# Cranks for Shimano EP8 motor



## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Hi all,
I recently had my E*13 crank arm fail on me and it needs to be replaced. My first thought was to get a Shimano one, but my local bike shop said they were on back order until late August. I have since reached out to E*13 and Commencal to see if they can be of any help, but not getting my hopes up there either. Does anyone know of any other options out there currently that are compatible with EP8? Or has anyone upgraded cranks and have a spare set laying around you are willing to sell me?

Thanks,


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Update: Issue resolved. Once again I am impressed with both Commencal's and E*13 customer service going above and beyond what is required to help me get my bike back up and running. For people who are worried about purchasing a direct to consumer bike, my experience with YT and Commencal USA has been way better than any bike shop could ever replicate, and I love my local bike shop.


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## tom tom (Mar 3, 2007)

How did you strip the splines?


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)

tom tom said:


> How did you strip the splines?


I've been hearing the E13 crank arms are coming loose, and tightening them up above recommended torque helps alot. I have a Commencal ebike on the way in May and been thinking getting an extra set of arms somewhere just in case I forget to keep them tightened up!


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

tom tom said:


> How did you strip the splines?


The preload cap came loose and fell off without me noticing. I did get it nice and tight a while back since I knew this was an issue, but apparently not good enough. Then over time the crank must have loosened itself and worked its way to the end of the spindle. And at a certain point there wasn't enough contact and it stripped off the bike.

This is not my first time with a problem with e*13 cranks, apparently they haven't figured out how to make the tolerance on threads tight enough so they don't come loose. (Not sure if that's the problem, just a speculation). But is you look on other forums, people's cranks are falling off left and right as well.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

So what’s the solution if I may ask?
Does Loctite help?
I have e*thirteen cranks, too.
Thanks,
=sParty


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Sparticus said:


> So what's the solution if I may ask?
> Does Loctite help?
> I have e*thirteen cranks, too.
> Thanks,
> =sParty


Just keep tightening until it breaks, then back off a quarter turn.

But really, people who have been contacting Commencal have been getting a response saying to increase the torque more than what e*13 recommends, and of course add loctite and check on a regular basis.

Or for less than $100 get some shimano cranks.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Clean the spline and crank really well, then install with red loctite. Yes it sounds extreme, but it will keep your cranks from loosening. 

This ^ is as an old trick from the days before splines, three piece cranks with a cotter, now those cranks really sucked!


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## Gman7 (Jul 11, 2008)

The picture shows a 24mm spindle, Shimano spline design with 14 Newton meters of torque to affix the arm, best as I can tell. Not sure if E-13 manufacturers under license. I recently had problems with the same design which had to be replaced with a new arm from Shimano. Subsequently I have been checking torque after each ride and have had to retighten on several occasions. As a result I cleaned the arm bolts and applied Loctite which is working so far. Nonetheless I am no longer a fan and will be replacing with a race face 30mm version in the future.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Gman7 said:


> The picture shows a 24mm spindle, Shimano spline design with 14 Newton meters of torque to affix the arm, best as I can tell. Not sure if E-13 manufacturers under license. I recently had problems with the same design which had to be replaced with a new arm from Shimano. Subsequently I have been checking torque after each ride and have had to retighten on several occasions. As a result I cleaned the arm bolts and applied Loctite which is working so far. Nonetheless I am no longer a fan and will be replacing with a race face 30mm version in the future.


Unfortunately on an ebike with Shimano's new motor my options are extremely limited.


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## Gman7 (Jul 11, 2008)

If the bike is under warranty I would have the dealer handle it. If not @nurseben suggestion of using loctite is a good idea. Just be aware red loctite is permanent so don’t use it on the fasteners otherwise thread damage can occur. I used 243 which is removable. It also wicks so use sparingly.


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## tom tom (Mar 3, 2007)

Another problem with ep8 is the spline interface has about 25% less contact area than the 8000 motors...


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Gman7 said:


> If the bike is under warranty I would have the dealer handle it. If not @nurseben suggestion of using loctite is a good idea. Just be aware red loctite is permanent so don't use it on the fasteners otherwise thread damage can occur. I used 243 which is removable. It also wicks so use sparingly.


