is this crank worthy of use in a rebuild?

[patrickshofner]

long story short - due to bottom end damage and rust on main bearings, i'm looking at replacing my crank. saw this one on eBay and to me it looks like it would be usable, but i know squat compared to you guys. what do you pros think about the condition of this crank? seller says that there was approx. 16k on the bike at the time of disassembly.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380705330659?ss ... 1423.l2649

[48lesco]

You really can't tell the condition of a crank from pictures. It will depend on how well the motor it was in was maintained. They can look good, but still make noise if the mains, small ends or big ends are worn. 16K is a lot of miles, but if it had regular oil changes, it might go for 16K more without any problems. If you can get it cheap, I'd take a chance but get it inspected before you put it in.
-48

[rrietman]

One thing you CAN tell from pics is blackened/blued small ends, this one doesn't look too bad. If you can get it for less than $100, that's probably a good candidate. ask the seller about con rod side play.
Good luck
Randy

[conbs]

Buying a crank off of ebay is a crap shoot. Sellers often don't know what they have - there are exceptions, but it is a minority. I agree with Randy that you can look for obvious problems. But, 48 is right that you won't really know what you bought til you get it and check it yourself. That's just the way it is.

Getting a crank rebuilt is an expensive proposition. Compared to that the ebay cranks start looking pretty good if you can pick one up cheap.

Besides, you get the thrill of the WIN on ebay!!!! Well, a little entertainment along the way doesn't hurt.