driling and tapping hardend steel

So basically it can't be done?Unless you have the proper tools and heat treating is a must? Okay I'll pick up a voyager crank in the future when I'm ready to do a tear down and just replace the entire crank and be done with it.

You want to drill in the end of a crankshaft... a one piece cast iron crank... why would it be "hard"?

Should drill no problem. This is not a nitride hardened crank shaft. Plain old ductile iron. Unless I am missing something here?

Use a cobalt bit and a good quality HSS tap. It will actually drill and tap like butter.

No one hear has drilled out a hole for a pilot bushing before???

I'll give it the old college try.Why not if I f__K it up no biggie I will just install the Voyager crank.

Cranks have never been a problem before when we drill and debur the cross-drilled passages for better oil flow. I agree with Tyler about the drilling, but Rick made a VERY important point. You can't just drill freehand into the crank. Not accurate enough. Above 2000rpm it will start showing any misalignment and the vibration will increase with rpm. A lathe is a MUST! If you don't have one that can handle it, the cost for farming the work out will probably make you just go find a Voyager crank. I shop "Kawasaki Voyager 1300" on eBay all the time and have seen them for $100-$150 often in the last four months.

There's one from a seller I have been happy with several times, and this one comes with the large magneto at one end and all six rods, all for $50 plus about $60 for shipping. All under $120. Right now there are a total of 9 cranks, most from '84 Voyagers. prices range from $50 to $200. Most under $100. To set up in a lathe and do the drilling and tapping will cost around $100 in most commercial shops.

Yeah I saw the 84 Voyager crank that has the magneto etc.I plan on putting a big bore kit into this motor and upgrade the idler gear with this metal one I picked up.I believe from Lunati racing. He was asking like $100 bucks a pop for them.BTW has anyone installed one of these metal idler gears?