450r lockup

[duke416ex]

Well, my bros 450 locked up tight this weekend in the middle of the race. We are kinda trying to decide what to do bout it, we have another race in two weeks. It is an 04, he got it used and it had a transferreable waranty, but the guy never mailed it and the title like he said and now he won't answer the phone. I really have two questions about this.
First, is there anything we can do to get the warranty switched so that maybe it will cover the lockup.
Second, we did get it broke loose, but we haven't started it, when you kick it it just makes a lot of grinding. What parts are some of you guys having to get to fix these bikes, does it take a whole crank assembly or what. Are the crank bearings the ones going out or the rod bearings?

Thanks

[ml450r]

You need to get a new crankshaft assembly. If you race much you will need to put a crank in it once a year. The rod bearing locks up. It is just as cheap to buy a crankshaft as buying a rod kit and having it installed. If you do the work yourself make sure you clean everything out. You will have metal shavings all over in that motor. The oil pump on mine had pumped a bunch of metal through it and I had to polish the outer surface of it up.
Merrill

Originally posted by ml450r
You need to get a new crankshaft assembly. If you race much you will need to put a crank in it once a year. The rod bearing locks up. It is just as cheap to buy a crankshaft as buying a rod kit and having it installed. If you do the work yourself make sure you clean everything out. You will have metal shavings all over in that motor. The oil pump on mine had pumped a bunch of metal through it and I had to polish the outer surface of it up.
Merrill

so if someone races....we gotta put new bearings it in once a year or it locks up? :(

[ml450r]

You don't have to put a new crank in every year, you can let it lock up and DNF a race and then replace more parts with a Crank.
I am not talking about crank bearings. I am talking about the rod bearing. It also depends on how you race(ride). I race every weekend and practice once or twice during the week. I change oil twice a month and have an hour meter on my bike. I put about 15 hours a month on my bike. I ride my bike harder than most people. In my experience you will get about a season of racing out of a crank. I also replace the Timing chain as it will get "tight". My Brother's 2004 Trx 450r locked the crank up with less than a full season on it. I t had an 11.5-1 piston in it. But as I stated you don't have to do anything.;)

Originally posted by ml450r
You don't have to put a new crank in every year, you can let it lock up and DNF a race and then replace more parts with a Crank.
I am not talking about crank bearings. I am talking about the rod bearing. It also depends on how you race(ride). I race every weekend and practice once or twice during the week. I change oil twice a month and have an hour meter on my bike. I put about 15 hours a month on my bike. I ride my bike harder than most people. In my experience you will get about a season of racing out of a crank. I also replace the Timing chain as it will get "tight". My Brother's 2004 Trx 450r locked the crank up with less than a full season on it. I t had an 11.5-1 piston in it. But as I stated you don't have to do anything.;)

man that is bs...my 400ex was fine for a long long long time...now i gotta take the whole damn thing apart...what a bunch of crap :mad:

[duke416ex]

Well, found out that hopefuly the extended waranty is going to cover it. Just kinda wanted to know what all we should try to make them replace. If that is true on the cranks I say that running 450's will not last long for us. Changing the oil 2 times in a month is a little much. I don't race every weekend, but 15 hours a month doesn't sound like much to me. I have always been told if you change it to much you are doing more harm than good. The honda dealer near me told me that I wasn't allowing the oil to break down and function properly if I changed it to often. I have just alway stook that to heart kinda. My 400 is a 99 and still runing on stock crank, it may lock up tomorrow, I hope not, but i definately don't want to be spliting the cases every year. Seems like a stroker kit might be a good investment.

Originally posted by duke416ex
Seems like a stroker kit might be a good investment.

thats what i was thinkin

[ml450r]

I am sure your bikes will be fine. The 15 hours a month I put on my bike would probalbly be harder than 100 hours on yours. I only ride on an mx track. I had a 400ex in 2000 that I raced. The crank lasted a little over 2 seasons. I wouldn't go tearing down your 400ex. A stock compression, 400ex crank would probably last forever.
Merrill

[BSTURDIVANT]

Sounds like you need to change Honda dealers!! You always change your oil before it breaks down!! If oil breaks down, bearings gauld! We change ours every 4hrs.-never any crank problems! Cheap insurance!

