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View Full Version : Picked up a project - 2003 Banshee



Nick_R_23
02-09-2009, 12:53 AM
Got another project and this time I figured Id try 4 wheels again!! I love the look of the Banshee always wanted one, but people around here think they are gold mines, 2500$ for a beat 89 was the cheapest Ive seen so far. But I finally found a deal on one, I picked up this 2003 Banshee with a blown 1995 engine for 300$. It was all taken apart and was only missing chain/sprockets, shocks, head/tail lights, left foot peg, and 99% of the bolts. It had been in a pretty bad rollover I think due to how bad the frame was twisted in the rear.

The engine threw a rod on the left cyilnder. When I got it, the rod and piston werent on the crank, in fact they were missing altogether, which is strange since there were no pieces in the cylinder and the engine obviously hadnt been taken apart, so Im at a loss of how they removed it.

Here are some pics of the progress Ive made so far on it since I picked it up. Money is kind of tight right now, and I need to focus more on getting new suspension under my car so this build will go forward as $$ will allow.

After I put it in the garage, and kind of test fitting everything, seeing what all I have.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0362.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0364.jpg

Got enough exhausts??
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0370.jpg

120$ ProDesign filter in the airbox!! Score!!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0368.jpg

The engine
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0371.jpg

Down the cylinder
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0372.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0373.jpg

-Nick :TrikesOwn

Nick_R_23
02-09-2009, 12:57 AM
Here are some pics of the frame damage:

The steering loop was bent bad, the tank wouldnt go on at all
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0375.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0374.jpg

The frame was also pushed inward (narrowed) and started to bent in the tank bracket, you can also see how the tank was hitting.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0376.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0377.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0378.jpg

Rear subframe was tweaked badly
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0379.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0380.jpg

I had to widen the frame out again in these 3 spots
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0381.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0382.jpg

-Nick :TrikesOwn

Nick_R_23
02-09-2009, 01:07 AM
I got the rear part of the frame straightened out very nice. It will never be perfect because of how bad it was, but its pretty damn straight now and everything lines up and bolts right up now with no problems. I also welded up a few cracks I found and that bracket that was torn from the frame.

Next up, straightening the steering loop:

I have done this with several frames before, with great results. I use a hand-crank car jack and use blocks of wood as spacers or to brace a part of a frame I dont want pushed out. I like this one in particular because both ends have 'indents' or 'notches' which fit right over frame tubes/rails perfectly.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0383.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0384.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0385.jpg

Now was the moment of truth, see how well everything bolted up
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0386.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0387.jpg

As you can see, everything fits great now!! Tank even slides right in with hardly any effort. Ive since done some slight tweaking in other areas to make things fit even better, but the first time around really did the trick!!

During all this I also got most of the spray paint cleaned up, the front bumper and rear grab bar mounted, along with the airbox and radiator. I used the radiator as my main guide in straightening the steering loop, since the loop was bent back so far the top mount on the radiator came nowhere close to lining up with it!!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

Nick_R_23
02-09-2009, 01:23 AM
Now for the engine...holy sh!t was this a piece of work. :rolleyes: I brought the engine inside and started tearing it down. I couldnt believe what I saw. If I could find the guy who 'rebuilt' this motor I would rip his nuts off. The whole thing was really half assed together, no gaskets at all, just 100% silicone. Not only that, there was silicone over a different kind of silicone in some places. The center crank bearings had a bunch of it in them, no wonder that crank gave out. They also didnt bother lining up the bearing pins, just stucked the crank in and crammed it together. The whole bottom case was lined with sludge. And more silicone. Almost half the case screws had stripped heads and every single one required an impact driver to remove them. (Why Yamaha used screws as case bolts is beyond me....Im replacing every one of those with a REAL bolt). And suprisingly enough, each and every screw also had silicone where it threaded in. I mustve spent over an hour with a tap cleaning out all those threads. When I was cleaning the cylinders I also found that they put silver paint on the head gasket surface...WTF?? The clutch turned out to be shot as well, the basket is grooved badly and if you grab the basket and gear its rivited to and twist, the basket rotates over 1/4" side to side on the gear. Little worn out, you think?? The rest of the clutch components look to be ok though, however I might end up replacing the fibers and steels anyway if they turn out to be too thin.

On the plus side, everything else in the motor was in good shape, and the cases cleaned up very well. I already have the tranny installed, so I pretty much need to drop in a crank, and the bottom end can go together.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0390.jpg

Other cases and top end
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0391.jpg

And I think this is one of the major reasons this engine went. At first I thought the shaft was bent, but I measured it and its straight. I think they put the bearing in and it wasnt perfectly straight. The impeller was rubbing on the case pretty good, Id imagine that would slow down the flow of coolant a good bit. The bearing is shot anyway so it and the seal will both be replaced. And would you look at that, more silicone!!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0389.jpg

As for the crank, after debating about which way I should go, stroker, long rod, new, used, rebuild one, etc, I finally decided after inspecting it that I will reuse the crank that came in this motor. It will get 2 new rod kits, along with an All Balls bearing kit from Dads. It will also be trued and welded to help keep it together as long as possible.

