At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerFirst time rider
Join Date
May 2014
Location
Georgia
--
168
I can't thank you enough Fyingw, those pictures were better than anything I can find on the internet or in the manual even. Now I'm just making sure I know exactly how to take the head off, and split the cases without messing anything up. Hopefully I'll be able to get the parts and work on it by the end of August. If I have any issues with it I will definitely be asking you about it though haha.
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerFirst time rider
Join Date
May 2014
Location
Georgia
--
168
Yeah, the cam chain, and both guides for it while I'm in there. I have to take off the right crankcase cover to access the bottom part of the chain and one chain GUIDE according to the manual.
Its been my experience that unless the chain has stretched to the point where it damages the guides, the guides are usually ok. The back guide is retained by the head. The forward guide floats at the top meaning the chain tensioner pushes against the guide to keep the chain tight. The pivot is at the bottom of the guide under the clutch cover. If it were me, I would not pull the head if I didn't have to just for the sake of changing the guides. Pulling the head opens the door for snapped off exh studs. If your intention is to just replace the chain, pull the clutch cover and rocker cover only. I have built many SX motors and have only replaced the guides once and they were used replacements at that. Under the clutch cover, all you'll need to remove is both clutches and oil pump to get to the chain to remove and replace it. It would also be a good idea since the clutch cover is off to put a fresh set of clutch plates in it. You'll need a 27mm socket and an impact to get the clutch hub nuts off. The centrifugal clutch hub nut is reverse thread.
On that one pic, you'll see the shaft end bearing on the centrifugal clutch. half the time the bearing comes out of the clutch cover and stays on the shaft. The bearing ID tolerance is tight to use some gentle persuasion to get the bearing off the shaft. The hub nut is under it. Once the clutches and oil pump is off, replacing the chain is easy. I use a piece of wire to pull the new chain up and hold it in place while I reassemble the clutches and oil pump.
Now if you insist on removing the head, there are 3 each 6mm allen socket head bolts that love to round out. I can't tell you how many of those I had to cut the heads off so I could remove the head. A hand impact and is needed to loosen them up before you put a ratchet on them to break them loose to remove them but that doesn't always work. In any case, if you're going to go through all this to remove the head, you might as well remove the valves, LAP the valves and replace the valve stem seals. Like I said though, if you don't need to remove the head, leave it alone.
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerFirst time rider
Join Date
May 2014
Location
Georgia
--
168
Wow, I think you just talked me out of replacing the guides and touching the head haha. If you feel like I won't need the guides then I won't mess with them. Which makes me feel more confident about the whole process. Especially after your great explanation. Do you ever have problems removing the valve cover or crankcase cover?
Not usually. Both are doweled so you have to break the seal loose with a soft mallet but once the seal is broke loose, they usually come right off. On the clutch cover, a couple of things. Be sure to remove the dipstick before trying to remove the cover. It drops in behind the oil slinger plate that sits over the oil pump. When the clutch cover starts to come loose, I usually hold the cover fore and aft and with my left hand, pull on the cover and push on the kicker shaft to make sure it stays in place. The last thing you want to mess with is trying to get the kicker shaft back in. Its a real pain. Also, on the bottom of the clutch cover is the shaft the reverse lever mounts too. That shaft likes to come out with the cover. Not a big deal but if I can keep it in the center case, one less thing to fuss with during assembly. Thee is an arm on the end of the shift shaft. Remember that arm always points straight up. Get yourself a seal kit. Might as well replace the seals on the clutch cover since its off. There is a strainer screen on the bottom of the center case. Pull that screen out and clean it. Be looking for debris. Usually they are clean.
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerFirst time rider
Join Date
May 2014
Location
Georgia
--
168
Now when you say they need to be broken with a mallet, you mean just tapping around the edges? Because all I saw was that you had to remove the bolts and pull it right off. Also, can you explain the clutch plates to me? Is that the plate on the front of the clutch that you have to remove to take off the clutch? I've ordered the chain and sealing washers for the oil line now. Gonna order the crankcase gasket which I think is the seal you were referring to next week along with possibly those clutch plates depending on how much they are.
You are correct. The seal I refer to is the seal that's made by either the gasket or the sealant on the rocker cover. The clutch plates are the fiber plates that are in the back clutch assembly. In the pic in post #34, the back clutch basket has four 6mm bolts that hold the clutch basket together. Remove the four bolts and disassemble the clutch basket. There are five fiber plates (stationary) and 5 pressure plates (rotating). The fiber plates are a wear item. Easy to replace but they MUST be soaked in oil before you install them back in to the clutch basket. I usually get a paper plate and pour some oil in the plate then one at a time, place the fiber plate in the oil on both sides. Wipe off the excess and put it in to the basket. The fiber and pressure plates get put in alternating order meaning the first plate to go in is a fiber plate, then a pressure plate, fiber plate, pressure plate etc. DO NOT over tighten the bolts that hold the clutch basket together. The posts the bolts thread in to are cast aluminum and you will either strip out the hole or break the post off completely. Just a little more than tight is all that's needed.
You can put a set of calipers on the plates and measure the thickness but if you don't know if the clutch has ever been replaced then its a good idea to change it while the cover is off and be done with it. The gasket is more than likely available on Ebay. The ES/SX and 350X use the same gasket.
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerFirst time rider
Join Date
May 2014
Location
Georgia
--
168
Okay I think Im gonna order the gasket today. I noticed two cables on the bottom side of the cover that have to come off, andi generally hate messing with cables because they never like to cooperate. Are those just a simple unbolt and bolt right back up kind of thing? Is there an oil line in the way of the valve cover? The manual doesn't show a great picture of it.
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerFirst time rider
is needed to loosen them up before you put a ratchet on them to break them loose to remove them but that doesn't always work. In any case, if you're going to go through all this to remove the head, you might as well remove the valves, LAP the valves and replace the valve stem seals. Like I said though, if you don't need to remove the head, leave it alone.
Reply With Quote