Patent Publication Number: US-2012037110-A1

Title: Spin balanced crank assembly

Description:
PRIORITY 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/406,894, filed Oct. 26, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a spin balanced crank and clutch assembly and methods of producing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spin balanced clutch, rotor and crank assembly that is particularly applicable for use in the two-stroke and four-stroke engines used in snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and methods of spin balancing said assembly. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Reciprocating piston engines have a crankshaft that rotates at high speed and pistons and connecting rods that oscillate up and down with every revolution of the crank, all of which generates forces inside the engine. These parts are referred to as the engine&#39;s rotating assembly. Ideally, the sum of these centrifugal and translational forces equals zero. If they do not, the rotating assembly will generate friction and vibration, which wastes energy and will shorten the operating life of certain engine parts, e.g. bearings. 
     When the sum of the centrifugal and translational forces of the rotating assembly of an engine do not equal zero, the engine may be referred to as unbalanced. Unbalance may occur when the center-of-gravity of a rotating object is not aligned with its center-of-rotation. This unbalance misaligns the center of gravity and bearing journals of the engine rotating assembly, causing vibration and wear. In general, unbalance can occur at any lateral (axial) position along the rotating assembly and with any magnitude. This unbalance is a combination of static unbalance and couple unbalance and is called dynamic unbalance. The couple unbalance component only appears when the object is rotated; so measuring dynamic unbalance requires rotating the object. Dynamic unbalance must be corrected at two locations in the axial direction (e.g., two-plane correction for two-plane unbalance). Dynamic balancing machines measure the amount and angle of this unbalance. 
     Balance is of great concern with each rotating part on an engine. The magnitude of the force generated by unbalance in any given rotating part depends on two things: the revolutions per minute (rpm) of the unbalanced rotating engine part and the amount of unbalance. The larger and heavier the object and the faster it rotates, the greater the forces generated by any unbalance that exist. For a rotating crankshaft, the force at the main bearings is proportional to the speed of the engine squared. Also, the further the weight creating the unbalance is located from the center of gravity, the greater its effect on the rotating part as it spins. 
     Typically, with crankshafts, large heavy counterweights are used to offset the forces generated by the reciprocating weight of the pistons and rods. The crank must not only maintain its own balance as it rotates inside the block, it must also offset the forces generated by the mass of the pistons and rods as they pump up and down. 
     One problem with balancing two-stroke and four-stroke engines, such as those used in snowmobiles and ATVs, is that they typically comprise multiple separate pieces pressed together, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to put it on a hard bearing balancer without substantial support to hold the rods and pistons in place. Additionally, because they are in multiple pieces, the crank assemblies generally must have interior bearings along with the rods placed on the crank journals before they are pressed together. Thus, when using traditional methods to balance two-stroke and four-stroke engines, such as those used in snowmobiles and ATVs, the crank assembly has to be disassembled or pressed apart and the rods have to be removed in order to balance the engine. 
     Typically, when using traditional methods of balancing a crankshaft, the actual rods and pistons are not used in the balancing machine so they must be simulated. The simulated weight is called the bob-weight. Once the bob-weight is calculated from the weights of the reciprocating parts (e.g., the piston, ring set, wrist pin and small end of the rod), bob-weights are bolted onto the rod journals to simulate the weight of the reciprocating parts. 
     Once bob-weights are attached to the crank, the crank assembly is ready for spin balancing. The crank assembly is placed on a hard bearing balance machine and spun at the desired revolutions per minute. When the hard bearing balance is calibrated for a two-plane unbalance reading, which will give the angle and an amount of unbalance, the balance operator will be able to determine the amount of weight that should be added or subtracted and where that weight difference should occur in order to correct any unbalance present and achieve a completely balanced crank assembly on both ends of the motor. One downside of traditional methods of balancing two-stroke or four-stroke engines such as those used in snowmobiles and ATVs, however, is that it is both time and labor intensive and can take up to 25 hours or more to complete, which makes balancing these engines very costly to the consumer. 
