Working on my 99’ KDX200 engine. At 15, I’m not very experienced, but due to your videos and a manual... I’m on my way to a successful rebuild and an even more successful bike. Hopefully...
Gabe Williams I rebuilt my 01 kx 85 from the ground up at 13 ish and rebuilt a yfz 450 top and bottom end at 14 and now working on rebuilding my new 88 kx 250
Great job Cameron! Good to see someone on TH-cam doing a rebuild like a true professional. Notice how clean the engine parts are and how organized and patient he is going through the process. Video/sound quality also excellent!
Good job you checked the shaft end plays. Another tip, take pics during dis-assembly so you have a reference to look at putting it back together. Take gears off the shafts and lay them in a line as they come apart, like the parts diagram exploded view, and take a pic of them. If you loose a part during cleaning it'll be apparent when you look back at the images.
Cam I literally had the exact same problem building a cr80. Same washer. Its together now thankfully. Thanks for sending the drive chain so quickly. I Couldn't be happier with your store. 🤘
I'm relieved to see you're using the oven for the casings. And yes you need to drop the bearing in the second you get it out of the oven or what happened there with the bearing sticking out will happen. By the time you pick up the can of cooling spray and use it that cases will have cooled too much, it should be fine without the spray so long as you don't hesitate putting the bearings in.
Love your videos! Longtime removed from this sport which I grew up participating in. This reminds me of when my Pops and I would prep my bikes before amateur races. Wasn't uncommon at all to do this type of work after the season. Grew lots, turned to basketball which paid for school, now I'm a web dev. Your channel has inspired me to start looking for a bike and get back to enjoying what I always loved doing most - ridin dirty! Keep up the good work my friend, it's well received.
Hi mate, you are thorough and you are doing good work. You should use heaps more oil during assembly and not that red rubbish you used! Use something mineral based thats no thinner than 15W. Just make sure it doesn't contain 'friction modifiers because of wet clutch. Get an oil can and squirt some into bearings and spin it in. Even the bearing housings before you tap bearings in, so no chance of damaging housing. Yes it's more messy. Wear nitrile surgical gloves. If it runs out onto gasket surface area use break-cleaner on a rag and wipe clean. You know what your doing, just use more oil. I know when you fill crank it gets in there, but we talking assembly here. Things bind and get air pockets and can repel oil for longer than you think. All threads, shafts, splines should be smeared with oil before you tap them in and before your gear/shafts cover them. Even thin smear of oil on the inside of housing before tapping them in stop binding and chewing of case and even knock down tension on case. The real tip I give you are sealed bearings that dont rotate much compared to wheel bearings. E.g headset, swingarm etc. Get a scribe and carefully pick out seal from the outside circumference only. Do both sides and use compressed air and blow that shit quality factory vaseline grade rubbish out. Buy some molibdimen disulphate grease and virtually fill it 80% full. You can do same to wheel bearings but only 50% max. Cheers from Baydo .
Rebuilding an XR 200 a few years ago I followed the book and was determined to get a click-click out of the engine.....new crank/piston/etc and on break-in I still had the clicking.......ran the gap on the rockers several times and still had the click. The engine had never been apart before and buttoned up nice. To make a long story short...it had come from the factory lacking a thrust washer on the end of the rocker shaft. For 73 cents I got a new one from Honda and the click went away. Crazy things happen!
An inspection like you mentioned would have showed that... Even the best make mistakes Cameron. You could have pretended it never happened... I appreciate this video big time as it has taken the intimidation out of a bottom end rebuild that I will be doing to exchange faulty 17 cases for updated 18s on my 17 250sx. Thanks man and enjoy your Rocky Mountain weekend. I would go, but stuck working.
i watched this video before tearing my kawasaki's down end for changing main bearings and seals. i was kinda afraid for that job... But that was the easyest job that i have done. it took me 4 hours to rebuild the whole engine.
There are actual freeze sprays available as well. Dry ice is very good though, just remember to keep an window open and the cooler in the trunk while driving home from the supplier, co2 evaporating from the dry ice can make you sleepy in hurry. Good stuff, keep it up!
Wow! This is the only channel ive seen where everything is done step by step and each step is explained. Ive searched youtube for months trying to find this.
