I have no idea who built the factory crank. I just don't think it's right to judge the BC crank because it is made in China. There are good and bad things produced in both China and the USA, that is all that I'm trying to say.

100mm crank+150mm rods+86mm Stroker piston(-6mm)+ 4G63 = 2.3L (2324cc) 1.5 Rod/Stroke ratio....pretty much an accepted build.

106mm crank+156mm rods+87.5mm Stroker piston(-9mm) + 4G64 = 2.6L (2550cc) 1.47 Rod/Stroke ratio.......not too far off from the accepted build.....

Both of these engine configurations have similar rod stroke ratios with the 4g64 variant giving you more displacement.

 

Then your whole "factory crank theory" is conjecture until you know who actually made it.

And there are a LOT of people who have had bad experiences with stuff from China. Even Brian Crower stuff. Go ask Paul Nelson about the tolerances on his BC stroker kit. Which they tried to fix 3 times. Which they couldn't.

Color me skeptical. I'll trust stuff from 1st world countries over others. But hey, that's just me.

And, as long as I can help it, MIL.SPEC stuff will be made in the

 

Alright guys here is the emails that went back and forth with me and Brian. Ive worked with many top vendors who know Brian very well. All say the same thing...

This email is a bit long but is very much the truth of how everything transpired.

email

Im not the only one here Torquefreaks installed your kit and had the same issue with the crank and kit they have a very larger machine bill with mark is getting me a copy of and ill then forward to you. I do have the first crank pics and spec as they would not work with the rods you had sent me.
>Paul,
>
>I need to see the parts, but I'm having a hard time figuring out why
>your cranks and rods were such an issue and the 35 kits that I sold
>from the same batch of cranks did not result in the same scenario. I
>even checked the cranks that were sent back and with chamfered
>mains...they were sent out w/o issue.
>
>Once Lucas gets the parts here we'll look them over and advise.
>Obviously I'm going to credit you in full for the kit and supply you a
>new set of rods, but to reimburse for the engine build isn't an option.
>
>I'm not happy about the deal either.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Brian
>-------
>Brian Crower, Inc.
>P: 619-825-8719
>F: 619-825-9675
>http://www.briancrower.com
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Paul Nelson [mailtoaul@nelsonelectric.tv]
>Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 8:50 PM
>To: info@briancrower.com
>Subject: Paul Nelson Portland Oregon
>
>Hey Brain
>
>I left you a msg on what im looking for. I am enclosing some pics of
>what happened and the rods that were machined wrong.
>I would like a call here Friday so i know what my options are.
>Now you kit is shown as fully machined and balanced and ready to install.
>Well ive sent back 2 cranks to you and the first one the rods would not
>fit on the crank all the way the second one we tried oem bearings std.
>size and still no luck and then the third one with acl bearings you
>worked with the machine shop to have the bearings cut. i paid for the
>overnight and you paid the first overnight shipping. But now with
>problems with the rods which then took out my bearings and the rest of
>my motor at only 1500miles im at a lost. I had one oof the best tuners
>from aem do the tune and i still have all the data logs so i know it wasn't the tune.
>here are my cost to date.
>1) $2800 your bc kit
>2) $250 acl coated bearings
>3) $250 oem gasket set
>4) $300 5 oil changes
>5) $190 for lifters that went bad from bearing materials
>6) $300 for machine shop work
>7) $1500 for i would call motor related install work Total cost for bad
>stroker kit labor and materials $5590 Cost to pull motor out and
>rebuild
>
>1) $480 motor removal
>2) $300 for new oil cooler
>3) $2800 for new pistons,crank,rods
>4) $200 for bearings
>5) $250 for oem gasket set
>6) $3000 in labor for machine shop and labor to install and build motor
>7) $400 for use of dyno and tuner
>
>total cost to rebuild
>$7430
>
>
>total cost out of pocket
>$14,860
>so let me know Brian what your willing to do to help with my cost of
>the rebuild.
>
>
>--
>Paul Nelson


email

>Paul,
>
>I need to see the parts, but I'm having a hard time figuring out why
>your cranks and rods were such an issue and the 35 kits that I sold
>from the same batch of cranks did not result in the same scenario. I
>even checked the cranks that were sent back and with chamfered
>mains...they were sent out w/o issue.
>
>Once Lucas gets the parts here we'll look them over and advise.
>Obviously I'm going to credit you in full for the kit and supply you a
>new set of rods, but to reimburse for the engine build isn't an option.
>
>I'm not happy about the deal either.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Brian
>-------
>Brian Crower, Inc.
>P: 619-825-8719
>F: 619-825-9675
>http://www.briancrower.com

This last email is false. I received several calls form other Evom guys about the same issues i was having. I should have stopped at the first issue but my personality is to work thru the problems and support the vendors.