     The alternative for the consumer, however, is to use the snowmobile or ATV without correcting the unbalance in its engine. There are several disadvantages of not correcting an unbalanced engine such as a snowmobile or ATV engine. These disadvantages include engine movement even when high density rubber motor mounts are used. The engine of a snowmobile can move between 0.05 and 0.125 inches when idling. Also, engine vibration may be transmitted to the handlebars and other parts of the snowmobile or ATV causing the rider to become fatigued. Although handlebar vibration dampeners may be mounted to the snowmobile or ATV to reduce the effects of an unbalanced engine, the vibrations still unnecessarily increase the wear on the snowmobile&#39;s or ATV&#39;s mechanical parts. For example, vibration can cause crank bearing failure, which may cause excessive crank run out, which in turn may result in the pistons seizing. 
     Another disadvantage of not correcting unbalance in two-stroke and four-stroke engines such as those used in a snowmobile or ATV is that vibration caused by the unbalanced engine may result in excessive heat build-up that may transfer to other parts or materials in contact with the engine. For example, excessive heat may cause the clutch belt to weaken and break, leading to failure of the clutch bushing, thus destroying the clutch. 
     Moreover, vibration caused by an unbalanced engine may fatigue the entire crank assembly, which can cause cylinders to crack, pistons to break off at the rod connection, and even cause clutches to break off at the power take off (PTO) end of the engine. 
     Several attempts have been made to address the problems with vibration in engines such as those used in snowmobiles and/or ATVs. Aftermarket manufacturers have designed heavy-duty load bearings for the PTO side of the crankshaft. However, this still requires disassembling the engine, removing the original bearing, and replacing it with the aftermarket bearing. This process may still be time consuming and expensive for the consumer; and, although this may increase the life of the crank assembly, it does not decrease the unbalance of the engine and vibrations associated therewith. 
     Aftermarket manufacturers have also designed a bearing that can be mounted to both the chassis and the crankshaft (e.g., the bearing is mounted on the outside of the motor). This bearing is mounted to the motor externally in addition to the crank assembly&#39;s original bearings. Again, this additional bearing may increase the life of the crank assembly, but it does not correct unbalance in an engine. 
     Additionally, some snowmobile manufacturers have designed certain snowmobiles to have engines mounted unconventionally at less than perpendicular (e.g., closer to parallel) to the long axis of the snowmobile, and provided snowmobiles with more robust rubber engine mounts to try and eliminate vibrations. However, these methods of reducing vibration in a snowmobile or ATV due to an unbalanced engine have had minimal success. 
     Thus, there is a need for an improved system and method for balancing the two-stroke or four-stroke engines used in snowmobiles and ATVs. Such a balancing system should be cost effective and easy to install. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for correcting the unbalance in ATV and snowmobile engines. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, at least one mass is added to the crankshaft assembly without opening the engine to thereby correct unbalance in the engine. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a first mass is added to the PTO side of an engine and a second mass is attached to the magneto side of an engine without opening the engine case assembly to thereby achieve a two-plane balance of the crank assembly. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a two-plane spin balanced crank assembly may be provided without adding weight to or subtracting weight from the crankshaft. 
     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a two-plane spin balanced crank assembly may be achieved by attaching an unbalanced first mass to the PTO side of the crank assembly and by attaching an unbalanced second mass to the magneto side of the crank assembly. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, the mass attached to the PTO side of the crank assembly may be the primary clutch. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, the amount and angle of unbalance of the primary clutch may be determined using a spin balancer, or other device for determining the angle of unbalance. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the mass attached to the magneto side of the crank assembly may be a disk, rotor, flywheel, etc. 
