2005 EC200 Continual RH Crank Seal Failure

[SS109]

I love these bearings . They were expensive so Gasgas stopped using them at some point . My 2010 and 2011 had just ball bearings and they were even sealed on both sides so no premix oil got to the balls . Stupid design . Both bikes got the two piece bearing on that side . On another note I believe the 200 engines back then did not get the two piece bearing design at all . Not sure why . Would have to go double check parts diagrams . But pretty sure the 200 did not . The side to side in the 200 engines were the bearings sliding in the actual cases . My 2001 did this . Ran for years like this . I eventually got a 2004 engine and rebuilt it . It did not do it cause it was a low hour engine that was one of the 04 that had crank stuffer bolt back out and destroy engine . I also have a set of nos 200 engine cases on shelf that was sold to me by mistake as 250/300 cases . I needed the 250/300 cases for a build . Cases were boxed wrong from factory.

Some how I missed that this was about the 200. Oops.

 

[NHtrailrider]

Some how I missed that this was about the 200. Oops.

I ordered oem bearings from cpd and the LH bearing is a two piece bearing. The collar when heated fit on the crank just fine.

On disassembly I found one piece bearings in the cases. I too, like the two piece bearings

 

[Hellcat]

I ordered oem bearings from cpd and the LH bearing is a two piece bearing. The collar when heated fit on the crank just fine.

On disassembly I found one piece bearings in the cases. I too, like the two piece bearings

Not sure why but the 200 engines did not originally come with the two piece bearing . They came with both side ball bearings

 

[Hellcat]

I ordered oem bearings from cpd and the LH bearing is a two piece bearing. The collar when heated fit on the crank just fine.

On disassembly I found one piece bearings in the cases. I too, like the two piece bearings

You’re still going to have your side to side play with your crank . It’s the engine cases themselves . Not the bearings or crank

 

[NHtrailrider]

So got the engine back together and it’s running poorly in the low range. Very low power off idle. Like I cannot get going again when stalled on a hill. The bike coughs and dies. I am thinking I put too thick a base gasket in on assembly? The kit came with two and I put both in.

Measured my squish tonight…1.86mm. It’s within gas gas factory spec but could this give me low power off idle?

How about static timing? I believe the bike has a 2k-2 ignition. (Wires coming out of the stator at 10 o’clock position). I set the static timing with the “m5 timing screw” as referenced in the manual. Could I have retarded the timing too much?

Have never had a bike coughs and die from low power on a small hill like this. Bike runs well in the midrange and top. Power seems normal there. Revs cleanly.

 

[Anders]

I am thinking I put too thick a base gasket in on assembly? The kit came with two and I put both in.

Measured my squish tonight…1.86mm. It’s within gas gas factory spec but could this give me low power off idle?

I run a much tighter squish. But on the other side, I have also cut the head to get the correct compression with that low squish. These engines come with too high squish bands. They run better and are easier to jet properly if you cut the head and make it right There are some threads here about it. If you don't find them, I can look up my notes at home and come back with some details.

 

[NHtrailrider]

So I disassembled the topend and remeasured the base gaskets I installed. (.9mm). I removed the thinner gasket(.35mm) and left the thicker one.
Remeasured the squish and it is now 1.5mm. I think I am happy with this. I have not cut the head so I think this is a safe place to be.

Secondly, I have a bin of parts from a neighbor and it had a really nice stock exhaust in it labeled for a 200 so I installed it after the rebuild because my 200 pipe has seen better days. . Upon further inspection it is likely a 250/300 pipe. It is definitely a different shape then the 200 pipe I removed. Could this have been contributing to my lack of low end power?