Vindicator
New member
Jakobi, what a magnificent thread ! Congratulations ! 
S3 Race Custom Modified EC250 Complete Rebuild
- Thread starter Jakobi
- Start date
Jakobi
Super Moderator
Thanks Chief!
Well.. I got it out for a quick hour ride today. Nothing too heavy or technical and my old mans first ride in the last 12 months or more. I was pretty much just playing around behind him taking the shitty lines. Very impressed with the reduction in vibes. The Lectron is running slightly rich off the bottom but I will keep it like this as it pulls very well and is nice and torquey. The burbles clean up pretty quickly and transition into a smooth yet strong pull that continues to build. There is hardly any noticable hit in the mid range, just a change in exhaust note and even more willingness to pull. Very smooth and tractable. The top end does appear to have gained some over rev and pulls a bit further. All in all I'm very pleased with the outcome. I'll take it for another ride through the week and then take some compression readings for baselines.
It even shifts through all the gears.. I amaze myself sometimes.
Well.. I got it out for a quick hour ride today. Nothing too heavy or technical and my old mans first ride in the last 12 months or more. I was pretty much just playing around behind him taking the shitty lines. Very impressed with the reduction in vibes. The Lectron is running slightly rich off the bottom but I will keep it like this as it pulls very well and is nice and torquey. The burbles clean up pretty quickly and transition into a smooth yet strong pull that continues to build. There is hardly any noticable hit in the mid range, just a change in exhaust note and even more willingness to pull. Very smooth and tractable. The top end does appear to have gained some over rev and pulls a bit further. All in all I'm very pleased with the outcome. I'll take it for another ride through the week and then take some compression readings for baselines.
It even shifts through all the gears.. I amaze myself sometimes.
(F5)
Gold Level Site Supporter
Jakobi
Super Moderator
Hahah! Red head on the 300 cylinder I reccon.. Gotta ensure that red goes faster 
Thanks for the positive feedback. I think it went alright for a first attempt.
I went for a decent 70km ride today. After the first 20kms I pulled the tank and made an adjustment to the Lectron. Still stuck between a shy lean and rich. I prefer the leaner setting even though I give up some mid range strength its just much crisper and I prefer it like that. If I could get it in the middle I'd be stoked.
Bike ran well in the greasy conditions. Very pleased.
Thanks for the positive feedback. I think it went alright for a first attempt. I went for a decent 70km ride today. After the first 20kms I pulled the tank and made an adjustment to the Lectron. Still stuck between a shy lean and rich. I prefer the leaner setting even though I give up some mid range strength its just much crisper and I prefer it like that. If I could get it in the middle I'd be stoked.
Bike ran well in the greasy conditions. Very pleased.
Jakobi
Super Moderator
As suggested by Neil E, I put a couple light rides on it before pulling the primary side cover again to confirm the torque on the crankshaft nut and the clutch hub.
I decided to leave the clutch hub after feeling how well the pri drive was holding (plus knowing the lock washer takes care of things really well). The pri drive had to be rattled off. I cleaned the threads of the shaft and the washer and reassembled with some blue loctite. Torqued up to 98NM or there abouts. I purchased one of those digital torque adapters as they work in both directions and allowed me to use the normal 1/2 drive rachet.
For only a couple of hours on the bike the tranny oil appeared a bit sludgy towards the bottom though which I thought was a bit odd. I'm letting the loctite cure for 24hours before I top her up with oil and go for a ride.
I've also noticed (since forever) that sometimes the kickstater feels like it doesn't engage fully and slips a gear when under load. Its only once in a blue moon. I always thought it was the kick starter pinion and/or rachet, but replaced both of these and the spring as well. Any ideas?
I decided to leave the clutch hub after feeling how well the pri drive was holding (plus knowing the lock washer takes care of things really well). The pri drive had to be rattled off. I cleaned the threads of the shaft and the washer and reassembled with some blue loctite. Torqued up to 98NM or there abouts. I purchased one of those digital torque adapters as they work in both directions and allowed me to use the normal 1/2 drive rachet.
For only a couple of hours on the bike the tranny oil appeared a bit sludgy towards the bottom though which I thought was a bit odd. I'm letting the loctite cure for 24hours before I top her up with oil and go for a ride.