As a young mechanic I ate an entire engine/trans R&R because I think I put a thrust washer on the wrong side or something ....was a hundred years ago so ...anyway I LEARNED to double triple quadruple check! Because that is OUCH! I mean I put the entire bike back to together and test rode it before i found out! Waaaa ....had to take every fricken thing back apart and split the cases and reassemble ...at least it was all nice and clean! After less than 2 years of professional wrenching? Being SCREWED over by shop labor charges with them taking half and the ULTRA stingy "flat rate" schedule Kawasaki had at the time? I knew there HAD TO BE a better way to make a living ...turns out there are LOTS of better ways to make a living! Take for example Kawasaki flat rate to Remove and tear down a Z1 (900cc inline 4 cylinder) ...EIGHT HOURS! I shit you not ..EIGHT HOURS to pull that big ol engine, remove the entire top end, split the cases and then reassemble it all running again ....EIGHT HOURS...yeah maybe in a FACTORY with all sterile brand new parts and air tools galore hanging with the right sockets in each one ...and after someone learned it for a while...but a filthy motor? You have to super clean first! Lock tighted together? with the inevitable stripped threads and broken screws just trying to get the thing apart?...I HATED warranty work! You had to cheat to sort of break even and create some fictitious non existent extra problems you had to fix on warranty ...which I mean is wrong but? you know? And the shops? They loved to be kind to customers at the mechanic's expense ...how would YOU like to repair several flats and/or install new tires? For FIVE BUCKS wheel ON BIKE? (drop everything rush jobs btw) ..The ONLY breathing room was the non warranty diagnostic and repair ....well and servicing still really new bikes made good money on services and non warranty repairs ...but the tire changes and warranty repairs were just KILLERS! Also being interrupted all the time to come up and help the parts counter idiot work with the customer idiot trying to buy parts for his bike...they had no idea what to call something and forgot what it looked like etc ..."Doug could you come out here and help us" ...Sure I get paid ZERO dollars an hour for ANYTHING but work orders ....but SURE let me just drop everything and help out ...what I live for.....NOT....
Goes to show you cannot skimp on installing a simple flat washer if it was shown on the manufacturers' exploded view of the gearbox. Thanks for showing us how the gearbox will bind when the washer is not installed too! You probably saved me from another headache or 'swearing fest' after I had put the box back together!
You do good work dude. Very meticulous. Great attention to detail. This engine will be way better than when it left the factory for sure. One thing I do is locate the gasket with the case bolts. Often it's not necessary, but on those few occasions when the gasket isn't a perfect fit, this helps avoid the bolts catching as you fit them blind later. I've known a gasket to get pulled out of position and then break at that point.
Hi Cameron, great video. Just a few points. I would not be too worried about localised heating of case before fitting crank. Aluminium soaks up heat very quickly & dissipates throughout the case with no obvious warping issues. Also when the engine is started it warms up unevenly anyway without any warping issues. I have found that more often than not, that cranks are a tighter fit in the LH case than in the RH. So I usually pull the crank into the LH case first & assemble everything in the LH case, then the RH case usually just slides on. Some cranks are a tight fit in both bearings, so in that case it does not matter which side you assemble in, but I will heat up the entire opposite case so you have more time to slide it on before it cools. Heating up the inner race only as you have discovered does not work well. Don't worry about the heat damaging the seals as they can handle a bit of heat, as long as you do not direct a gas flame or heat gun directly at the seals.
Use dry ice throw all the bearing over night.I use a toaster oven to heat up to 300 degrees .The shift drum bearing is pretty wimpy so it must drop by itself to bottom of case.Take your time and don't rush have a plan and prep.Good vid.
Thank you very much for this great video. Im about to rip into a crf 250. Some of the gears are slipping. You just boosted my confidence. I love your great quality videos. You are an inspiration to everyone who is ready to accept it.
Draw the general shape of the crankcase on a piece of cardboard, and poke holes where the bolts go. As you disassemble, push the bolts in the holes until you assemble. That way you don’t have to guess where they go. Can do this with side covers as well. I keep the cardboard mockups in my shop for reuse.
Most if not all, big four crankshafts are machined press fit into the mag side and slide fit into clutch side. You should always fit the crank into left (mag side) first, makes it way easyer.
When rebuilding transmissions it is very important to know that the thrust washers have a barely noticeable chamfered edge on just one side. Same with the spline washers and circlips that go on the shafts. The chamfered edge always faces towards the thrust load side of the gear or bushing. If installed incorreclty it will still seem to shift smooth and mesh correctly, but it could eventually cause premature failure or overheating of the components and anything they come in contact with. Nice build! I really like that engine stand!