Yes, it's already handled. And yes, I plan to use loctite on the replacement crank until I can get a hold of a shimano XT crank which will hopefully be the permanent solution for the lifetime of the bike.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Are we talking about applying Loctite to the crank shaft splines or to the opposing tightening bolts on the crank arm?
Or both?
Sorry, I don't know what the Shimano crank in question looks like.
TIA,
=sParty


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Sparticus said:


> Are we talking about applying Loctite to the crank shaft splines or to the opposing tightening bolts on the crank arm?
> Or both?
> Sorry, I don't know what the Shimano crank in question looks like.
> TIA,
> =sParty


I plan to apply loctite to the preload cap that goes on the outside of the crank as well as the two pinch bolts that hold it in place. (On the E13 ones there was factory loctite applied, but apparently that wasn't sufficient). I do not plan to apply it to the crank splines as seen in my picture, since I do want the crank to be able to come off for maintenance or whatever.


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## x-force (Jan 20, 2021)

merida builds cranks up from 150mm, they are not beautiful but lightweight!


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

With Commencal and E-thirteen, this seemed to be an assembly/installation issue at Commencal. Our Commencal Meta did not come with any crank preload caps and the cranks fell off. I heard this happened to many folks in the first shipment batch and Commencal issued a notice and replaced damaged components resulting from this.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Francis Cebedo said:


> With Commencal and E-thirteen, this seemed to be an assembly/installation issue at Commencal. Our Commencal Meta did not come with any crank preload caps and the cranks fell off. I heard this happened to many folks in the first shipment batch and Commencal issued a notice and replaced damaged components resulting from this.


Even if Commencal did not install/QC the EP8 cranks correctly, E*13 has a long history of sub-par quality cranks.


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## BmanInTheD (Sep 19, 2014)

My left crank arm came off on my second ride of my Orbea Rise M-LTD. I kept trying to tighten the cinch bolt to no avail. Had to one-leg back to trailhead. Someone actually found the pre-load crank outer cap on the trail and I managed to get it back. So should I tell the shop to make sure to put loc-tite on it and torque both the pre-load cap and cinch bolt down to much higher than spec? This is annoying AF, something I've NEVER dealt with with Sram cranksets.


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## casenola (Mar 18, 2021)

RBoardman said:


> Hi all,
> I recently had my E*13 crank arm fail on me and it needs to be replaced. My first thought was to get a Shimano one, but my local bike shop said they were on back order until late August. I have since reached out to E*13 and Commencal to see if they can be of any help, but not getting my hopes up there either. Does anyone know of any other options out there currently that are compatible with EP8? Or has anyone upgraded cranks and have a spare set laying around you are willing to sell me?
> 
> Thanks,
> View attachment 1920167


Same issue first ride out on new Orbea Rise M-LTD
Ethirteen support responded quickly but transferred to warranty team and 5 days later no further response.
Thought I just needed a new preload cap (nowhere to be found) but looking at your picture my crank splines are similarly stripped.

Anyone have a list of compatible EP8 crank options? So sad to brick this 12k bike from a failed $10 component.


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## x-force (Jan 20, 2021)

casenola said:


> Anyone have a list of compatible EP8 crank options?


why not read the thread?


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## casenola (Mar 18, 2021)

Read it end to end. No list of compatible cranks present.

Mentions of Shimano as well as RaceFace. Is your response insinuating those along with eThirteen are the only options currently available?

Here are direct links to those currently mentioned to support others viewing this thread. None are currently available for purchase.

Appreciate any constructive information or advise.

EP8 cranks: 
Ethirteen (only available oem?)








E*Thirteen


Home of e*thirteen components




www.ethirteen.com





Shimano





FC-EM900


Designed for the rigors of mountain bike riding, the SHIMANO STEPS FC-EM900 is a dedicated E-MTB crank uses HOLLOWTECH II crank arms that same appearance as FC-MT900. It is available with 160 mm, 165 mm, 170 mm, 175 mm crank arm lengths.




bike.shimano.com





RaceFace








Aeffect e-MTB Crankarms | MTB Crank | Raceface


The ebike army asked for it and Race Face delivered. Introducing our fan favorite Aeffect crankarms re-configured and optimized to fit the specific needs of ebike shredders everywhere. These cranks are designed for ebikes only. If you have any questions on compatility please contact our team.




www.raceface.com


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Options are VERY limited at the moment. Your best bet is to try and reach out to them again. E*13 had a new set of cranks at my house free of charge within the same week I contacted them. (Maybe because the customer service guy recognized my name, but I would hope he could/should be that helpful with anyone).