     In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a balancing kit may be provided that may include the primary clutch (e.g., from a consumer&#39;s snowmobile or ATV), a disk, rotor, etc., a travel dial indicator (e.g., a travel dial indicator of about one inch), and an instructional video or instruction documentation. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a balance machine or vibration analysis machine may be attached to a motor and used to spin the crank/clutch/rotor assembly while the crank assembly remains in the motor case to balance the engine rotating assembly with the clutch and rotor. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, a consumer that orders the balancing kit may send their primary clutch to a balance operator, who places the clutch on a soft or hard bearing balance machine. The balance operator obtains an unbalance angle or balance. Then, material is either added to the primary clutch, or removed from the primary clutch, or both in order to compensate for the unbalance in the crank. The balance operator may then place a mark on the clutch to indicate how the clutch should be aligned relative to the crank assembly when it is re-installed. A corresponding alignment mark may be placed on the crank. The amount of unbalance may differ in an amount that is determined by the make and size of a motor and its associated crank assembly. In other words, if the size and make of the motor are known, then the unbalance that should be added or subtracted to the primary clutch can be determined. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a predetermined amount of unbalance may be calculated and added to or removed from a mass, such as a disk, rotor, etc., which in turn may be attached to a crank assembly. Again, the crank assembly may have an alignment mark placed thereon. The amount of unbalance may change according to the crank assembly associated with a given size and make of motor. If the size and make of the motor are known, then the unbalance that should be added or subtracted to the additional mass or rotor can be determined. The balance operator then places a mark on the additional mass or rotor to facilitate installation of the mass on the crank assembly. 
     In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, high density pins may be used to add weight, or a milling machine may be used to remove weight in order to achieve a desired amount of unbalance. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in a spin balanced crank assembly and a method of producing the same as shown and described in the following figures and related description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of a crank assembly in accordance with the prior art; 
         FIG. 2A  shows a side view of a clutch as an example of a mass that may attach to one side of the crank assembly and be used to achieve a balanced crank assembly according to principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  shows a top view of a disk or rotor as an example of a mass that may attach to one side of the crank assembly and be used to achieve a balanced crank assembly according to principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of a crank assembly with two external, unbalanced masses installed to achieve an overall balanced crank assembly according to principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows a partially exploded top view of a crank assembly showing the demarcations on the two external, unbalanced masses that aid in installation of the additional masses; 
         FIG. 5A  shows a top view of a clutch after the amount and angle of unbalance has been determined and material has been removed/added in order to achieve a overall balance crank assembly when the clutch is installed; 
         FIG. 5B  shows a back view of the clutch in  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6  shows a front view of a disk or rotor ready to be installed on a crank assembly to balance one side of the crank assembly; and 
         FIG. 7  shows a crank assembly that has been removed from an engine in its fully assembled state and placed on a balance machine. 
       It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The various elements of the invention accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that not every element of the invention can be clearly displayed in a single drawing, and as such not every drawing shows each element of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims. 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a side view of a two-stroke or four-stroke crank assembly, generally indicated at  10 , of a two cylinder motor according to principles of the prior art. The rotating assembly (including the crankshaft (often referred to simply as the crank), connecting rods and pistons) of a snowmobile motor is shown. The present invention is particularly suited to the engines of snowmobiles, ATVs and the like as these engines have multi-piece cranks which are pressed together with the connecting rods and pistons permanently installed on the crank. As compared to automobile engines, these rotating assemblies are more difficult to balance in a conventional manner as the rotating assembly is pressed together and the pistons and rods are not easily removed from the crank. The rotating assembly (crank assembly)  10  includes the crankshaft  12 , pistons  14   a  and  14   b  and connecting rods  16   a  and  16   b.  Crank assembly  10  must be balanced along two-planes. The first plane may be located through the center of piston  14   a.  According to the present invention, this balance plane may be addressed through the PTO (power take off) or clutch side  34  of the crank  12 . The second plane may be located through the center of piston  14   b.  According to the present invention, this balance plane may be addressed through the magneto or flywheel side  30  of crank  12 . 