So awesome man!, I haven't rebuilt an engine in over 22 years it was a 350 small block in my 1971 blazer, I love watching detailed engine assembling like this! Your CR is going to be bad ass!
Lol. I had a lot of trouble telling which washer went where when I did a similar rebuild on a CM250c. None of the manuals were clear on which washers went where, and if you swap any of them you will end up with problems. Everything is done to spec on those engines, so when you take them apart use calipers to measure washer thickness and record where it came from. That way if you mix them up or lose them you can easily get it sorted out. Nice rebuild setup you have there. Very clean.
Sweet build! I blew up my 10’ husky TE250, so it’s getting rebuilt by a shop, the next time, I’m going to try it myself using your vid as guidance! Great job.
That's crazy how something that small like a little washer can hold the deal up and make something go wrong but it's good to know those things like you said double checking your work awesome can't wait to see the next video
The feeling of doing a full engine rebuild and installing the engine back on the bike just to realize that something is wrong with the transmission is pretty lovely. Happened to me when I was working on my ktm.
You were right about the main bearing seals needing to be slightly deeper than what would be level with the crank case. The manual specifies a certain depth
To put the crankcases together, it is easy to leave out the main bearing seal to get good heat quickly into the inner bearing race, then the crank slips through with zero resistance. The seal is easy to install after, especially with that tool you have.
Nice and clean build. It´s important to check everything when assemble and not be in a hurry. One washer missing can end in a ruined engine or several crushed gears. Put some grease to the inner race of the seals, or else they can burn up.
Thank you for the video, I just bought a 2004 crf250r and i found out yesterday it needs to have a new crank. I’ll definitely be using your videos for my rebuild once I can afford parts
Good explanation. High strength / high temp loctite is recommended. Dry/clean gaskets bake together better after several heat cycles. Less chance of air leaks... Braaaaaap Braaaaaap
This is some outstanding work Cameron! Can't wait for new videos. Thanks for video taping all of it and explaining step by step. Now I perfectly understand how the transmission works! Keep the good work coming!
Why bother when the bearings had been in the freezer over night, plus they would not thermally expand fast enough to warrant the use of a freeze spray.
Always keep the old bearings. You can put the old outer race on the new one to press in the bearing in. Plus I recommend to put some oil on the thread off the pulling tool - can make a difference.
Im always enjoy studying about engine parts and to see someone whom very passionate of having his work done like you is so inspiring. Keep the good work bro! And get well soon! From Malaysia with love 👍
Thanks Cam' your video is worth so much to me! I would of wasted endless hours through trial and error to get the parts of my gearbox fitting together. And you give great little tips along the way - to save on maintenance, mistakes or do a quality job. 'A thousand thank you's' Keep the vid's coming!
I know what your going through first hand. My 2002 Xr650r was actually missing a few thrust washers and the dogs were pretty worn causing the bike to “automatically” shift from 2nd to 3rd gear under heavy throttle. Dangerous to say the least. It’s amazing how a few $3.00 washers can hold up a build. Or O-rings for that matter. Good luck bud
Only thing I may add is, as you were pulling the cases together, I would tap on the rear of the cases with a soft small hammer, just to make sure the cases are coming down square and flat, just a soft slight tap
My first bottom end rebuild I almost had the crank pulled in all the way, looked on the table and a couple gears were sitting there! Don't assemble engines at 3am with little sleep. Had to clean the sealer off the gasket and start over
I believe you might be actually warming up the bearings slightly by spraying them IMHO. I use dry ice or liquid nitrogen as an A&P Mechanic on aircraft but I know that's not readily available or cheap for most people. Don't even stop for a few seconds like you did in the video before installing the new bearings, they have to be installed immediately after coming out of the freezer, same with the covers coming out of the oven. Work as quickly as you can & don't use pliers that are at room temp. Put the crank tool, pliers & any size matching sockets or bearing installation bushings in the freezer with the bearings. Your pliers are transferring/conducting heat into the bearings if they're not as cold as the bearing you're installing. Most bearings should drop right in place but if they don't drop right in use a socket or bearing bushing installer tool frozen at the same temp as the bearing to push it in place as quickly & straight down as possible. Hyd press should not be needed if you clean out the bearing cavity real good. Use a 3M Scotch-Brite 37448 Ultra Fine Pad by hand to remove any built up gunk & try not to remove any metal using light pressure only when cleaning out the bearing cavities. Keep up the great work. I hope & pray you get well soon. I would love to see you rebuild & restore a Honda CR500 also in your future videos (I have a 91 & a 94). I'm sure you'll get a lot of views!
you can use a small bit of grease or assy lube for the washer(s) on the bottom side of the gear cluster to prevent the washer from sliding down the shaft when fitting the cluster into the case,good vid.
you put the case halfs together the difficult way! one side of the crank fits tighter than the other as you found out! put the crank in the tight side first use a puck of steel( like a bushing driver) heated up on a stove burner and set that on your bearing to preheat the race slip the crank in drop the transmission in and then the other half just slips on
great vid, crazy how the smallest oversight can be so consequential, first time I actually understood whats going on in my dirt bikes transmission, thank you!!
