Putting the engine back together

Started the process of putting the engine back together. I've gotten lazy about taking pictures. It's hard to stop when you have the gloves on and you are working alone. Hopefully I am describing things with enough detail. Here's a list of things to look out for:

1. Putting the christmas tree back together: First, heat the big end of the christmas tree, where your new bearing will go. BTW I used an open bearing here because oil will be going in and out. Next, put the spindle/axle in, and then mount the bearing and the retaining clip. If you have problems getting the bearing to go all the way in, what I did was use the old bearing as a punch. In other words, just put the old bearing on top of the new one and hit it with a rubber mallet. Drops right in.

The heavy grease, I am using Ray's, really works to keep the loose needle pin bearings packed on there. This was a lot easier than I had anticipated. Just put the loose needle pin bearings in after you mount the christmas tree into the case. Put a bowl underneath in case you drop one.

Don't tighten it all the way just yet as you will probably be loosening it and fiddling with it as you install the clutch plate cover and also try to align the slot on the spindle with the tab on the funky washer that drops into the slot to keep the spindle from moving. I thought this slot on the spindle was for a woodruf key but figured out it was for the tab on the funky washer.

2. Reinstalling the crankshaft: Freeze that thing! Seriously. I have a vacuum sealer that I use for food storage and such, so I stuffed my crankcase inside a food saver bag and vacuum packed it. This reduces condensation but does not completely eliminate it. I also sprayed the crankshaft with white lithium grease to help keep of condensation. Let it freeze for at least a couple of hours. Then take a blow torch or hair dryer and really heat up that bearing that is in the case. It should pop right in. If it does not, DO NOT force it or hammer it, just take it out, re-freeze and try to heat it even more. My first time didn't work, but the second time it literally just popped right in.

I had a little bit of play but that was gone when I finally put the cases back together.


3. Putting the gears back on: Really straight forward as well. Again, heat the bearing, apply some grease to the seal, and just shove it in there. Put your cruxiform at 4th gear (the little one, I might have that backwards, it may be 1st, but I mean the smallest circumference gear), take your spark plug socket, put the socket OVER the spindle and against the cruciform "cage." Take your rubber mallet and tap it in.

Again there was some up and down play, but the important part is that the gears match up with the corresponding gears on the christmas tree. It's a pretty close fit so it should be pretty obvious. Everything tightens up when the cases go back together.

4. Use heavy grease to keep things like the clutch "nut" on the clutch cover plate in place, as well as the kick start spring as you are putting things back together. I put the clutch cover plate back on before I put the cases back together so I could see if the brass nut fell off and could get it without having to pull the cases apart again just to get that piece. I didn't drop it.

5. Putting the cases back together: I had taken all my engine studs off and I replaced them. I went ahead and put those in (except for the piston chamber) and added a little lock-tite (blue). I also pre-mounted the engine case bolts in their respective holes. I added a little grease around the edges of the case for the gasket. My gasket had one extra hole on it but that was ok. Slowly work the gasket down the 4 studs pointing towards the flywheel. and then press the gasket into the grease. From here I also pushed the pre-mounted bolts a little through the gasket to help keep the gasket in place.


Next, just slowly start pushing the case back together. You will need to put your kickstart on for a second. Drop the kick start and put the cases slowly together. I had to take a screwdriver and give a small nudge to the gears to get them to set right into the gear selector box. When everything is lined up you'll feel it start to allow you to put the cases together. At some point you will be able to get a nut onto the engine studs. Use this to your advantage. Go ahead and put a nut on one or two of the studs. Preferably ones that are diagonally across from each other. SLOWLY tighten them. As you are doing so, try to see if you can get some of the engine bolts through far enough to put a nut (no washer should fit yet) on one of them and start to tighten that nut. This should start pulling the cases together and allow you to start putting the washer, lock washer, and nuts on the other bolts and studs. Tighten everything slowly and in a sort of zig-zag pattern so things tighten up evenly across the engine. This was a lot easier than I thought.

Check your work. Push the kick start and see if your gears and crankshaft move. Pretty satisfying to hear and watch it happen. Especially now that you know how it all works in there.

From here make sure you cover up the holes leading into the engine, ie the carb hole and the piston. I went ahead and mounted my rebuilt carb but I haven't done the piston yet. Probably going to do that later today, along with starting to work out the wiring for my stator.