These aftermarket crankcase w/ cylinder/piston kits on ebay...

[nyctreeman]

Anyone ever see or use one?
Obviously a bunch of them are Chinese junk, but li'l red barn has some that look like better quality in the pics. - I can't be bothered sending them questions right now.

My main concern would be the integrity of the crankcase seals and it's ability to maintain reliable pulse for the carburetor.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/STIHL-066-M...960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b80cf8f8

 

[scottwv]

I've been wondering about these as well

 

[nyctreeman]

I've been wondering about these as well

I'm trying to find someone locally who has either used them or has them in stock.
I have to assume that the ones lil red barn have are Chinese too, but I'd be interested in knowing if some company in Europe makes them, like Meteor or maybe that German company whose name escapes me at the moment.

 

[Definitive Dave]

Personally I would get my bottom end and top end from different suppliers.
For the 660, there appear to be three manufacturers of crankcases all a bit different, I have tried two of them, but not the one Little Red Barn and a few other vendors sell.
They are a good company and I have ordered from them before, just not one of those crankcases.
The problem is that both of them I used were decent but had frankly crappy top ends on them including the brand I stock.
They are normally supplied with a standard bore chrome jug which are older castings and not very true to the fit and finish or even design of the OEM they are meant to replace.
AM manufacturers who supply Big Bore top ends generally do so to try to make up a little of the gap in power between OEM and the aftermarket standard bore with greater displacement.
So using the 660 as an example that I am very familiar with. I am fine with the Farmertec crankcase, crank, bearings, etc but the standard bore piston and cylinder are crap (say a 6.5 on a scale of ten for the ones that are not defective).
Their big bore nikasil piston and cylinder are better designed and built and make more power (a 7.75 out of 10) but at twice the cost of the standard bore. Then the Meteor standard bore top end is about a 9.25 and Stihl OEM a 9.75.
My theoretical nonsense scale leaves room for something better than OEM, but you get the idea. From a performance standpoint adding Caber rings to the Farmertec kits is a nice step up, obviously the Meteor and OEM are already good in that department. For durability adding OEM circlips and an OEM or better performing piston pin bearing are good ideas. Poor rings and circlips are a big problem with AM pistons.
Real world average dollars and cents comparison
So for about $45 you get crappy
$70 gets decent
add $13 for cabers and $4 for circlips to improve either markedly
$140 gets really nice
$210 gets OEM
Dave

 

[Honest John]

Personally I would get my bottom end and top end from different suppliers.
For the 660, there appear to be three manufacturers of crankcases all a bit different, I have tried two of them, but not the one Little Red Barn and a few other vendors sell.
They are a good company and I have ordered from them before, just not one of those crankcases.
The problem is that both of them I used were decent but had frankly crappy top ends on them including the brand I stock.
They are normally supplied with a standard bore chrome jug which are older castings and not very true to the fit and finish or even design of the OEM they are meant to replace.
AM manufacturers who supply Big Bore top ends generally do so to try to make up a little of the gap in power between OEM and the aftermarket standard bore with greater displacement.
So using the 660 as an example that I am very familiar with. I am fine with the Farmertec crankcase, crank, bearings, etc but the standard bore piston and cylinder are crap (say a 6.5 on a scale of ten for the ones that are not defective).
Their big bore nikasil piston and cylinder are better designed and built and make more power (a 7.75 out of 10) but at twice the cost of the standard bore. Then the Meteor standard bore top end is about a 9.25 and Stihl OEM a 9.75.
My theoretical nonsense scale leaves room for something better than OEM, but you get the idea. From a performance standpoint adding Caber rings to the Farmertec kits is a nice step up, obviously the Meteor and OEM are already good in that department. For durability adding OEM circlips and an OEM or better performing piston pin bearing are good ideas. Poor rings and circlips are a big problem with AM pistons.
Real world average dollars and cents comparison
So for about $45 you get crappy
$70 gets decent
add $13 for cabers and $4 for circlips to improve either markedly
$140 gets really nice
$210 gets OEM
Dave

That was a really good break down. I think I know why they call you definitive Dave

 

[nyctreeman]

Personally I would get my bottom end and top end from different suppliers.
For the 660, there appear to be three manufacturers of crankcases all a bit different, I have tried two of them, but not the one Little Red Barn and a few other vendors sell.
They are a good company and I have ordered from them before, just not one of those crankcases.
The problem is that both of them I used were decent but had frankly crappy top ends on them including the brand I stock.
They are normally supplied with a standard bore chrome jug which are older castings and not very true to the fit and finish or even design of the OEM they are meant to replace.
AM manufacturers who supply Big Bore top ends generally do so to try to make up a little of the gap in power between OEM and the aftermarket standard bore with greater displacement.
So using the 660 as an example that I am very familiar with. I am fine with the Farmertec crankcase, crank, bearings, etc but the standard bore piston and cylinder are crap (say a 6.5 on a scale of ten for the ones that are not defective).
Their big bore nikasil piston and cylinder are better designed and built and make more power (a 7.75 out of 10) but at twice the cost of the standard bore. Then the Meteor standard bore top end is about a 9.25 and Stihl OEM a 9.75.
My theoretical nonsense scale leaves room for something better than OEM, but you get the idea. From a performance standpoint adding Caber rings to the Farmertec kits is a nice step up, obviously the Meteor and OEM are already good in that department. For durability adding OEM circlips and an OEM or better performing piston pin bearing are good ideas. Poor rings and circlips are a big problem with AM pistons.
Real world average dollars and cents comparison
So for about $45 you get crappy
$70 gets decent
add $13 for cabers and $4 for circlips to improve either markedly
$140 gets really nice
$210 gets OEM
Dave

Thanks Dave ... I'm only interested in the crankcases, the price including the crappy cylinder and piston is still good, unfortunately, they don't sell just the crankcase already put together with crankshaft, and my thing is I don't want to assemble one because of the rigamaroll you have to go through to get the crank bearings in correctly, ie: heat the case, freeze the bearing, it's a pain in the ass.