'Lesson', I take from this. - Always check your work progressively. You don't want the nightmare of trying to figure out what you did wrong after you put the gearbox halves - back into the frame!
It is really easy to rebuild a bike transmission, did this on my old moped. you have to pay close attention to the spacers and stuff like that because if you get it wrong you might end up with a transmission that won't shift.
If you freeze the crankshaft and assemble the stator side first you won't need to pull the crank in with the puller as the clutch side bearing has more clearance for the crankshaft to slide in
Brooo! This probably the best TH-cam channel, i really love what you do, I've been through all of your videos and they are amazing, alot of things to learn from you.. I appreciate what you do buddy, n i can't wait until the CR engine is complete.. All the support and best of luck 👍👍💪
Don't ride, don't repair, I have zero interest in bikes BUT your video is killer and I love watching them, I do build engines but for vintage cars, its amazing how similar they are in process, I reckon you are one of the few rebuilders that actually cares and cleans and gets the parts to better than new.
Great detailed video!! Thanks so much. Ive got to get my RMX250 back together...its in pieces. A buddy is helping me do the work because I have never split cases before. I had a bearing go out, and she starting smoking REAL bad...hopefully sometime this summer we can get to work on my own rebuild.
Dude, I've watched a few of your videos now and they are really well done but this bottom end rebuild really does simplify things! Thanks for the great vids man.
I had to split my cases three times before I finally got my transmission correctly assembled, but after you do it right once, it's really easy, I would never let a shop charge 3 grand for something like this
When u get the engine together and put oil in it, move the kickstarter up and down several times to disperse the oil throughout the engine before starting it, the manual for my bike tells you to do that every time you change the oil and thought it wouldnt be a bad idea
StilwellMotovlogger not recommend for every bike but good comment everytime you change the trans oil In a bike it flows over the gears when you are putting the fluid into it so I wouldn't say that every bike needs this procedure but it's just my opinion ..........have a great 1 solider
Those crankshaft seals are going to pop out if you lube the outer surface because there is pressure in the crankcase. Only lube the inner surface so it won't leak.
If you don't have a special crankshaft puller and dont want to spend 80 bucks on it, just put 3 out of 4 engine mount bolts in and start tightening them down evenly in a circle with very small increments. it will draw the case halves together in the same way
Hey man great video awesome editing and so on. But I do wanna say I would use OEM bearings for any cranks never ever go with Hot Rods Bearings just from personal experience here! Also I would much rather tap the bearing in the res of the way or you chance cracking or fracturing the aluminum with a press. Over all great video!
Dont forget that the washers and c clips on the transmission are supposed to face a certain direction. Each one has a flat side and a rounded side. Not all of them face the same direction.
That is a great video! I love how you always show and explain each step very clearly.My son is going to be rebuilding his 2004 yz250 bottom end this summer.👍
Another amazing video! It’s finally coming together! Excellent tip on the grease and the gasket. A dab of oil works well also. I use this method for all gaskets in the motor. I hate scraping baked on gaskets.
Great work Cameron.. Just noticed the gasket covering some other holes rather than the case bolt ones. Check with the manual that it is not covering any oil passages or something. Keep up the nice videos going...
my friend's mixed up the main shaft and counter shaft thrust washers on his 450 honda and it ran but the second time he rode it the clutch quit working upon inspection the bearing broke the case due to no end shaft play 300 dollars later for a used case. the washers are different thickness. all he had to do is check end play or look at parts diagram it tells the thickness of washer. service manual does not. my book does because i wrote it in the book.
Who's excited to see this engine go together?
Cameron Niemela Keep making vids, they are dope and they are really helping me build my engine right now. 😀
I am
me
I´m so excited to see how this engine will run on the bike :-D XD
Cameron Niemela I wanna see the whole bike together
Solid Work! Can't wait to see the end project-Chase
Love you guys
Working on my 99’ KDX200 engine. At 15, I’m not very experienced, but due to your videos and a manual... I’m on my way to a successful rebuild and an even more successful bike. Hopefully...