     In order to balance the crank assembly  10  using traditional engine balancing methods, counterweights  18  are added to the crank  12  opposite the connecting rod bearing journal to offset the weight of the pistons  14   a,    14   b  and rods  16   a,    16   b.  The pistons and rods are removed and bob weights are added to the crank to simulate the weight of the pistons and rods. The crank is then spin balanced on a balancing machine to determine if the counterweights are the correct size. If the counterweights are too heavy, material must be removed by drilling or milling the counterweights. If the counterweights are too light, weight must be added to the counterweights. This is usually done by drilling a hole in the counterweight and filling the hole with “heavy metal” or “mallory”. This filler metal is denser and heavier than steel so the weight of the counterweight will increase as a result. This is difficult to do with snowmobile engines or the like as the crank  12  is pressed together at the connecting rod bearing journals from multiple pieces, holding the connecting rods captive on the crank. Disassembly and reassembly of the crank  12  can weaken the pressed joint and may not result in perfect realignment of the assembled crank. 
     According to the present invention, the crank assembly  10  may be balanced exclusively through the use of external weights and without modification of the crank assembly itself.  FIGS. 2A and 2B  show two examples of masses, a clutch  40  and a rotor  50 , respectively, that may attach to opposite sides of a crank assembly (see e.g.  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  10 ) in order to achieve a balanced crank assembly. Mass  40  may be the original primary clutch which attaches to the PTO side of a crank assembly and mass  50  may be an additional rotor that attaches to the opposite magneto side of a crank assembly. According to the present invention, these two masses are “balanced” to a predetermined degree of unbalance prior to installation on the crank assembly and, once installed, become part of the crank assembly creating a balanced motor or engine. 
     It should be appreciated that installing masses  40  and  50 , which have been single-plane balanced or unbalanced, to the crank assembly in order to achieve a two-plane balanced motor or engine does not require removing or adding material to the original crank assembly. Thus a two-plane balanced engine or motor may achieved without opening the engine case assembly and, more importantly, without disassembly of the crank  12 . 
     Now turning to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , which show a side and top view, respectively, of a crank assembly, generally indicated at  100 , with two external, single-plane unbalanced masses installed to achieve a balanced crank assembly according to principles of the present invention. Reference numerals correspond to those used previously (with  100  added thereto) to indicate that the rotating assembly  100  has now been balanced through the use of weights external to the engine. Attached at the PTO side  134  of crank  120  may be the primary clutch  140 . The primary clutch  140  is adjusted to a predetermined degree of unbalance in order to offset the unbalance of the crank assembly  100 . Likewise, a mass or rotor  150  may be adjusted to a predetermined degree of unbalance and attached to the magneto side  130  of crank assembly  100 . 
     Because the unbalance in a crank assembly associated with a given size and make of an engine may be determined and is typically similar for different engines of that size and make, the amount of unbalance that must be added to the two masses  140 ,  150  can be predetermined. Thus, a balance operator may separately single-plane balance each of the two masses  140 ,  150  and add or subtract a predetermined amount of weight at the appropriate angle to achieve the predetermined amount of unbalance. Once the balance operator has added the predetermined amount of weight to the two masses  140 ,  150 , then the two masses can be installed as part of the overall crank assembly  100  to achieve a two-plane balanced engine. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a balancing kit may be provided to a consumer that comprises an unbalanced clutch (generally provided by consumer), an unbalanced disk or rotor, etc., a travel dial indicator (e.g., a travel dial indicator of about one inch), and an instructional video or documentation. A consumer that desires to have a balanced engine may order the balancing kit, in whole or in part, as an alternative to the traditional methods of balancing a crank assembly and attach the unbalanced clutch and rotor to the engine crank as discussed above. The consumer may send their primary clutch to a balance operator, who places the clutch on a soft or hard bearing balance machine. The balance operator obtains an unbalance angle for the clutch. Then, material is either added to the primary clutch, or removed from the primary clutch in order to achieve a desired angle and amount of unbalance. The amount of unbalance may change according to the crank assembly associated with a given size and make of motor. If the size and make of the motor are known, then the final amount of unbalance for the clutch can be determined. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the balance operator then places an indicator mark or marks  142 , on the primary clutch  140  to aid the consumer in installing the primary clutch on the crank assembly. 
