A few questions from a first time Rebuilder

do they rotate in the case at all as the transmission does it's thing? i'd assume so since the path for them runs the circumference of hole... but you know what they say about making assumptions..... you ass...... and me ass

 

i kind of doubt it, they would have to slide in the bearing and case and there's really no force acting on them to move them.
i put one little dab of blue loc-tite on each case half where the bearings are before the bearings go in. i don't know why, just seemed like a good thing to do. if there was some play in the case/bearing fit, that takes care if it. not necessary but i do goofy shit like that

 

goofy shit makes the world go round man..... just not bearings

 

the bearings don't have to be packed or greased or anything do they? i mean.. i'm going to oil them up before i put them in, but no moly grease or other since they get a constant oil bath right?

 

I put them in dry and clean. Then just unplug the tci and crank it a few times to get oil moving around.

 

Bearings can go in dry, or with some assembly lube. Priming the oil pump and galleries as Polock suggested will get oil to the bearings.

The bearing half rings won't move. Once the case is torqued to spec the bearings and the clips are squeezed into what ends up being an interference fit.

 

so i've found 1,000,000 different ideas on the best parts cleaner... i'm about to begin the assmebly and want to reclean every part as I am utting them in.

I have, at my house, simple green, purple power, and berryman chem dip. Are any of those sounding alright to ya'll to use on components like transmission gears, shift shaft, etc? i know i am going to use the chem dip on all of the bolts..

 

I prefer carb cleaner to spray off any dust or grit. It's quick, effective, and dosen't leave any residue.
Simple green is fine, but you want to rinse with clean water after to prevent the acidity of the simple green from causing corrosion issues. Same goes for the Puple Power.
The chem dip I would reserve for the really grimy stuff just because it's such a nasty (but effective) solvent. I really prefer to save it for cleaning carbs that way I get much more use out of the can before I have to haul it to the hazardous waste station.

 

and again, thank you dude.

 

i use brake cleaner myself, i think it's cheaper?
last time i had mine apart, i just hosed it with the garden hose, hit it with the compressor and set it in the sun until i was ready to go, wiped the mating surfaces with brake cleaner and started with the sealer.....

 

brake cleaner it is! or, was, yesterday...
question of the day.
does this have a torque spec?

 

Everything has a torque spec. Unfortunately I don't know what it is.

 

i can't seem to find it anywhere in my manual... i know it says for a few things like the hy-vo chain guides to "tighten securely"... wondering if it falls under that category

 

This is taken from Haynes manual for 650s and 750s, so not sure if it helps, but...

That's not really a standard nut you're asking about, but neither am I!

 

standards it is...

 

Hold on. I meant that I don't know what the part you need to tighten is. If it's that brass looking thing then you do nt want to tighten it to the standard torque setting because those are listed for steel bolts.

 

Smarter than me again! Damn you, K-moe! Don't you care about my fragile self-esteem?

 

i asked another Yamaha guy at school today about it too.. he said the low end on the standard settings for that size thread would do the trick.
but for sake of knowledge, it is that brass looking thing.. part of the oil relief system.. what would you say?


and then question of the day today...
shift forks.. as i said way earlier in this thread, my phone with my tear down reference pictures took a poop.. so I forget which direction the shift forks were put on the shaft.. I put them like this.. followed the manual, as in start with 3, then do 2, and 1.. my question is basically, does this look right, but more specifically, should the longer tongues of each fork be extending out away from the shaft they sit on? as these are?

 

progress can be so pretty...

 

i think you answered your own question! now spin the input shaft, where the clutch will go, with your fingers and move the shift drum so you can watch it shift gears. try to find the gears that mesh to make second gear, then look at the drive dogs and slots that make that connection. if they get rounded on the ends it can pop out of second gear. now's the time to correct that.
picture?

 

Good work that engine is so clean I'm jealous.

 

Hey thanks!.. Purple power, little bristle scrubby brush, a hose, and about an hour... did wonders..

so I put the shift drum, forks and shaft in threw on my shift pedal and did a little tranny test before i close her up and found another (maybe) issue.. maybe explanation to come..

it is shifting through gears ok, but i have to hold the shift apparatus in towards the drum end or it pulls out and arm and wheel pops off..

Once i set it all in place


then when i shift, the entire shift shaft pulls back out to the right so the puller arm and little wheelie thinger (what's that's name?) pop out of place

and so from below..


the maybe stems from my inclination that part of the clutch basket holds it in place? and the other side of the maybe is that i think it could possibly be the spring of the arm?

whach ya'll think about it?

 

p.s.

thanks polock.. grand idea

also, where is Beaver Falls in relation to Reading? i grew up in a town called Sinking Spring right outside of Reading

 

The clutch cover holds it in place. It will tend to move off of the drum until the whole shebang is buttoned up.

