Cylinder removal methods

[DGXSER]

Ok, I have searched on this but I either get few results with nothing related, or 2000 threads most of which do not apply. I suck at the search function I guess.

I have the engine out of Thunderstruck for tear down to part out some items. A few items fellow members have asked for, others I will sell where ever it works out. I pulled the head off ( many of the fins on right side were broken off in the wreck so I consider the head itself scrap. All the valve train is in good shape though and even recently shimmed. not that is mattes since the head is scrap.)

Anyway, I want to pull the cylinders and the pistons off to lighten the thing before I flip it to get the tranny out and split the cases (cases are also scrap since many of the bolt holes for the timing and alternator covers got busted out.) So, I have read a lot about breaking the fins trying to get the cylinders off, any secret voodoo to do to avoid that? Tricks of the trade to help?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[bikerphil]

To remove the jugs, look by the upper front motor mounts. There are tabs sticking out that a big flathead screwdriver will fit under to pry the front loose and break the base gasket seal. Once you get a gap in the front, use a small screwdriver in the gap to work your way around to the back. Take your time. Also, first spray liberal amounts of PB Blaster around the studs and let it soak down to the base gasket. Piece of cake.

[TopCatGr58]

As always, Xcellent advice from Phil!

If you have a dead blow hammer or mallet, some well placed hits with that can also assist in breaking the base gasket loose. Often, due to exposure and even just corrosion...."stuff" can build up around the threads where they pass thru the jugs as they slide up and off, so checking and cleaning there can also help them to slide up and off easier.

I can't recall/remember if the JUGS fins were damaged?? If so...and you were going to trash them as well...but if the pistons and cylinders were well matched, broken in, well within specs...then you might be able to unload the pistons and SLEEVES as a set. Baking the jugs in an oven at 400 degrees or so will allow the sleeves to slide right out from what I've read by Tod/Trbig and his experience...if I'm remembering correctly!?!?

T.C.

[Bullet]

Piece of cake

Sometimes


I took apart 4 engines to get one good one set of cases for my rebuild ...

2 jugs came off pretty easy.

1 took a lot of patience

1 did not budge ..


I used some cheap dental picks and compressed air and various penetrating fluids to get all the crud out of the stud bases at the bottom of the jug before even trying to remove them ..

Dirt and crap accumalates in these pockets over the years and you have to get it out of there to get a clean removal ..

If you can get the studs out first , it's even easier..

Good luck ..

[DGXSER]

Good advice all around, thanks very much.

TC, the fins on the cylinders survived unscathed. Just the fins on the head got taken out along with no 4 spark plug. But the alternator cover got smashed by the "engine guard" and caved it in contacting and bending the windings. The timing cover was equaly mangled by the other "engine guard". but it did not hurt the timing setup or the vac advance. They might hold up to side impact, but any type of movement and they seem to bend right back and take out the engine. So I call them farkles that they sell as engine guards.

[DiverRay]

To remove the jugs WITHOUT breaking fins, use a putty knife! Drive it in with a hammer (soft blows!) a little at a time around the base. This will break the gasket loose and allow the barrels to be removed easily. I tried a LOT of other methods and this one works!

[petejw]

hey dgxser,
ive got a set of engine case guards on my bike,
i reckon those things are useless,
even at slow speeds they have a tendency to bend
and crack the side cases.

[DGXSER]

Pete, I could not have been going more than 15-20mph when I was tossed from the bike. I have put together that the road I was on had been built up by about 8-9 inches above the gravel bed beside it where the guard rail was. Forming a bit of a trough between the road and the guard rail ( a rock and a hard place so to speak). So the bike got in the trough and the left side engine guard caught the road edge and bent back throwing the bike into the guard rail (This is the point I remember thinking "this is going to hurt".) when the right side engine guard hit the guard rail, wala, toasted alternator housing. Then the bike slid down until the tires ran against the raised up blacktop and let the bike grind away against the guard rail. Creating a trashed seat grab rail, torn seat, broken right side cover (I had a spare from buying parts for Banshee) broken fins on head and no 4 spark plug on right side, and putting a beaut of a groove in the lower leg of the right side fork. Then to add insult to it all, it either ran out of guard rail or hit a post which bent the right side handlebar back to the left side and somehow the headlight got pushed into the dirt and was full of dirt and pine needles. Ohhh, and a bent frame to boot.

[petejw]

I was cringing just reading that Don,
A cpl of years ago, i put a brand new battleaxe tyre
on the back of the bike, the 1st left hand corner i went
around the arse end kicked out and skidded from under neath me, the crash bar pushed against the timing cover and cracked it, i was probably only doing
20 -30 k's. That rear tyre was coated in so much silicon, i didnt have a chance, but thats another story.
I was thinking of trying to put one of those 'bungs" (dnt know what there called) like the sports bikes have.

http://www.benefiscal.co.uk/forum/in...p?topic=7323.0

heres a link to the uk site, where a cpl of the french guys race there xs'x
u can see the 'bung' on his race bike.

[mro]

Cake?

Most of the engines I've taken a part have been a B!tch...
Some I had to soak the studs for a day with a diesel/oil mix, then clean out as much crud as I could.
If you don't have one of these, it's easier to break the cylinders loose while engine still in the frame.



This pry bar has made it a lot easier and can be used while engine is in frame.



This is the pry point, between motor mount and cylinders.



Can use a HD screw driver or ...



I can imagine someone using too much force and breaking an engine but has not happened to me ... yet.
Once I have lifted the cylinders just a little I use a putty knife like Ray says to separate the gasket from the cylinders although I seldom have had to hit it. On one really stubborn one I made some wooden wedges and drove those between case and cylinders.

Good luck
mro

[DGXSER]

And Their Off.....!!!

No, not the horses, the cylinders!! Thanks to the great advice here it was pretty close to a piece of cake. Of course the engine only had just under 30k on it.

I sprayed the bolts with liquid wrench for a couple nights letting it soak, then used a flat bar on the pry point MRO was using there. Took maybe two minutes and the cylinders popped up about 1/8" Then I used the same flat bar on the opposing spot and got that side going. From there is was just rocking it side to side a little at a time and off it went. Now to get the pistons off.

[bikerphil]

Nice, told you it was easy. But really, you were fortunate, some of them can be a real bear. Don\'t forget to number the pistons so they can go back in their correct cylinder if need be.