Something doesn't look right......


At least it wasn't anything I did. I was going bad for a while and just happened to occur at the time I did the downshift.
Remembering engine did idle fine and all gears worked...... would we have ever thought of this?

Wouldn't it be sweet if I could slide out the old bearing and slip a new one in without cracking open the case?

Probably not a good idea. No doubt the shaft of the counter balancer is scored and the oil port might be plugged. Metal fragments are probably the bearing and the inner gear I'm sure was grinding the inside of the engine case (because of spinning out of position).

I feel really good knowing that I didn't kill Junior.  
I was depressed all week wondering if I did it.

Now to clean up and make a "clean area" for assembling a new engine.

Here are his pistons and top end. Lots of build up but he ran really great. I think cleaning it using the jugs, pistons and top would be fitting for Junior. He should keep part of his engine. The spark plugs showed he was running really well so keeping the same carbs and top end would seem appropriate.

Holy "S"!.  That is incredible.  Great job getting him apart this far.  I cannot believe the play in that thing.  Time to split the cases...

Some people have taken that big hunk of balancer out of there to help save weight.  Usually guys trying to build fast revs on the race course though.

Scott

Reading instructions on splitting an engine is something I fear doing by myself for the first time. So I'll use what should be a good 1989 bottom end with Juniors top. I know Junior's top is good. That eliminates the potential problem of jugs & pistons I bought in the event of any problems.

NOTE TO SELF: If the engine still has oil in it, do not tip it over! 
Thank god I bought the big box of "Pig Mats".
Bike Cave floor will get a thorough cleaning once Junior is back together.


Got spare bottom end on a Sears lift so I can drain the oil. Filter is hanging there so it will drain and I can see if anything is in it.
NOTE TO SELF: Always scrub an engine spotlessly clean before taking it apart. Keeps dirt from falling in.

I wish my gs wasn't picked up yet, and I didn't live down the street.

I would have totally let you swap motors before it was picked up by the ins company.

I didn't kill Junior - he had a heart attack!

I think this makes it pretty clear I did not kill Junior. This was going on for a long time. Who would have thought of checking the balancer sleeve bearing and spacer? I wonder if the other end is bad or if just this end. It would be interesting if a new sleeve and bearing could be slipped in. Probably other oil ports might be plugged up.

Time to remove the balancer, fill in the oil channels going to it, and get the crank balanced!

+1 on that. 

Nailed it.



And, let me be the first to say,
jeeze adidasguy, if you just read up on racers corner, you'd know to keep an eye on the counterbalancer bearings.



Just kidding. I hope junior comes back to life soon!

I say the bottom end is junk. If one oil port is blocked, probably others. That "bearing" (I use the term loosely) is why he ran hot. I doubt a new bearing could go in there as probably the opening for it got worn down. The jugs and top end look good and well oiled.

Maybe we need a tutorial on the difference between cam shaft noise and a balancer going bad. No one thought anything of Junior's noise other than usual GS500 cam shaft banging. I guess when doing an oil change, drop the oil pan to look for metal and run some oil through a paper towel (as a filter) to see if there is metal in it.

What happens when your bike dies
The 7 stages of grief.
1. Denial and shock - did that on Vashon Island and the next day
2. PAIN & GUILT - did that feeling I killed Junior
3. ANGER & BARGAINING - yes, mad about the whole thing and trying to understand if anyone could have predicted it.
4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS - yes, depressed. I miss Junior. My first bike restoration.  No one hanging around to help fix him or talk about it but I know I can learn to fix him. I put Phenix together all by myself. I should be able to fix an engine.
5. THE UPWARD TURN - well, I decided I'll try fixing him myself. Now how do I put on the jugs with no one to guide the pistons in? I'll figure out how. Hang the jugs with the motor on the Sears lift. Raise the bottom while guiding the pistons in? Worth a try!
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH - hopefully this weekend
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE - hoping he works after I attempt to put an engine back together and not knowing the true condition of the new bottom end.

I need to work through fixing Junior. He was my first bike restoration. Laying low on the parts whoring until Junior fixed. Need to spend time on him rather than selling parts. Also want to do oil changes on all bikes and clean up the Bike Cave.

one thing to add to your tool kit if you don't already have one is a mechanic's stethoscope. That would have told you right away whether the noise was coming from the cams or the balance shaft.

i've used mine to help track down faulty injectors, coil packs, etc.

If you don't have one a screwdriver is a pretty good substitute. 

Well,

Adidas if I had money I would fly up there and help ya! I've got a week off school. But no money! oh well, hope Junior feels better soon Flick is getting itchy for his new rear tire so I better get going.

Mary

I think I'm better with a spare set of jugs & pistons. The spare still shows some cross hatching on the cylinder walls - which is good. The head valves are about 0.035 on the intake and 0.055 on the exhaust.

I believe the easiest and fastest way to get an engine running is to use the spare jugs & head. Even the cam seats on Junior feel gritty from the metal shavings. Rather than try to clean it now, use the spares. Clean his parts up later.

Junior's cylinders look like this. Not that good.

I wouldn't expect there to be any crosshatching left given how many miles Junior had.

Does your fingernail catch on those vertical scratches?

Either way - might as well use the lowest milage/best condition jugs you got.

I can feel them with my fingernails.
This head looks good. Unfortunately there are two chips on the fins (from shipping). I have the pieces so could glue back on or just touch up with black paint.

I have the pistons that went with this head. They are marked left & right. Think this head looks better?

Just a hint/tip. If you re use your rings don't scrape the carbon off the tops of the pistons. Mate of mine who builds engines told me that. If you scrape or clean it off and re use the rings it will blow smoke. However if you use new rings your fine clean the pistons up. Just remember don't line your ring gaps up.

Quote from: slipperymongoose on May 10, 2012, 05:48:21 AM
Just remember don't line your ring gaps up.

I wonder if that is why some engines have low compression? They rework the top end and don't get the rings correct?
I was just noticing what you mentioned in the Haynes manual last night. Good reminder!

I guess cleaning off pistons you get carbon crap in the rings then they don't seat well?

I wonder if the rings can rotate with time, resulting in low compression the closer they are to being lined up? I have the 2 1989 engines that were reported to have low compression. I wonder if that could be the reason? One is not taken apart, the other already is to use the bottom for Junior. When I take the other apart, I'll look at the rings before I touch them and see what the alignment is.

If you set them 90deg apart from each other they should be alright. I can't imagine them moving since there only doing an up and down motion but possibly who knows?

ok, so why we are on the subject...i tore apart my motor as well bc i heard the same noise you were talking about and i found that the left side crankshaft balancer bearing was in three pieces...now before i go ordering that bearing i need to know wether or not i have to split the case to replace this bearing?

Quote from: adam89 on May 11, 2012, 09:36:58 AM
ok, so why we are on the subject...i tore apart my motor as well bc i heard the same noise you were talking about and i found that the left side crankshaft balancer bearing was in three pieces...now before i go ordering that bearing i need to know wether or not i have to split the case to replace this bearing?

I can't answer that. I'm replacing the bottom end.
Later I'll crack the case when time permits. I think someone ,opened the case at one time. Put RTV on the surface before closing up. RTV plugged up the oil port for that bearing.