The cylinder the rod went in also has an indent right on the bottom of the sleeve where the rod smacked it, and has a crack starting on the other side. I was hoping I could have it welded instead of buying a new sleeve or cylinder, so I went and talked to the shop and they said they could weld it up no problem for 40$. :w00t:

This will be about the cost of the rest of the motor:

Rod kits: 130$ (65$ a side)
Crank bearings: 70$
Pistons: 150$ (75$ ea)
Gasket + seal kit: 80$
Sleeve welded: 40$
Cylinders bored: 160$ (80$ a side)

For a grand total of 630$...I will be getting a new impeller and bearing, and maybe some other clutch parts too. Still not a bad price!! :naughty:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

SCEADU
02-09-2009, 01:50 AM
The case halves don't use a gasket. When I built mine they recomend the regular yamaha stuff. I found the tube I used and it is call Three bond silicon liquid gasket 1211.

There is a guy on Banshee HQ that has made a DVD on his complete Bashee rebuild. I paid $20 for it and it was worth every penny.

I was told the stock impellar is a weak link and they recomend a billit one .

I bought most of my parts form this guy.

www.farmandsandtoys.com

Nick_R_23
02-09-2009, 02:11 AM
Yeah, I know the case halves dont use a gasket. There are supposed to be a few in other places though. If you look at the case pic with the tranny, you can imagine the entire thing just overflowing with red RTV, dripping over the sides, down into the crank, it was horrible. :lol:

I was actually suprised at how little there was to this engine. Im no noob at engines but I was just amazed at the design. I love the top splitting cases and the fact that the tranny is held together by clips. I had it apart in about 15 minutes once I got past the stripped case bolts!!

Ive had several people recommend I get the billet impeller. I know this is a problem with the Tri-Z's, and Im wondering if a Tri-Z one will work in here? Ive been told that the ProDesign impeller is the only one to go with, and the best price I can find is 70$.

And F.A.S.T. is a great site, I plan on ordering the pistons and probably clutch stuff when it comes around to it, along with the shift shaft and star mods.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

SCEADU
02-09-2009, 02:32 AM
If you buy the DVD I mentioned he shows you how to do the Shift mod. I think fast wants like $35 for it. I agree the banshee engine is the easiest engine you will ever work on. I completely rebuilt mine in like 4 hours from start to finish and I was where you are now. If you take out the time I was watching the DVD I prolly could have done it in 2. One work of advise is spend th emoney on a case saver. If you sling a chain 90% of the time it wipes out the top haalve and the engine is still usable. The other %10 it takes out the bottom half and you will have to recase the engine. Here are a couple of pics of mine the day I traded it.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/_SCEADU_/Banshee/P9130107.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/_SCEADU_/Banshee/P9130106.jpg

Nick_R_23
02-09-2009, 02:49 AM
Wow!! Thats a nice looking bike!! Also digging the truck in the background! :beer

I have been looking for a case saver for this but havent been able to find one? Probably havent been looking in the right place. This one does have a small bit of chain damage but its in non critical places and can be fixed easily.

Have you heard of the pancake bearing mod? Everyone tells me to get it, but no one will tell me what its supposed to do!!:lol:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

SCEADU
02-09-2009, 03:13 AM
You can get the case saver on Ebay. The pancake mod is a deffinate. What it does is when the engine is running and you are coasting with the clutch pulled there is the clutch shaft and a single ball bearing riding on one another. The shaft can actually weld its self to the ball . The pancake bearing goes on the basket and has a roller type bearing so they won't weld together. I can't remember if you still use the ball or not. I don't recomend the clutch that FAST sells. They say it is the last clutch you will ever buy but man you can't hardly pull the darn thing. I ended up using stock springs on mine and at that it becomes a stock clutch.

Here ya go for the case saver

http://cgi.ebay.com/Billet-Case-Saver-Block-Off-Banshee-YFZ350-YFZ-350_W0QQitemZ200192424558QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors _ATV_Parts_Accessories?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

rdlsz24
02-11-2009, 05:56 PM
Hey that's nice that the cases split horizontally like that so when you split them the transmission gears don't go flying everywhere lol. Is the Banshee the only one that splits like that?

Rob

Nick_R_23
02-11-2009, 09:29 PM
I know, I loved splitting the cases on this thing. I like how the tranny was designed too, each gear set has a snap ring on each end, so even if you accidentally drop a set, it all stays together!! The banshee is the only engine I know of that splits like this...the blaster might?? Ive never seen another one that does, but there should be a lot more that do!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

tecat-z
02-12-2009, 01:59 AM
Sled and streetbike engines. They are designed that way because of the crankshaft.

SCEADU
02-12-2009, 07:40 AM
2 cylinders. You could not get the crank out if it did'nt split to to bottom.

TriMotoMan
02-12-2009, 11:35 PM
nice, definately a project

Nick_R_23
02-14-2009, 11:00 PM
Progress on the project!!

I redid the seat. I was tired of looking at the purple and black monstrosity, so I went down and picked up some black marine vinyl. This is by far the hardest seat Ive ever recovered, very tricky to get the wrinkles out and wrap the cover around the corners. Heat helped a ton in this situation. Foam was good, a little damp but it dried overnight. Only part that needed a little buildup was one of the rear corners (had to cut off some moss growing there) so I put a small bit of foam and used the Mosh's tape trick and you cant even tell its there!! Took forever and no less then a million tries to get all the wrinkles out but Im pretty happy with the results!!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0401.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0402.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0404.jpg

What do you think??

-Nick :TrikesOwn

250RNUT
02-15-2009, 10:56 AM
Nice job on the seat!! I should send you my quadzilla seat to do. Talk about a crappy seat to recover. Looks like you will have a nice banshee with little money invested.