empi crankshaft

[Lasse DK]

hay what is your experience with empi crankshaft. have look at a 76mm

[FJCamper]

We used to use Scat cranks (78mm) until they became hard to get, and decided to try EMPI's. We don't drag race. We run 8 hours a day or more enduros with LeMons. We dry sump. We make sure our main bearings are match-ported to the case for full oil flow. We run Lucas Classic Hot Rod oil. 6500 RPM redlines. FRAM HP1 oil filters.

Over the past few years, no EMPI crankshaft problems.

[Chip Birks]

I know a pretty well used engine builder that seems pretty happy with EMPI cranks. They dont use empi everything, but I know that they have liked and used their cranks for a long time now. Lots of attention to detail, lots of measuring.

[slayer61]

We used to use Scat cranks (78mm) until they became hard to get, and decided to try EMPI's. We don't drag race. We run 8 hours a day or more enduros with LeMons. We dry sump. We make sure our main bearings are match-ported to the case for full oil flow. We run Lucas Classic Hot Rod oil. 6500 RPM redlines. FRAM HP1 oil filters.

Over the past few years, no EMPI crankshaft problems.

FJC,
I have found your posts very helpful in the suspension section and use them as a reference in making my choices. Thank you.

When you say "used to", How recently have you used an EMPI crank? I am not very happy with their products lately.

[Chip Birks]

We used to use Scat cranks (78mm) until they became hard to get, and decided to try EMPI's. We don't drag race. We run 8 hours a day or more enduros with LeMons. We dry sump. We make sure our main bearings are match-ported to the case for full oil flow. We run Lucas Classic Hot Rod oil. 6500 RPM redlines. FRAM HP1 oil filters.

Over the past few years, no EMPI crankshaft problems.

FJC,
I have found your posts very helpful in the suspension section and use them as a reference in making my choices. Thank you.

When you say "used to", How recently have you used an EMPI crank? I am not very happy with their products lately.

Which products?

[slayer61]

Chip,
I started into VW bugs in the '70s, as a high school kid. EMPI was a respectable name. When I re-entered the VW game this year, I was pretty sad to see MADE IN CHINA stamped on their disc brake conversion kits. As my buggy is still a work in process, I can't comment on their performance yet. I did, however pick up a shifter made by EMPI recently, (my wife liked the way it looked) and attempted to put it into my buggy with no love. It got to 3rd & 4th gear only. Out of frustration I put the 53 year old OEM German shifter back in and it works beautifully. The EMPI sway, (or anti-roll) bar isn't bent correctly to follow the shape of the bottom torsion tube. It should have been bent to a greater angle... for example.

Why do you ask?

[Chip Birks]

You are correct the quality of some of their stuff, its a pretty well documented issue. However, as I said in my previous post, the name empi doesn't mean bad everything, though I understand your hesitation based on your experience. There are a select few EMPI products in my build, and they have held up just fine. I have an EMPI gland nut, for instance. That thing gets torqued to 450ft/lbs, and has been multiple times over the last decade. Multiple big power launches, burnouts, all with slicks on a prepped race track, and my flywheel hasn't moved. That is a product i'd buy again, if I ever need to. I know a very reputable engine builder that likes the quality and longevity of EMPI crankshafts(the main subject of this whole thread). Thats good enough for me, if I were in the crankshaft market, I wouldn't stress about using an empi crank. If it were me, I'd spend the money on 4340 vs the cheaper 4140 options if there is such a thing with the EMPI parts. I'd also recommend measuring everything to make sure the nice Chinese person that did the machine work had calibrated their measuring equipment before final measurment and boxing. But you should do that on any precision part anyway.