750W tossed a chain

[Upshotknothole]

Bought this bike a couple years ago for some nice parts, was gonna start working on it to sell it to a mate as a cheap commuter, but it looks like someone snapped a chain at some point. Trying to decide if this engine is worth fixing. The area around the shift shaft is pretty crunchy and the shifter has a lot of play in and out probably a good 1cm. I’m an oil cooled guy and know fuck all about these. Salvageable or save my time and money and don’t bother with this engine? 

 

The left engine mount on the head is also cracked. 
 

I only paid $300 for this bike and already got my money’s worth with the brakes and exhaust I pulled off of it. So if the engine is junk, I really don’t care. I just don't want to spend a couple months rebuilding the carbs and sorting the harness to find out it leaks oil from the shifter or it rides like a wet noodle because the engine mount is busted.

Edited May 11 by Upshotknothole
Posted from my phone, needed editing.

[wombat258]

If the oil seal does not leak at the shifter shaft it should be OK. Check for up/down/forward/back play to see if the bearing is damaged. The in/out play can be corrected by removing the washer behind the circlip. They dish when hit but can be flattened and reinstalled. Don't worry about the head mount - the earlier heads an frames did not have that feature, and it was only added to stiffen the frame a bit.

[Upshotknothole]

Just now, wombat258 said:

If the oil seal does not leak at the shifter shaft it should be OK. Check for up/down/forward/back play to see if the bearing is damaged. The in/out play can be corrected by removing the washer behind the circlip. They dish when hit but can be flattened and reinstalled. Don't worry about the head mount - the earlier heads an frames did not have that feature, and it was only added to stiffen the frame a bit.

Thanks, I'll go pull the shift linkage off of it and see how much play it has.

[Upshotknothole]

13 minutes ago, wombat258 said:

If the oil seal does not leak at the shifter shaft it should be OK. Check for up/down/forward/back play to see if the bearing is damaged. The in/out play can be corrected by removing the washer behind the circlip. They dish when hit but can be flattened and reinstalled. Don't worry about the head mount - the earlier heads a frames did not have that feature, and it was only added to stiffen the frame a bit.

There’s a little play in it. Like I can see it move up and down a tiny bit, and the housing around it is pretty ovalled out. I tried cleaning it out as best I could, but it is pretty crunchy in there where the seal is/was?

Edited May 11 by Upshotknothole
Phone

[wombat258]

Seal is behind the o-ring and washer. If the engine is full of oil and the bike is on the side stand the oil level is above this seal. The bearing is a caged needle roller, so it does have a little play.

[Upshotknothole]

10 hours ago, wombat258 said:

Seal is behind the o-ring and washer. If the engine is full of oil and the bike is on the side stand the oil level is above this seal. The bearing is a caged needle roller, so it does have a little play.

I drained everything right after I got it, and can't remember if it leaked or not when I got it. Waiting to hear back from my friend that was interested in it before I start doing any more work on it. I could fill it back up with some cheap oil just to see if it leaks or not. I still need to pull the carbs apart and see what condition they're in. I should probably just spend a day going through everything on the bike before deciding what to do with it.

 

[Joseph]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:21 AM, wombat258 said:

Don't worry about the head mount - the earlier heads an frames did not have that feature, and it was only added to stiffen the frame a bit.

I though that the 94-95 bikes (which this engine is off) had a slightly lighter frame, part of the weight loss programt that they undertook following the slate of critics they got for the first W bikes ?

If thats the case this engine can fit in any W frame but probably best to weld that up and re tap if it's going back in a mk2 W frame ?

[Upshotknothole]

28 minutes ago, Joseph said:

I though that the 94-95 bikes (which this engine is off) had a slightly lighter frame, part of the weight loss programt that they undertook following the slate of critics they got for the first W bikes ?

If thats the case this engine can fit in any W frame but probably best to weld that up and re tap if it's going back in a mk2 W frame ?

That was my understanding as well, and it would be easy enough to weld, but my friend that's interested in the bike only wants it as a commuter so I doubt he'd really notice it that much as is.

[Upshotknothole]

Got around to filling it up with oil today, it got used oil as I wasn't going to waste new oil on it and it's not going to be run with it. And sure enough, the seal and bearings around the shifter shaft are leaking. Wasn't immediate, but came back from talking to my neighbor for like 15-20 minutes and there's oil on the frame and dripping down the pan. Probably a lot worse if the engine is running.

Told my friend that it's not gonna be a cheap and easy bike to throw back together at this point, he can still buy it off me real cheap if he wants, otherwise I'll probably pull everything off of it that can be of use and stick the frame on a shelf until I come across an engine to put in it.