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## casenola (Mar 18, 2021)

RBoardman said:


> Options are VERY limited at the moment. Your best bet is to try and reach out to them again. E*13 had a new set of cranks at my house free of charge within the same week I contacted them. (Maybe because the customer service guy recognized my name, but I would hope he could/should be that helpful with anyone).


As luck would have it I got a phone call from ethirteen just an hour or so ago. Very nice and understandable gentleman, fantastic customer service. They're going to send me some aluminum cranks in the interim as replacement carbon versions are likely a couple months out.


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## seamarsh (Mar 5, 2012)

Miranda Bike Parts



they come in many sizes down to 150mm


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)

I already ordered some 160 Shimano arms from Europe. Should be here in a few days, and my bike won't be here until May! LOL


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)

TSB from E13 on how to fix the issue. (i ordered some Shimanos just in case it doesn't)
Remove inner o-ring , apply locktite, and higher torque. Detailed instructions below.









TSB #156 - e*spec Shimano™ alloy crank tech update


TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #156.2 e*spec Shimano™ alloy crank tech update Product(s) included: e*thirteen e*spec Shimano EP8 alloy cranks. Abstract e*spec Shimano EP8/EP800 alloy cranks were dev...




support.ethirteen.com


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## x-force (Jan 20, 2021)

casenola said:


> Read it end to end. No list of compatible cranks present.
> 
> None are currently available for purchase.
> 
> Appreciate any constructive information or advise.


i already mentioned merida on the first page 
starting from 150mm and also pretty lightweight and on stock!


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

I also had an issue with an Orbea Rise LTD - same thing. Non-drive-side preload cap fell off followed by crank arm falling off. I resolved it with the following:


Replaced preload caps with metal preload caps
Applied a liberal amount of blue loctite (242) to the threads on the preload caps
Torqued preload cap to 2Nm
Torqued crank arm bolt(s) to 14Nm

I took it for a hard ride (jumps, rocks, roots, power climbs) and it held tight, though I'll be keeping an eye on it


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Mojave G said:


> TSB from E13 on how to fix the issue. (i ordered some Shimanos just in case it doesn't)
> Remove inner o-ring , apply locktite, and higher torque. Detailed instructions below.
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, Commencal also sent out an email to everyone with the bike with their own instructions for the cranks. I will probably look into ordering shimano cranks in the near future just so I do not have to worry about the e*13 ones. I do not want to check my crank bolts every time as regular pre-ride prep.


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## Merob2 (Mar 26, 2021)

RickBullottaPA said:


> I also had an issue with an Orbea Rise LTD - same thing. Non-drive-side preload cap fell off followed by crank arm falling off. I resolved it with the following:
> 
> 
> Replaced preload caps with metal preload caps
> ...


Same issue for me on Orbea Rise LTD. 3rd ride and non-drive-side crank fell off. Found the cap. Tightened it well. Fell off again next ride, could not find cap. Took day off to ride. Not sure where to get replacement.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Merob2 said:


> Same issue for me on Orbea Rise LTD. 3rd ride and non-drive-side crank fell off. Found the cap. Tightened it well. Fell off again next ride, could not find cap. Took day off to ride. Not sure where to get replacement.


Also be sure to remove the small seal on the inside of the crank arm - it is preventing the arm from fully seating on the splines. You can contact e*thirteen to get a replacement, or you can simply order a 3rd party crank arm preload cap on Amazon. That's what I did.


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## kimochi (Jan 21, 2019)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Also be sure to remove the small seal on the inside of the crank arm - it is preventing the arm from fully seating on the splines. You can contact e*thirteen to get a replacement, or you can simply order a 3rd party crank arm preload cap on Amazon. That's what I did.


Same thing happened to me today. Which cap did you get from amazon?


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

kimochi said:


> Same thing happened to me today. Which cap did you get from amazon?


These:

Amazon.com : Dilwe Crankset Arm Bolt, Aluminum Alloy Bicycle Crank Arm Screws Crank Fixing Bolt for crankset(Black) : Sports & Outdoors

Added a liberal coating of Loctite 242 threadlocker to the threads also.


