83 KZ1100ltd Rebuild

Began tearing into the engine today. Current plan is to blow it apart and deep clean, buff, polish, etc and get it back together.

I'd already removed the head and cylinder when the engine was still in the frame. Fortunately, nothing was rusty and the pistons weren't seized.

I wanted to capture some of the disassembly. Not as a 'how to' but as a 'how I'. I started with the alternator/starter clutch assembly.


I used the following rotor holder and a flywheel puller.



I started by removing the large bolt on the end of the crankshaft. Took a 17mm socket.


Then installed the flywheel puller, a 19mm socket.


Then placed the holder in the holes on the OD of the rotor.



Then tighten the flywheel puller and use the holder to prevent the rotor from spinning.

Also removed the cylinder studs. I like the double nut method. I like to use new nuts and the head nuts from the bike.

Presoaked the stud threads with liquid wrench. Have also used heat on more stubborn studs but that wasn't necessary this time.

New M10x1.25 nuts.


New nut on bottom and head nut on top.


I like to use an impact to tighten the top nut and hold the bottom nut with a wrench. Note that to do this with the closed end of the wrench you have to have the wrench in place over the stud before the head nut is installed.


If the stud is tight then I turn the stud 1/2 turn out and a quarter turn back in until the stud turns freely. Once I can move the stud with my fingers I zip the top nut off with the impact and try to not drop the nut into the open engine!

This method will beat the nut up pretty bad so I use several head nuts and toss the bottom nut.

Removing the studs makes removing the pistons easier.

Placed a rag over the openings under the pistons and use a pick to pop out the piston snap ring.

Then just push the pin out enough to clear the connecting rods and lift the piston off.

Keep up the good work
Dave

Broke a bolt!

Got the frame, swing arm, stands, and off bits off the bike, cleaned, and to the powder coater.

Have spent the in between time tearing into the engine. While removing the larger bolts from around the crankshaft one broke.



Fortunately, I have a spare set of cases I can use to keep the project moving but I can't seem to get this bolt out. What are everyone's favorite proven method of bolt extraction?

With the threads sticking out like that I usually get a nut and thread it down as far as I can and then weld it together. You would want to mask off the bearing surface area probably though to protect from spatter. You might be able to try and epoxy (or JB weld) the nut onto the bolt if you don't have a welder. In my limited experience I haven't gotten good results with JB weld.

I know I offered, but I have not put a socket in any brake fluid. I have been a little busy, sorry.

I'd tap on it with a hammer to loosen it then use vice grips to screw it out.
Steve

I would finish complete disassembly of the motor and see if any others break.
I had 2 bust off on my last rebuild and took it to a local person ( shop ) with a EDM machine and they removed them for me , no muss , no fuss.
The process didnt hurt the threads at all..
Dave

Thanks for the responses/suggestions. I think a machine shop is in the future for those cases. Luckily only one bolt broke.

I cut a slit in the bolt to use a flat head impact driver on it, soaked it in liquid wrench, and put heat to the case. After some persistence, I only succeeded to brake the flat head bit and brake off one side of the cut bolt.

As a last desperate act I attempted to weld a nut to what was left of the stud but the only thing worse than the cheap MIG welder my buddy has are my welding skills. The weld failed with only minor torque. Luckily I didn't damage the matting surface. Covered everything with adhesive foil tape.

I've got the spare set of cases cleaned up and removed all the old gaskets. I've been waiting on some parts to reassemble the cases but I've got the crank and transmission in place.


Make sure you remember to put the cam chain on the crank before positioning the crank, because I didn't.


There are a series of pins on the main bearing surface. Each roller on the crank has a hole you have to align with the pins. Otherwise the crank won't sit right.


I had to rotate and slide the bearings quite a bit to get them all aligned.

After the crank was seated I dry fit the cases. Seemed to fit.


The service manual indicates you can assemble the cases with the shifter forks in place. It's one more thing to track when mating the cases but it seems doable.

I agree with the last few posts, Streetfighter about see if others break, and specifically Matt's about threading a nut on and weld it to the stud on the inside. But first I'd soak it for days in penetrating oil. Once the nut is welded on after soaking, hit it with an impact gun/socket.

Mailman came through with the parts on Friday! Got everything required to put the engine back together, well at least as far as the parts are concerned.

Cleaned the case matting surfaces with acetone one more time and applied a modest coating of yamabond to the upper case. I've gotten to where I like to apply the sealer with the transmission out, in order to get to the surfaces between the bearings. After the sealer is on, I refit the transmission. I've the found the time it takes to fit the trans is a good proxy for the yamabond setup time.

It's a little late but does anyone know if there's a temp range for applying yamabond? It's been colder here in KC and I'm not sure if it's too cold. Or if there even is a too cold. The sealer seemed fine and went on like normal so I'm hoping everything's peachy.

Got the case haves all torqued down and didn't see too much sealer squish out so hopefully I got the right amount applied. The crank spins smoothly and the transmission shifts through all the gears.

More to come in the next post.