wristpin needle bearing question

GoldenMotor.com

60weight

Member
Sep 15, 2011
105
0
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Dallas
Thanks Map.
Reason Im wanting to know,over the last few months Ive bought a few motorbikes and like to discover the where/when/type engines they are,to know where ta git parts.(and for fun)
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
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San Antonio Texas
I already did an weight comparison and here it is.

OK weight measurements (Steel pin + Needle Bearing = 20 grams) --- (Steel pin + Bronze Bushing = 24 grams) --- (Steel pin + Aluminum Bushing = 16 grams) --- (Titanium pin + Needle Bearing = 12 grams) --- (Titanium pin + Bronze Bushing = 18 grams) --- (Titanium pin + Aluminum Bushing = 10 grams) --- (Titanium pin = 8 grams) --- (Steel pin = 14 grams) --- ( Needle Bearing = 4-6 grams depending on bearing) --- (Bronze Bushing = 10 grams) --- (Aluminum Bushing = 2 grams)

There are only 2 grams to be saved between titanium pin with bronze bushing and Steel pin and quality needle bearing in my weight test.

Not enough to make any noticeable difference in my opinion.

Map
Agreed... 2 grams really isn't worth swapping parts out for... even on a new build.
 

rogergendron1

New Member
Sep 18, 2013
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woburn ma
I did not read all the post here but let me give you my opinion ....

You can run a stihl chainsaw bearing and drill out the center of the wrist pin it cheap and it works flawlessly and lightens it up a bit

You can run a moped needle bearing and a super light titainium wrist pin... A lot of racers go this way and it works the shiat... I have never herd of a problem once from a titainium wrist pin

Or you can go with a stock drill wdist pin and a bronze bushing and run a mix of 32:1 and never ever worry about a damaged top end again or a bering failure... Bronze bushings are used in super high rpm drag motor just for this reason

I ran a titainium wrist pin and cause I had nothing else I made a brass ... Yup you heard me BRASS bushing and ran that on a 9,000 + rpm 13:1 comp drag bike for nearly 1,000 miles without a single problem but swapped it out with a stihl saw bearing latter on a rebuild ... When I chexked it with my micromite I fount it only had worn less than .0005 on the outside and it had worn only .001 on the inside were it rode on the wrist pin !!!! That is hardly any wer for that kind of abuse and that soft of a metal . I ran that drag bike at a mix of 30:1 to 32:1 at all times with lucas oil semi synthwtic race oil .

Now that I know juicemoto sells bronze bushings I do not think I wil ever eun a needle bearing on the top end ever again on any china girl build .
I just know feom lots of ezperiance that a well tunned high comp motor running a good 32:1 mix will run perfext for thousands of miles at wide open rpms and under race conditions on a bronze bushing and I will never ever have to worry about bearing failure .
 

rogergendron1

New Member
Sep 18, 2013
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woburn ma
I think my current build will be a driled stock wrist pin and a bronze bushing, though I am thinking that I may be able to run just a over sized titainium pin on a drilled and reamed crank and piston, no bushing or bearing at all .
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Juicemotoparts now recommends that only a bushing is used on the titanium wrist pin, I have one that just failed big time after only about 50 miles but I was running their experimental aluminum bushing, and I hav seen pics of other titanium wrist pin failures when someone ran a needle bearing on it, I know that at least one of them that failed was running a used needle bearing that haf been run on a steel pin previously which could have been an issue, but I think a bronze bushing on the titanium pin will probably be ok, nothing to gain by using a titanium pin and bronze bushing over a needle bearing and steel pin in the weight department because the titanium pin and bushing actually weighs 2 grams more than a steel pin and bearing.

I wont buy another titanium pin I dont think, and im not sure if I'll ever use the two bronze bushings I have or not but I may try one at some point.

Whatever anyone does I highly recommend staying away from the aluminum bushing.... not a good Idea, emailed juice with my results so maybe they will pull that part from their web site before anyone else trashes a piston, wristpin and possibly the jug.

Map
.wee.
 

mrbnlb

New Member
Feb 25, 2015
12
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1
Long Beach, CA
Ya I read some stuff on the older juice moto bushings and it was no good. The reason I wanted a bushing was to lighten up, for less vib. I ended up getting a new needle bearing, pin, piston and rings, clips and a nu cylinder. Basically a nu top end from piston bike for 88.00.the cylinder was worn out. I need to pick up a jetpack cdi. That's all I can afford right now.anyone know where I can pick one up??
 

mrbnlb

New Member
Feb 25, 2015
12
0
1
Long Beach, CA
Ya that's not worth the trouble, apparently it generates more heat and let's face it HT MOTORS not known for longevity! But I still love them anyway
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Ya I read some stuff on the older juice moto bushings and it was no good. The reason I wanted a bushing was to lighten up, for less vib. I ended up getting a new needle bearing, pin, piston and rings, clips and a nu cylinder. Basically a nu top end from piston bike for 88.00.the cylinder was worn out. I need to pick up a jetpack cdi. That's all I can afford right now.anyone know where I can pick one up??
youll be waisting your money on that jet pack CDI..... Dont fall for the hype my friend, that CDI wont do a thing for your engine.

Best bang for the buck is the stock unit.

If you want to get an aftermarket unit that wont lower performance the HD'S Lightening is the one to get, but dont expect a huge power or speed boost with it either, I can say it is made very well, it will do anything the stock unit will do, it does have a bigger coil and it has a useful key switch, all the other aftermarket CDI's are snake oil and will limit rpm potential in my experirence.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
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San Antonio Texas
I bought one of those CDI's last summer just to see if it was any good and to tell the truth, the stock CDI outperformed it. Not to mention the engine wouldn't fire until I reversed the wiring because they were soldered in the wrong place on the board.

Now the HD lightning is a good CDI if you have to have an aftermarket one... I don't have one myself, but from other's experiences I can say it's a good quality unit. I may buy one to experimant with on my next build since I'm plenty happy with the stock unit on my current build.