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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

RickBullottaPA said:


> These:
> 
> Amazon.com : Dilwe Crankset Arm Bolt, Aluminum Alloy Bicycle Crank Arm Screws Crank Fixing Bolt for crankset(Black) : Sports & Outdoors
> 
> Added a liberal coating of Loctite 242 threadlocker to the threads also.


Thanks Rick. I was looking on Amazon and wasn't sure if the ones they had on there were the correct thread. Glad you verified it. I just ordered some. I'm sure it will be a much more solid set up than the plastic ones. The 5mm hex is already starting to get a little deformed on the plastic cap from me tightening it and checking tightness a few times.


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)

RickBullottaPA said:


> These:
> 
> Amazon.com : Dilwe Crankset Arm Bolt, Aluminum Alloy Bicycle Crank Arm Screws Crank Fixing Bolt for crankset(Black) : Sports & Outdoors
> 
> Added a liberal coating of Loctite 242 threadlocker to the threads also.


Thx I just ordered as well!


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## kimochi (Jan 21, 2019)

RickBullottaPA said:


> These:
> 
> Amazon.com : Dilwe Crankset Arm Bolt, Aluminum Alloy Bicycle Crank Arm Screws Crank Fixing Bolt for crankset(Black) : Sports & Outdoors
> 
> Added a liberal coating of Loctite 242 threadlocker to the threads also.


Thanks Rick. Ordered one. Did you remove the 1mm spacer in the crank before putting it back on or kept it? I think the latest instruction from e13 is to remove it - if you are using their preload cap.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

kimochi said:


> Thanks Rick. Ordered one. Did you remove the 1mm spacer in the crank before putting it back on or kept it? I think the latest instruction from e13 is to remove it - if you are using their preload cap.


Yes. Apparently it shouldn't have been on there anyway. That's not for use on eMTBs - only as a spacer for BB tensioning on a normal bike.


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## kimochi (Jan 21, 2019)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Yes. Apparently it shouldn't have been on there anyway. That's not for use on eMTBs - only as a spacer for BB tensioning on a normal bike.


Thanks, nice to know.


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## kimochi (Jan 21, 2019)

Oh darn. It seems I need more than the preload cap, but new cranks! The threads got stripped and doesn't sit flush with the axle anymore. No reply from e13 yet


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## jonyrad (Jul 14, 2019)

Gman7 said:


> If the bike is under warranty I would have the dealer handle it. If not @nurseben suggestion of using loctite is a good idea. Just be aware red loctite is permanent so don't use it on the fasteners otherwise thread damage can occur. I used 243 which is removable. It also wicks so use sparingly.


apply heat to red locktight to remove


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## jonyrad (Jul 14, 2019)

Mojave G said:


> TSB from E13 on how to fix the issue. (i ordered some Shimanos just in case it doesn't)
> Remove inner o-ring , apply locktite, and higher torque. Detailed instructions below.
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks - Had no locktight on my new bike.


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## kimochi (Jan 21, 2019)

Replacement cranks arrived today!



kimochi said:


> Oh darn. It seems I need more than the preload cap, but new cranks! The threads got stripped and doesn't sit flush with the axle anymore. No reply from e13 yet
> 
> View attachment 1927638


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## arashi (Jan 15, 2009)

Just looking for any updates on those who have had replacements crankarms. Have you had any further issues? Are the crankarms on the EP8 different from the E8000 motor. Just wondering if I can use my spare set of crankarms from my old E8000 if I run into this issue. My new ebike is coming in a few months and want to be prepared to limit down time.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

arashi said:


> Just looking for any updates on those who have had replacements crankarms. Have you had any further issues? Are the crankarms on the EP8 different from the E8000 motor. Just wondering if I can use my spare set of crankarms from my old E8000 if I run into this issue. My new ebike is coming in a few months and want to be prepared to limit down time.


EP8 and E8000 are different. Once I put a healthy amount of loctite and tightened them a passed the torque spec, I've had no issues.


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)

I have a set of Shimano cranks at the ready just in case, but when I got my new Commencal the E13 cranks already had the loctite on them and they haven't loosened one bit. I did tighten the bolts a little more.


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## mixmastamikal (Jun 14, 2010)

I really wish Hope would make a set of cranks for the EP8. I have the Bosch compatible ones and they are gorgeous.


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