Yamaha XZ550 rebuild

[r97]

Pictures,

-46mm crow foot wrench
-nut that I had to cut off (no damage to any other engine parts).
-the lever I had to use to remove the primary nut
-securing the engine to the bench to remove the primary and clutch nuts.
-engine almost as it is now (I have removed the shift shaft, and all case bolts).

 

[fowler]

i figured u would know
but im really bored

looks like it is really going to fight to the bitter end
just hope u win

 

[r97]

Oh I'm going to win, I'll make sure of that. Gotta do what you gotta do to end up with something nice and still do it on the "cheap" (still pretty expensive if you ask me...).

 

[r97]

Ok, well I have finally won round one! Engine is almost completely disassembled (valves haven't been removed from heads, and I won't be removing the middle gear). Took many hours of fiddling with it, but I finally got the case to split. Just as I suspected the rusted-in dowels were to blame.

Now I need to clean and inspect all the parts. Then replace/repair/repaint any worn parts. Finally I can then assemble it and let it sit for a few months while I build a frame to test it in. At that point I will know if the carbs need to be rebuilt.

Pics!

 

[fowler]

Well done
How did u get it?

 

[r97]

Thanks! Pretty much it was a combination of these:

- Hold one side, and tap the other side with a hammer (wood dowel in between of course).
- Spray liquid wrench everywhere and let it soak.
- Tap a knife between the halves around the case.

Once I got a little bit of a crack so I could actually get the knife between the cases, it only took a few hours of fiddling with the knife until I could put in a larger wedge and pull it apart. If you are wondering, the gasket surfaces were not damaged.

Now the trick will be finding/making the correct parts,

- Gaskets/o-rings/seals
- Crankshaft nut
- Lock washers
- Dowels
- Starter motor brushes(?)

Then any other parts found out of spec, paint (actually seems like the clear coat is still below), and fluids. Even after that I need to do possible carb work, make a new wiring harness, hook up the engine, get it to start, then I can finally sell off the other parts.

 

[Daphra]

XZ550 replace only L crankcase

Any advice on replacing a cracked left crankcase without tearing down the whole engine?

 

[r97]

Do you have a Yamaha XZ550 or 400 engine? If so you will basically need to tear down the whole engine. The top end and side covers must be removed to separate the crank halves. If you do not have one of those two model engines I cannot give you a definitive answer.

For anyone still interested in the original topic.... I have gotten all the seals/gaskets/parts I need except for the new connecting rod bearings, which are no longer manufactured.... Once I get those the engine will be going back together, it's a now a shiny silver color!