     Not every primary clutch  140  may have the same angle of unbalance, however the angle of unbalance in each crank assembly associated with a given engine of the same make and size may be about the same. Thus, once the angle of unbalance of the clutch  140  is determined by the balance operator, the correct position in which the clutch  140  should be mounted to the crank assembly  100  may be determined because it will be mounted to the crank in the same location for each motor of the same make and size. An instructional video/documentation can be included with the kit which instructs the consumer how and/or where to place a corresponding mark on the crank in order to facilitate installation of the clutch  140  thereto, as is described in more detail below. 
     Additionally, an external balancing mass  150 , such as a disk, rotor, etc., may be included as part of the balancing kit. A predetermined amount of unbalance may be calculated to be added or subtracted to the mass  150  using high density pins to add weight or a milling machine to remove weight opposite the angle of unbalance. Similar to what was described above with respect to the amount of unbalance added or subtracted to the clutch  140 , the amount of unbalance added or subtracted to the additional mass or rotor  150  may change according to the crank assembly associated with a given size and make of motor. If the size and make of the motor are known, then the final degree of unbalance of the mass  150  can be determined. The balance operator may then place a mark on the mass  150  to facilitate installation of the mass  150  on the crank assembly  100 . 
     The balance kit assembly may also include a dial indicator such as a one inch dial indicator (alternatively, the consumer may purchase this separately) and an instructional video. The instructional video/documentation may instruct the consumer how to properly install the two masses  140 ,  150  on the crank assembly to achieve a two-plane balanced engine or motor. 
     For purposes of installing the two masses on a crank assembly  100  of a snowmobile or ATV engine, the instructional video/documentation may demonstrate the following: removing the spark wire from the clutch side of the motor; using a spark plug wrench to remove the spark plug; taking the dial indicator and placing the side with the rounded stem or shaft side in the opening left by removing the spark plug and letting it rest on the top of the piston  114   a;  resting the dial indicator on top the cylinder hole; rotating the crank to obtain the top of the stroke of piston  114   a  (the dial indicator will continue to move in an upward motion until you obtain the top of the stroke of the piston, once the piston starts down again the dial indicator will show this downward motion); and placing a mark on the top of the crank  144  and the face of the crank. To install the primary clutch  140 , the mark  142  placed on the primary clutch by the balance operator should line up with the mark  144  placed on the top face of the crank when attached to the crank assembly  100 . 
     Likewise, the mark  152  placed on the unbalanced mass  150  will be aligned with the mark  142  placed on clutch  140  (e.g., marks will generally line up towards the top of the stroke of the piston on the clutch side). On the magneto side of the crank assembly  100  (on the side where the rotor  150  is attached) the mark  152  is generally aligned to the bottom of the adjacent piston&#39;s ( 114   b ) stroke. Once the two masses  140 ,  150  are installed onto the crank assembly  100 , the dial indicator can be removed and the spark plug and spark plug wire replaced. 
     The instructional video may provide instructional steps on how to achieve a two-plane balanced crank assembly, such as for use in two-stroke or four-stroke engines that are used in snowmobiles and ATVs. In addition to the instructional video, pictures may be provided that can be used for visual reference. 
     Now turning to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , there is shown a primary clutch  140  after it has been adjusted to a specific degree of unbalance according to principles of the present invention. In order to balance the PTO side of crank assembly a weight  146  must be removed (or added) to clutch  140  at a specific angle and amount of unbalance. In order to prepare the clutch  140 , a balance operator places the clutch  140  in a soft or hard balancing machine and adds or subtracts weight until the desired angle and mount of unbalance has been achieved. The balance operator may then place a mark  142  on the clutch  140  to facilitate re-installation of the clutch. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , an additional unbalanced mass  150 , such as a rotor, may be provided to balance the magneto side of a crank assembly  100 . Although an unbalanced clutch as discussed above addresses a significant amount of the rotating assembly unbalance, using an unbalanced rotor  150  in addition to the unbalanced clutch  140  improves the resulting balance of the engine. A balance operator removes or adds weight to the rotor  150  at a desired location to achieve a predetermined angle and degree of unbalance according to the engine to which the rotor will be mounted. As explained in further detail above, a weight  154  may be added or subtracted from the disk or rotor  150  depending on the make and size of the engine to which the rotor  150  will ultimately be attached. Also, the balance operator may make a mark  152  on the rotor  150  to facilitate its installation. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a two-stroke or four-stroke engine typically of the type used in snowmobiles and ATVs may be balanced without disassembling the crank assembly. Typically, the crank assemblies of two-stroke and four-stroke engines such as those used in snowmobiles and other ATVs comprise multiple separate pieces pressed together at the connecting rod journals to hold the connecting rods captive on the crank, making traditional balancing impractical. 
