Cranks for EP8 motor

rb.

Active member
Apr 27, 2020
388
261
San Jose, usa
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,
E13 crank arm.jpg
 

rb.

Active member
Apr 27, 2020
388
261
San Jose, usa
You could try @e*thirteen Components , not been on for a couple of weeks so not sure how active they are.
I will file a formal warranty claim this afternoon when I'm home, but if there is an E*13 employee on these forums that can help expedite the process that would be awesome. Even if they do not want to provide a warranty replacement, at this point I just want to get my bike up and running again and not wait for Shimano to get their inventory.
 

e*thirteen Components

Official e*thirteen
Feb 8, 2021
30
89
Global
I will file a formal warranty claim this afternoon when I'm home, but if there is an E*13 employee on these forums that can help expedite the process that would be awesome. Even if they do not want to provide a warranty replacement, at this point I just want to get my bike up and running again and not wait for Shimano to get their inventory.
@rb. We will replace those under warranty for you. If you have not filed a claim thru Commencal yet, please do not duplicate your claim. Come straight to us and file your claim. Here is the link to do that. Currently you should hear from us within 1-2 days about a replacement shipping. If not, send me a DM here.

@Zimmerframe - Thanks for linking us in here. Much appreciated!
 

rb.

Active member
Apr 27, 2020
388
261
San Jose, usa
@rb. We will replace those under warranty for you. If you have not filed a claim thru Commencal yet, please do not duplicate your claim. Come straight to us and file your claim. Here is the link to do that. Currently you should hear from us within 1-2 days about a replacement shipping. If not, send me a DM here.

@Zimmerframe - Thanks for linking us in here. Much appreciated!
Awesome, thank you for the quick response. I will file that warranty claim as soon as I get home.
 

Darkyhs

Well-known member
Oct 25, 2020
125
131
Lisbon, Portugal
@e*thirteen Components, could you please let us know what is causing this to happen? It is clear by now that this is not an isolated event and putting us, riders at risk of losing our cranks. What would be the solution for this, as it is not confidence-inspiring to ride our bikes as if we stole them, if this is a possibility to happen.

How will this be mitigated for the future?

Additionally, what will happen if we tighten the bolts to the 16Nm that has been suggested, and the thread on the motor itself gets damaged due to this?

Would it make any sense to put carbon paste or something similar(non-corrosive sticky stuff) on the cranks so it doesn't slip when tightened?

I would like to thank you in advance for answering my questions, I just want to be sure that this doesn't happen more often or to any of us and puts anyone in a difficult/dangerous situation.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rb.

e*thirteen Components

Official e*thirteen
Feb 8, 2021
30
89
Global
@Darkyhs - Here is a technical service bulletin regarding this issue:


If you need preload caps with thread locker preapplied or have more specific questions after that please drop us a line on our support page either thru the warranty request tab.
 

Darkyhs

Well-known member
Oct 25, 2020
125
131
Lisbon, Portugal
@e*thirteen Components, I would like to thank you first of all for the Technical Bulletin. I highly appreciate that you guys have taken the time to write up this document, as it, unfortunately, has harmed some riders before. Kudos to you guys.

The second point I would like to make, after receiving my(amazing) Commencal Meta Power 29 Team Edition in November of last year. Most of us Commencal Owners have received the following information via e-mail.

"To ensure a uniform tightening, please perform this operation in four steps:

1. Tighten the screw on the inside of the frame to 12 N.m.
2. Tighten the screw on the outside of the frame to 12 N.m.
3. Tighten the screw on the inside of the frame again to 16 N.m.
4. Tighten the screw on the outside of the frame again to 16 N.m."


Your document changes the recommendations which Commencal has made in late November of last year. I will contact my Local Bike Shop to have this done(I do not own a Torque wrench, they also did the above action the first time). To be fair, I had this done at my LBS and I never had any issues with this. Please keep in mind, that I am not a "light" rider(90Kg) and I do like the rougher stuff(rock gardens etc), no big jumps or gaps tho.
 

e*thirteen Components

Official e*thirteen
Feb 8, 2021
30
89
Global
@Darkyhs - The directions on our site are the definitive and updated directions. Torque wrenches can be purchased for quite reasonable prices these days and it's a critical tool to have for nearly any bolt on your bike. Even seat height and stem/handlebar adjustments should be completed using a torque wrench on the fasteners. We highly recommend adding one to your tool kit.
 

Darkyhs

Well-known member
Oct 25, 2020
125
131
Lisbon, Portugal
@e*thirteen Components, thank you for the recommendation. I always had one, together with a complete toolkit. I moved to another country, just before COVID started in the EU. I have all my tools in a different country and once this is over. I want to go and move the rest of my stuff here. So no use to purchase one now :). Nevertheless, I highly appreciate your recommendation!
 

Edmu

Member
Jun 29, 2021
17
5
Puerto Rico
@Darkyhs - Here is a technical service bulletin regarding this issue:


If you need preload caps with thread locker preapplied or have more specific questions after that please drop us a line on our support page either thru the warranty request tab.
 

Edmu

Member
Jun 29, 2021
17
5
Puerto Rico


E*13 Alum cranks and TSB156

One more week, and I should be unboxing my M20

E*13’s TSB156 states
“The seal found at the inner face of the crank should be removed …”
Question:
Will I be able to see that the seal was removed without taking the crank off?
If so, any special tool needed?
 

DarrenCC

Member
Apr 3, 2021
59
21
Hertfordshire
So my left hand ethirteen crank fell off today while riding. I’m glad I was going uphill and not down as that could be potentially really bad news!!?…The preload bolt is somewhere in a field in Hertfordshire. I’m going to north Wales next week for a riding break so this is shit news. I’ve ordered a new pair of crank arm preload bolts but my concern is that the splines on the crank appear to be damaged as the crank wobbled and came off. What’s really annoying is that I actually saw the link for this issue here on the forum after buying my Orbea Rise and I checked both cranks to check all was tight. I noticed on another post that two riders had their Carbon ethirteen cranks replaced with shimano cranks. I’m looking at a warranty claim through ethirteen direct as the Moore and Large website doesn’t appear to have any useful information on warranty claims. @e*thirteen Components
 

Richridesmtb

Member
Jan 23, 2022
206
96
Australia
Wtf? My left hand crank on my orbea rise came off today. It appears to be the updated arrangement. I only got the bike just before Christmas 2021. When I found the cap on the trail there was no evidence of the seal and there was plenty of loctite.
20220303_073728.jpg
 

Hitorogoshi

Active member
May 19, 2020
116
122
South Africa
This issue is serious
@e*thirteen Components

Where do we turn to now? Shimano and E13 are pointing fingers at each other while people are getting hurt.
Yes you cover the warranty and service is great, but this does not fix the issue. These problems should not be happening.

Shimano and you guys need to come to the party. I'm sitting with a fkn expensive bike I am too afraid to ride because I could snap my leg or ankle. Do you not see the seriousness in that? It blows my mind how companies handle things like this.

I don't want a patch fix that suggests it "may" solve the problem. I want a definitive answer that reassures my safety on the bike and it's components. This has gone on for far too long.

@Rob Rides EMTB - I think you need to address this issue in all seriousness and do some investigating. The EP8 Facebook group is rife with problems on the matter. People are getting injured with EP8 splines breaking, not only on E13 cranks but on other brands too.
The EP8 Spindle is a manufacturing joke. This is a safety concern to ALL EP8 riders. Especially on the birth models of the motor.

How do I approach this matter now with Commencal and Shimano? All my hard earned savings for a bike that's not safe to ride. I'm quite perplexed.
 

Darkyhs

Well-known member
Oct 25, 2020
125
131
Lisbon, Portugal
This issue is serious
@e*thirteen Components

Where do we turn to now? Shimano and E13 are pointing fingers at each other while people are getting hurt.
Yes you cover the warranty and service is great, but this does not fix the issue. These problems should not be happening.

Shimano and you guys need to come to the party. I'm sitting with a fkn expensive bike I am too afraid to ride because I could snap my leg or ankle. Do you not see the seriousness in that? It blows my mind how companies handle things like this.

I don't want a patch fix that suggests it "may" solve the problem. I want a definitive answer that reassures my safety on the bike and it's components. This has gone on for far too long.

@Rob Rides EMTB - I think you need to address this issue in all seriousness and do some investigating. The EP8 Facebook group is rife with problems on the matter. People are getting injured with EP8 splines breaking, not only on E13 cranks but on other brands too.
The EP8 Spindle is a manufacturing joke. This is a safety concern to ALL EP8 riders. Especially on the birth models of the motor.

How do I approach this matter now with Commencal and Shimano? All my hard earned savings for a bike that's not safe to ride. I'm quite perplexed.
This is actually one of the reasons why I have sold my Commencal Meta Power Team from 2021. As I am also not the lightest rider, I send some of the jumps and drops.

In my honest opinion, Shimano should send out their XT cranks for free to all the riders that have bought their bikes with the E-Thirteen ones. And calculate the costs after ensuring their bikes aren't dangerous with E-Thirteen.
On the other hand, E-Thirteen could have spent some time and money on R&D in the meantime to produce a good set of cranks and replaced the old ones(for free). As they have been paid for the faulty cranks by the bicycle brands that do sell them on their bikes. That would have also looked good for them as a company.
 

Hitorogoshi

Active member
May 19, 2020
116
122
South Africa
This is actually one of the reasons why I have sold my Commencal Meta Power Team from 2021. As I am also not the lightest rider, I send some of the jumps and drops.

In my honest opinion, Shimano should send out their XT cranks for free to all the riders that have bought their bikes with the E-Thirteen ones. And calculate the costs after ensuring their bikes aren't dangerous with E-Thirteen.
On the other hand, E-Thirteen could have spent some time and money on R&D in the meantime to produce a good set of cranks and replaced the old ones(for free). As they have been paid for the faulty cranks by the bicycle brands that do sell them on their bikes. That would have also looked good for them as a company.


My concern is that people with the XT cranks are also experiencing failures. So I am still of the mindset that Shimano is FULLY to blame for producing a sub-par product.
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
336
CA
Orbea has issued a recall for the e*thirteen carbon cranks. On my M-LTD they are replacing with free XTR cranks. Looks like e*thirteen is trying to blame it on Shimano. I'm sure Shimano is trying to blame e*thirteen. Unfortunately we're stuck in the middle :(
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
336
CA
My concern is that people with the XT cranks are also experiencing failures. So I am still of the mindset that Shimano is FULLY to blame for producing a sub-par product.

Are they replacement cranks or originals? I think this is an important distinction. If the original (e.g. e*thirteen) cranks compromised the spindle, the replacement won't matter.
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
336
CA
Another possible factor is the preload cap torque is too low for this kind of interface. It's easy to be tricked into thinking the crank is all the way on when it's not.

I just dropped my wife's motor tonight (Rise H30 with e*thirteen aluminum cranks). During reassembly I made sure to give the cranks a good smack before putting the preload caps on. The tolerances are pretty tight and it's easy to think the crank is on when it's not. I suspect some people have been torqueing the cranks down without fully seating them. The preload cap/interface really should have more torque on it, it should be a bolt.

Also noticed the preload caps on the H30 are significantly longer than what was on the M-LTD. But that probably has more to do with preventing the caps from falling off as the recommended torque is still only 2NM.
 

Shjay

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2019
835
488
Kent
The preload cap is not designed to hold the crank on. The two bolts are! Shimano cranks are a plastic preload cap on all their cranks they fall off because the e-13 cranks don’t fit properly. I have had no issues with mine coming off my Rise however I have replaced with the correct Shimano cranks. It’s hard to tell if a very feint crack has appeared around the EP8 motor shaft where the hole is that the Shimano cranks plate fits into place. I will be keeping an eye on it
 

Darkyhs

Well-known member
Oct 25, 2020
125
131
Lisbon, Portugal
My concern is that people with the XT cranks are also experiencing failures. So I am still of the mindset that Shimano is FULLY to blame for producing a sub-par product.
I wasn't aware of the XT Cranks failing as well :(. That is really poor quality design and control. I sold my bike a couple of months ago and haven't followed the thread, as I was quite happy it got sold.
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
336
CA
The preload cap is not designed to hold the crank on. The two bolts are!

You've misunderstood my post (assuming you were replying to me). I'm not saying the preload cap should hold the crank on. But the torque spec for the caps is very low and the tolerance between the crank and shaft is very tight. It's pretty easy to think your cranks are all the way on when they're not (this is also why e*thirteen recommends removing the dust seals from the inside mating area).

(also the e*thirteen carbon cranks using a single bolt, not two bolts, but anyway...)
 

Shjay

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2019
835
488
Kent
You've misunderstood my post (assuming you were replying to me). I'm not saying the preload cap should hold the crank on. But the torque spec for the caps is very low and the tolerance between the crank and shaft is very tight. It's pretty easy to think your cranks are all the way on when they're not (this is also why e*thirteen recommends removing the dust seals from the inside mating area).

(also the e*thirteen carbon cranks using a single bolt, not two bolts, but anyway...)
Sorry I should have explained in more detail to you. If you have ever owned Shimano cranks on a normal bike the preload cap is not done up super tight being plastic but the cranks usually didn’t fall off if fitted correctly, The pin ensures the crank is in the correct position & they are Shimano cranks on Shimano shaft. However I also agree with you & did say the E-13 cranks are not fit for purpose (don’t fit properly) like you say it’s hard to tell if on far enough & I own an M20 so have no idea about the carbon cranks but ONE bolt is mental!!
 

e*thirteen Components

Official e*thirteen
Feb 8, 2021
30
89
Global
Hi All,
Currently we have 2 Technical Service Bulletins related to e*thirteen cranks being used with Shimano EP8 Motors.

The first relates to arms loosening. This issue generally occurred on bikes which were assembled outside normal assembly factory settings which in some cases resulted in incorrect procedure/specs. You can find that TSB here: https://support.ethirteen.com/hc/en...SB-156-e-spec-Shimano-alloy-crank-tech-update

The second relates to cracks being found originating at the hole drilled in the Shimano manufactured EP8 Spindle. You can find that here: https://support.ethirteen.com/hc/en...-in-Conjunction-with-e-thirteen-e-spec-Cranks. At this point, TSB 157 ONLY applies to EP8 spindles. We have not seen similar issues when using the same cranks on E7000 or E8000 spindles.

Should your cranks or preload caps require replacing due to damage caused from an arm coming off, please submit a warranty claim here: https://support.ethirteen.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038827791-Warranty-Request-Submission-Form

If you have discovered cracks in your Shimano EP8 spindle described in TSB157, please reach out to the your bike manufacture for support.
 

Shjay

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2019
835
488
Kent
Hi All,
Currently we have 2 Technical Service Bulletins related to e*thirteen cranks being used with Shimano EP8 Motors.

The first relates to arms loosening. This issue generally occurred on bikes which were assembled outside normal assembly factory settings which in some cases resulted in incorrect procedure/specs. You can find that TSB here: https://support.ethirteen.com/hc/en...SB-156-e-spec-Shimano-alloy-crank-tech-update

The second relates to cracks being found originating at the hole drilled in the Shimano manufactured EP8 Spindle. You can find that here: https://support.ethirteen.com/hc/en...-in-Conjunction-with-e-thirteen-e-spec-Cranks. At this point, TSB 157 ONLY applies to EP8 spindles. We have not seen similar issues when using the same cranks on E7000 or E8000 spindles.

Should your cranks or preload caps require replacing due to damage caused from an arm coming off, please submit a warranty claim here: https://support.ethirteen.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038827791-Warranty-Request-Submission-Form

If you have discovered cracks in your Shimano EP8 spindle described in TSB157, please reach out to the your bike manufacture for support.
Are the E13 EP8 cranks the same cranks that are used on the E7000 & E8000?
thanks
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

518K
Messages
25,444
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top