[jdwxv3]

Originally posted by XxHonda_RacerxX
man that is bs...my 400ex was fine for a long long long time...now i gotta take the whole damn thing apart...what a bunch of crap :mad:

I have seen the ml250R guy ride. He is like the burrows and johnson of mx here in Mo. He is a crazy fast mo-fo

[kbass24emtp]

Hey ml450r, do you buy a stock crank or an aftermarket? Also will a Falicon crank last longer than the stocker?

[team_450_88]

Mine did the same thing about 1 week ago, Messed up my whole motor, But im gonna order a Hotrod Crankshaft and Rod this time instead of a stock one...I run a 13:1 JE Piston and a hotcam stage 2 cam....I hope the crank will last me longer than a season this next time..The sucky thing is I had about 3 races on that motor before it happened..so it had a brand new piston,cam and valves..I think keeping the oil changed and getting new crank/rod bearings, will make it last longer..thats the problem most ppl are having is the crank bearing going bad or thats the problem i had !!

Originally posted by jdwxv3
I have seen the ml250R guy ride. He is like the burrows and johnson of mx here in Mo. He is a crazy fast mo-fo

you see the finish in GNCC, guy from missouri got 6th overall, pretty nice :D

[ml450r]

Originally posted by kbass24emtp
Hey ml450r, do you buy a stock crank or an aftermarket? Also will a Falicon crank last longer than the stocker?

I always buy stock cranks. They are only $200. I was wondering if the Falicon would last any longer. I have never tried it.

jdwxv3,
Thaks for the compliment.
Merrill

[duke416ex]

Originally posted by BSTURDIVANT
Sounds like you need to change Honda dealers!! You always change your oil before it breaks down!! If oil breaks down, bearings gauld! We change ours every 4hrs.-never any crank problems! Cheap insurance!


I have had my 400 6 years. I think the way I change my oil is working pretty good. If I changed every 4 hours of riding I would be changing it every week. That's just pointless, I would be using nearly as much oil as gas. Oil is designed to go through processes,4 hours isn't time to start those processes. I change my oil regularly, my quad hasn't had a minute of peace since I got it and if the crank is lasting this long something must be working.

[jc250r31]

Honda Recommends changing the oil often in the 450R. I change mine every weekend. Its only a quart of oil anyway. Same with the transmission oil I change that every other weekend.

[duke416ex]

That struck me as odd, how the 450 only held that much oil, but the 400 holds almost 3 qts. Just seems like the motor would hold more than that, but I guess that cooler makes a big difference.

[jc250r31]

thats why they recommend changing it often because there is barely anything in there, although at least it is not mixed with the clutch so it doesnt get dirty as fast. it does however get hot along with the motor if run hard. i have a scotts stainless steel filter on mine so i only clean it after each change. but even when i ran the honda paper oil filters i only changed it every 2 oil changes .

[duke416ex]

Well, back to the question and away from the oil arguement. No one ever said what else we should try to push for the dealership to replace while it is apart. I just want to be prepared to get it back together right. Do the crf450s have this trouble, if not why not use a crf crank in the trx?

[BSTURDIVANT]

Crank, all bearings,seals, oil pump,and both center cases if the shavings chewed up the oil pump surfaces of the case. (usually does).

[BSTURDIVANT]

No matter which crank is used, the problem is with the right crank bearing- just chews up into little pieces! It's a roller bearing with a separate race that goes on the crank. Any wear causes it to self destruct!

so a stroker kit or an aftermarket crank with new bearings would fix this problem?

[duke416ex]

Originally posted by XxHonda_RacerxX
so a stroker kit or an aftermarket crank with new bearings would fix this problem?

:confused: any answers:confused:

[chad502ex]

be sure the flywheel is balanced. flywheel wobble is he44 on crank bearings at 9,000 rpm ;)

i've heard that HONDA has some flywheels from the factory installed that were not "true" and off balanced by as much as a few grams.

[team_450_88]

ahhh...the guy at hotrods that makes hotrod racing rods and crankshaft, got mixed up and they dont even make on for the trx450, o-well ill go with a stock one? Is there a place on the internet where u can order stock honda parts cheaper than at the dealer....

[MAD450r]

I find it best to get the part numbers then call them they are pretty much the cheapest on honda oem parts.

[ml450r]

Originally posted by MAD450r
I find it best to get the part numbers then call them they are pretty much the cheapest on honda oem parts.

What he said..