Decent 500 crankshaft sought.

[Orcade-Ian]

Ted,
Is it worth contacting DK to see if they know which cases the crank came from?  The shells might be as good as that crank looks in the pics.  You might still have to do a bit of head scratching - unless they were good enough to number them for you!  You will already have the correct big end shells which also might be serviceable unless you intend doing 10,000 miles a year!  Nothing ventured.......

Ian

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Ted,
Is it worth contacting DK to see if they know which cases the crank came from?  The shells might be as good as that crank looks in the pics.  You might still have to do a bit of head scratching - unless they were good enough to number them for you!  You will already have the correct big end shells which also might be serviceable unless you intend doing 10,000 miles a year!  Nothing ventured.......

Ian

Good idea Ian,
Not sure how organised the bike part dismantlers are - I've messaged them it would be handy if they know.
If I have no joy with the donor codes I was thinking of using the old Green shells as a starting point with Plastigauge clearances  to guide me to the right colours.
Thanks Ted

[Oddjob]

Just wait until the new crank lands Ted, if the codes are easily readable you've got a starting point at least.

DS must do so many engine breakdowns I'd doubt they'd even remember what engine it came out of.

What are the crankcase markings BTW, the letters will at least give you some idea of the colour of the shell required. An A for example means either a Yellow or a Green, whilst a C means Black or Brown.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Just wait until the new crank lands Ted, if the codes are easily readable you've got a starting point at least.

DS must do so many engine breakdowns I'd doubt they'd even remember what engine it came out of.

What are the crankcase markings BTW, the letters will at least give you some idea of the colour of the shell required. An A for example means either a Yellow or a Green, whilst a C means Black or Brown.

BBAAA

[Oddjob]

Well in that case you're not going to need any blacks. B is Green or Brown and A is Yellow or Green. If the numbers on the crank are 1 then for the B it's Green and for the A it's yellow, if they are 2 then it's Brown for the B and Green for the A. Pretty simple. If you need any yellow crank shells let me know, they are unobtainable now but I still have a few left.

Still plenty of Greens around but Browns getting scarce, no Yellows or Blacks.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Well in that case you're not going to need any blacks. B is Green or Brown and A is Yellow or Green. If the numbers on the crank are 1 then for the B it's Green and for the A it's yellow, if they are 2 then it's Brown for the B and Green for the A. Pretty simple. If you need any yellow crank shells let me know, they are unobtainable now but I still have a few left.

Still plenty of Greens around but Browns getting scarce, no Yellows or Blacks.

So Ken,
In terms of shell thickness in ascending order it's Yellow, Green, Brown then Black.

Is it logical then to assume that if Yellow was not obtainable then fit Green & run it in gently?
Likewise if Green was not obtainable then fit Brown & run in Gently?

Has Black has become so hard to find as they have been used up due to crank wear as the bikes have aged?

[Oddjob]

You are correct Ted, that’s the exact way the shells go. You are also correct in thinking you can go up a colour and still be ok, if you can’t get yellow get green, blacks are basically the only colour shell that you can use anywhere so long as you run it in very carefully. At times when the markings weren’t visible blacks were used as you were sure to at least have no undersized shells. It’s also why they were the first colour to become hard to nearly impossible to find. Personally I’d be unwilling to say fit blacks in any crankcase opening marked with an A, as that’s the smallest one possible and you’re fitting the biggest size possible, ok in a B and advisable in a C marking.

I have quite possibly the most black shells in one place, at least enough for 5-6 complete engines, around 58 at the last count. Might even be more now, not counted them for a while.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Sounds like a hoarders stash - nice one Ken.
I have just one pair of 400 black mains in my hoard - insurance buy for my 400 that I have not needed.