     The present invention includes several methods for balancing two-stroke and four-stroke engines without the need to disassemble and reassemble the crank. A snowmobile engine or similar engine of unknown unbalance may be balanced without the need to disassemble and reassemble the crank assembly. The rotating assembly (crank, pistons and rods) remains in the engine block. In order to balance the rotating assembly, a portable balance machine may be mounted to both sides of the engine block using the sensing pickups of the portable balancing machine. The clutch  140  and crankshaft are marked so as to index them to each other. The rotating assembly is then rotated to determine the amount of unbalance and the correction needed. As discussed above, material is added to or removed from the clutch  140  to thereby offset the unbalance of the rotating assembly. Additionally, a rotor  150  can be attached to the side of the crank  112  opposite the clutch  140  and material may be added to of removed the rotor  150  to thereby compensate for the unbalance of the engine crank without modifying the crank itself. In this manner, the engine can be balanced without even opening the engine crankcase. 
       FIG. 7  shows a balancing method wherein the crank assembly  100  has been removed from an engine in its fully assembled state and placed on a balance machine, generally indicated at  200 . The angle and amount of unbalance can then be determined using a soft or hard bearing balance. According to principles of the present invention, however, a hard bearing balance machine may be more preferable. 
     When a hard bearing balance is used to determine the angle and amount of unbalance in a two-stroke or four-stroke engine, the crank assembly  100  is placed on the hard bearing carriages  212 . The hard bearing carriages include roller bearings which allow the crank assembly  100  to rotate. Rotation of the crank assembly  100  may be accomplished by operably connecting motor  216  to crank assembly  100  via belt  220 . 
     The balance machine  200  may include tooling  222  to support the cylinders  115   a ,  115   b  of the engine on the balance machine  200 . Alternatively, the tooling  222  may hold cylinder bores  115   a,    115   b  which simulate the engine cylinder bores. In this manner, the tooling  222  supports the pistons  114   a,    114   b  and rods  116   a,    116   b  in positions that simulate the position the pistons and rods would be in, relative to the crankshaft, when the crank assembly  100  is located in the snowmobile or ATV&#39;s motor. More specifically, cylinders  115   a,    115   b  may be attached to top plate  236  which, in turn, is placed on bottom supports  224 . Top plate  236  may include handles  232  to facilitate placement of the cylinders  115   a,    115   b  on the balance machine. Additionally, to facilitate placement of the top plate  236  and cylinders  115   a,    115   b  on bottom supports  224 , the balance machine  200  may include dowel pins  228 . Once the crank assembly  100  is properly located on balance machine  200  the crank assembly can be rotated and the angle and amount of unbalance can be determined and the appropriate corrections can be made to the crank itself. Adjustments to the crank itself may be made in the conventional manner, drilling holes in the crank counterweights to lighten the same or drilling and installing heavy metal pins in the counterweights to make them more heavy. 
     The methods described above may also include adding an additional, separate mass (such as a disk or rotor  150 ) to the magneto side of the motor which can aid in achieve a more accurate and precise balancing of the motor. 
     The balancing described herein typically results in the balanced motor generating additional horse power because when the motor is balanced it is able to rotate more freely and less energy is lost to the vibrational motion created by the unbalance, which in turn may increase horse power, torque, and performance. Also, balancing a two-stroke or four-stroke engine using the methods described above may substantially increase the life of the crank assembly and bearings. 
     There is thus disclosed a spin balanced crank assembly and methods for producing the same. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications.