Jerry- This crank was one of those "what were they thinking" creations. So typical to Shimano is the almost interchangeable but not quite design. Additionally IIRC the rings were real flexi under hard pedaling. (Not that at 140lbs I worry too much about flex). Lastly you want to make sure that the pedal threading is of the dimension that you want. These cranks came with the DID option, I believe.
Having said all that for collecting and looking at use this crank would be pretty cool, especially the DID version. I think it's time that the Jap stuff started to get the attention that the build quality deserves. It was common in shops, back then, to feel that Jap stuff was more consistent in it's quality and often better working the the Euro equivalent.
> I'm considering the original Deore for an upcoming build. Here are the
> Deore cranks in a 1982 catalog:
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
>
> The crankarms are compatible with TA Cyclotourist outer rings, but the
> Deore rings were 5-hole, not 6-hole like Cyclotourist. Outer ring could
> be drilled for only one inner ring (double) or two (triple). But there
> were also LD and MD outer rings. The catalog does not give the BCD of any
> of the rings, only the range of teeth for each. From this it looks like
> the LD double probably had a 130 BCD inner, compatible with DuraAce rings.
> Sutherland's in two Editions I have says the triple inner was 85 mm, only
> 1 mm different from Stronglight model 99. Did they really make it 1 mm
> different from one of the most widely available touring cranks?
>
> But the MD version is a mystery. The inner ring on the MD double and the
> middle ring on the MD triple had a range of 34-37 and 34-35T respectively.
> One thinks these must have been the same BCD, but what? Did they use the
> common 110 BCD or the Campy triple inner 100 BCD or the Avocet/Ofmega
> triple inner 102 BCD? Anyone have any original Deore MD rings for trade
> or sale? Or any original Deore rings for that matter?
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Bog Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
Andrew R Stewart
Rochester, NY