the bike dead in slow traffic or throwing them down the tarmac at speed