I've also noticed (since forever) that sometimes the kickstater feels like it doesn't engage fully and slips a gear when under load. Its only once in a blue moon. I always thought it was the kick starter pinion and/or rachet, but replaced both of these and the spring as well. Any ideas?
Amazing how much simpler things go when you know what you're doing. Basically a 2 minute job this time around. Heated cases sufficiently. Bearings dropped right in. Made sure all were seated properly and left to cool.
Now off to service the car. If I get time later I might start dropping the transmission back into the case.
In regards to fitting the crank, whats the best method? Is it worth while heating the inner race of the bearing using a socket and torch? Or just a frozen crank should drop right in?
I can see "India" prined on the outside of the main bearing. The problems we have here at work with bearing out of tollerance to the drawing is stupid. Id rather see
" Spain or Germany " on there .... Good thread by the way .....
Jakobi
Super Moderator
Didn't you post that earlier in the thread too? or was that someone else?
Yep. It says India, and while I'd rather it say Spain, Germany, Italy, etc it doesn't. Its still an SKF bearing and one would hope that they produce the same quality of bearing regardless of which factory it comes from. I don't think I'll lose any sleep over it.
Personally, next time I'll source bearings indivually from the local store instead of a kit and end up with some nice Japenese ones. You live and you learn! Thats what the whole process was about!
Jakobi
Super Moderator
GMP
Active member
Older GGs always had quality Euro bearings and seals. I guess now nothing is sacred. This weekend I had a countershaft seal start to leak, that rarely happens. Popped the collar and seal out, and on the seal is "Shen Feng". Doesn't sound Euro to me.
Sourcing your own bearings and seals is not only cheaper but you can control the quality of what goes into your rebuild.
Sourcing your own bearings and seals is not only cheaper but you can control the quality of what goes into your rebuild.
Jakobi
Super Moderator
The bike is still running fine. I still have the same slightly slippage of the starter gears from time to time though. It feels like they engage and then slip past. Its not often, but still annoys me that it does it. Does anyone have a fix for this? I thought it could have been the rachet and pinion but both were replaced during the rebuild, as was the spring? Is it just that I don't have enough tension on the spring? The starter never has any issues returning back to where it belows post kick though. Feels like it takes up where its meant to as well. I guess I should probably check the other starter gear..
GMP
Active member
Jake,
It's the spring if you have new ratchet and gear. Quality in these has been spotty lot to lot. I've had old bikes that were always fine and an '07 that always slipped until replaced. Failure mode is such that if the starter slips from a bad spring, it will soon cause the ratchet and gear teeth to be slightly rounded, then a spring alone will not fix it. You would be surprised how little wear on those parts causes a problem, barely detectable. Try another spring.
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It's the spring if you have new ratchet and gear. Quality in these has been spotty lot to lot. I've had old bikes that were always fine and an '07 that always slipped until replaced. Failure mode is such that if the starter slips from a bad spring, it will soon cause the ratchet and gear teeth to be slightly rounded, then a spring alone will not fix it. You would be surprised how little wear on those parts causes a problem, barely detectable. Try another spring.
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Jakobi
Super Moderator
Thanks Glenn. Very strange that both springs would exhibit the same issue in the same manner. I'm sure both were replaced too. The one behind the rachet, as well as the one on the shaft itself. For this, can you confirm we're talking about the small spring behind the rachet? It makes sense if that wasn't strong enough it would sometimes not positively engage the teeth on the rachet to the back of the starter.
I'm a knob. Just checked the spares and the invoice. I don't think I replaced the spring behind (part ME25636006). That would explain everything.. *bangs head* Better order another one. Looks like the side cover will be coming off one more time yet.. Heres hoping the couple of times its slipped it hasn't damaged the rachet or pinion. I could probably count them on one hand though.
I'm a knob. Just checked the spares and the invoice. I don't think I replaced the spring behind (part ME25636006). That would explain everything.. *bangs head* Better order another one. Looks like the side cover will be coming off one more time yet.. Heres hoping the couple of times its slipped it hasn't damaged the rachet or pinion. I could probably count them on one hand though.
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Jakobi
Super Moderator
Also in this pic. Rachet and pinion. Starter spring. But not the small spring behind the rachet. I can only laugh at my stupidity sometimes. I'll order one next week and then change it out at the next oil change. I might grab another water pump impellor and do that at the same time.. And clean the pipe again.. and inspect the piston through the exhaust port..
Did anyone want any specific photos taken while I'm in there?