 

I'm just being optimistic...I never had theories on where the crank was made. I am saying that no one knows the answers. To pick out one guy having problems and then throwing in the towel on a certain manufacturer is pretty rude. That's like me saying I had all sorts of problems with your throttle body and someone else coming on and saying yeah...they're garbage for whatever reason..It's just not fair is all I'm saying. You really shouldn't be putting someone elses product down just because you heard of someone having problems with it. You should speak from your own experiences about it...talk about conjecture and theories!!!!!!!!!

 

Shall i bring out the other emails and pm's plus receipts from others here that had the same issues. I even got a call from a BC machine shop in Indianapolis that had the same issues.

 

O i forgot to add Brian told me over and over again that i could revv this motor to 10k He would bring up the UK and how the evo guys over there would take there 2.4 all the way up to 10k

 

I am pointing out issues with China which for some issue you take exception with. You bring up your vaporware crankshaft red herring. Then I point out a factual case of a problem with China (which happens to be BC stuff). Now you say I am dragging BC through the mud? Christ, people are never satisfied sometimes.

I am pretty certain that if we did have a issue with one of our TB's we would fix the issue immediately. Crap happens, but I am not backing away from the statement of there being a problem with QC on materials/components from China. Hell, we're not even bringing up pet food or lead paint in children's toys. Or melamine in the food supply.

As a vendor/manufacturer, I will stay the hell away from China. We have a family friend who runs a major Corvette performance shop. He gets his headers made overseas now. They had so many problems with them, he had to fly over there and spoon feed them the directions/specs because they couldn't get the fitment right from the jig.

You can be "optimistic" about China all you want, but I have seen enough problems that I am sticking with 1st world countries. If you want your parts made in 3rd world countries, by all means, go ahead and order them.

 

This was a few years ago when they first came out with Rods. Brian Crower has corrected the problem with the Stroker Kit.

 

Well good for him. But i can tell you after that whole ordeal im not willing to fork out $3000 of my hard earned money when there are other proven vendors on these forums. We all know there stuff works period
-English Racing
-AMS
-GSC
-Buschur Racing
-etc...

Now lets factor in the cost of my rebuild $15k and all the wasted time....$2k that's one big bill.

I will say that all this mishap led me to English Racing Thanks Brian!!!

 

Ok, well that sounds good...let's all be safe and do what everyone else is doing. Is this the attitude that will separate you from the competition? You want to play, unfortunately sometimes you have to pay. It's unfortunate you had these problems with your build, but get past it as other people are on this forum looking to weigh the good with the bad. Mr Alex has had good results with the Kit and I'm looking at the possibilities of what this Kit can do for me.

 

People stay with what they know as they know it works and is safe, If BC cannot be botherd to drill a straight oil hole then I for one couldnt be botherd to buy one.

Mark

 

I would like to think with what i have been thru with others on these forums in the last 3 years has helped many learn and grow from my trail and errors. I dont think there is anyone else besides a few shops that has pushed this platform to the level i have. Ive played and payed many times

O that powerband looks like a quick one night stand were i get my quick 5 mins of pleasure and the girl is left with nothing...

 

I keep hearing this over and over from many in the industry. Bottom line Brian is out to make a quick buck. Ive got specs i can get that shows his cam specs are off from cam to cam to the type of materials he uses to make the cams and cranks. I even know that exact vendor he buys all his stuff.

Guys buy from the proven and trusted vendors in here. Ive spent lots and lots of money with trials and error. We have the best English,AMS,GSC,Bushcur and the list goes on. If there proven dyno sheets and track times aren't enough to give you that rush than i dont know what is

 

I'm really just interested in the fact that he makes a 106mm crank and 156mm rod for the 4G64 that I'm researching currently. It will be used for the street with a TS-GT35R set-up which should give me a nice powerband from 3500-8000.

 

Always issues with these built motors. I don't think I will ever build mine.