 

aha!

 

Adam you have come a long way from your first pictures, truly inspiring . great work

 

It's on the other side of the state, 30 miles
NW of Pittsburgh.

 

thanks!

 

i think i may have been near it the year Rainbow Gathering Nationals was in Allegheny National Forest. I think that was 2010 if i remember right

 

ok, so how in the EFF are you supposed to get these crankcase halves back together.. i tried the clymer manual method.. no way.. i had my room mate helping, still no way.. how are you supposed to be able to hold that plunger in place and get the forks to line up in their slots. we even tried to hold the transmission in the bottom half while we placed in on the top to not deal with the forks, but the darn hy-vo plunger popped out every time.. help meeeeeeeeee.. i was going to put her together tonight and paint her tomorrow

 

well i never worked on a 550 but on a 750 it helps to have your helper use a long screwdriver hold that shift fork. and a hy-vo plunger i've never seen one but could some grease hold it in while you maneuver the case? maybe bubble gum?

 

Ya. I'd use grease or assembly lube on the plunger. Or maybe tip the engine on its side and assemble the case halves with the split running vertically.

 

this is the plunger i speak of..


i have moly ep grease and lucas assembly lube... which would work better?

the tipping it on it's side sounds interesting, if i go that route, i'm thinking i should put the transmission shafts in with the forks so it's just the plunger i have to worry about.. but that also makes me think that the crankshaft could slip out of position. Have you ever done it that way before?

 

When I put my two halfs back together I ran a zip tie around the chain slider to hold the plunger in place and then used a piece of plastic coated wire to hold the shift drum in place till the two halfs where together. Sniped the zip tie and pulled it out. Same with the wire. It's a PIA to do but it works.

 

Ah ha, i see now, no amount of grease will hold that spring back! zip tie it is.

 

It was a fairly heavy zip tie and applied oil to the zip tie to make it slide out easily.

 

zip tie it was... thanks lostboy! Bangarang!

 

Glad to help! Keep the 550's alive!

 

productive day.... case closed, wiring harness, air box, and battery platform all put into place..

 

finally have a day off tomorrow and plan on getting pistons and cylinders on.. but this fuggin thing is super stuck.. i've been laying penetrating lube on it for a few hours and not a budge.. any ideas on how to remove this old dowel?

 

Don't. It doesn't need to be replaced. If your attempts at removal have nicked it up, just dress it with a file.

 

is it too nicked?

 

i had a dream the other night i was buying some parts... and the parts guy helping me had stitching in his hat that said "k-moe" and i was like "no way dude... thanks for all your help" and he was like "what?" and i pointed at the stitching and said "you're k-moe" and he said " oh, no, i'm not, but he's a friend of mine, he gave me this hat... i'm the one with the banjo." and then i said, "oh, well then thanks hogfiddles!" and then i woke up... might be weird for you two, but all that says to me is thank you guys for the help, and i need to get this baby done and go for a riiiiiiiiiiiiiiide. true story

 

yes.
you'll notice that the little pipe is split. put your vise-grips on so that one jaw is right next to the split, not over it. now just crush it and pull it out. you're not going to reuse it

 

What he said ^

 

Adam, this just got weird... I dream of these guys too! Does this equal XJ Obsession?
Was Chacal in a pirate costume in your dream?
If I keep this up, we'll both get banned from Dave's Carb Clinics!

 

hahahaha... no pirate costume, but plenty of xj obsession

i've got a question regarding drive chain.. i am ordering new front and rear sprockets by jt sprockets 16f/45r and am wondering what my best option for chain would be.. brand/type/how many links

i am ordering all the rest of the parts i need to completely finish my bike today! super stoked.. it's gonna take me a few more weeks because of my busy busy schedule, but exciting nonetheless

 

got it... it was in there good and tight.. i had to drink a couple of beers and use my bear paw strength, and it eventually came out

 

im thinking on this one
http://www.bikebandit.com/aftermark...uty-expert-series-x-ring-drive-chain?m=147136

jt brand to match the sprockets.. 530 pitch 104 link x ring? i couldn't find anything in my manual on drive chain specs, and what i found on here was just for a 81 550 seca.. i say 530 pitch 104 link under the assumption that drive chain specs are the same for 81 maxim and seca.. correct? incorrect?

 

JT has a lot of off road stuff, make sure your not getting aluminum sprockets. matching brands isn't important, their standard sizes.
i don't want to get into that 530, 520 thing again but you could save a few bucks with the 520. they may not even have your sprockets in anything but oem size.
make sure of the length, it's not fun to be one link short of greatness