Gabe Williams I rebuilt my 01 kx 85 from the ground up at 13 ish and rebuilt a yfz 450 top and bottom end at 14 and now working on rebuilding my new 88 kx 250
Did you ever finish it
I really enjoy watching the level of detail you put in rebuilding these bikes. I am looking for a 2000-2003 CR 250 that I can restore for myself
Great job Cameron! Good to see someone on TH-cam doing a rebuild like a true professional. Notice how clean the engine parts are and how organized and patient he is going through the process. Video/sound quality also excellent!
I didn’t know what day it was but I’m excited now too two years later!
Good job you checked the shaft end plays.
Another tip, take pics during dis-assembly so you have a reference to look at putting it back together.
Take gears off the shafts and lay them in a line as they come apart, like the parts diagram exploded view, and take a pic of them.
If you loose a part during cleaning it'll be apparent when you look back at the images.
I know, that suggestion wasn't for Cameron.
This bike is gonna be killer!
I think it is already DEAD on the table.
Cam I literally had the exact same problem building a cr80. Same washer. Its together now thankfully. Thanks for sending the drive chain so quickly. I Couldn't be happier with your store. 🤘
That’s great to hear! Thanks for your business Brian.
I'm relieved to see you're using the oven for the casings.
And yes you need to drop the bearing in the second you get it out of the oven or what happened there with the bearing sticking out will happen.
By the time you pick up the can of cooling spray and use it that cases will have cooled too much, it should be fine without the spray so long as you don't hesitate putting the bearings in.
What kinds of coolings sprays can you put the names here?
@@mt1885 Computer duster works well if you flip the can upside down. You could also use liquid butane or propane.
@@inoahmann7542 THANKS on the replies - I will try that out!
@@mt1885 Try a CO2 fire extinguisher.
Are you really that stupid using highly flammable gases ? why not use Arctic spray . More commonly known as liquid Nitrogen in an aerosol.
Love your videos! Longtime removed from this sport which I grew up participating in. This reminds me of when my Pops and I would prep my bikes before amateur races. Wasn't uncommon at all to do this type of work after the season. Grew lots, turned to basketball which paid for school, now I'm a web dev. Your channel has inspired me to start looking for a bike and get back to enjoying what I always loved doing most - ridin dirty! Keep up the good work my friend, it's well received.
Hi mate, you are thorough and you are doing good work.
You should use heaps more oil during assembly and not that red rubbish you used!
Use something mineral based thats no thinner than 15W. Just make sure it doesn't contain 'friction modifiers because of wet clutch. Get an oil can and squirt some into bearings and spin it in. Even the bearing housings before you tap bearings in, so no chance of damaging housing. Yes it's more messy. Wear nitrile surgical gloves. If it runs out onto gasket surface area use break-cleaner on a rag and wipe clean.
You know what your doing, just use more oil. I know when you fill crank it gets in there, but we talking assembly here. Things bind and get air pockets and can repel oil for longer than you think.
All threads, shafts, splines should be smeared with oil before you tap them in and before your gear/shafts cover them. Even thin smear of oil on the inside of housing before tapping them in stop binding and chewing of case and even knock down tension on case.
The real tip I give you are sealed bearings that dont rotate much compared to wheel bearings. E.g headset, swingarm etc. Get a scribe and carefully pick out seal from the outside circumference only. Do both sides and use compressed air and blow that shit quality factory vaseline grade rubbish out. Buy some molibdimen disulphate grease and virtually fill it 80% full.
You can do same to wheel bearings but only 50% max.
Cheers from Baydo
.
Rebuilding an XR 200 a few years ago I followed the book and was determined to get a click-click out of the engine.....new crank/piston/etc and on break-in I still had the clicking.......ran the gap on the rockers several times and still had the click. The engine had never been apart before and buttoned up nice. To make a long story short...it had come from the factory lacking a thrust washer on the end of the rocker shaft. For 73 cents I got a new one from Honda and the click went away. Crazy things happen!
An inspection like you mentioned would have showed that... Even the best make mistakes Cameron. You could have pretended it never happened... I appreciate this video big time as it has taken the intimidation out of a bottom end rebuild that I will be doing to exchange faulty 17 cases for updated 18s on my 17 250sx. Thanks man and enjoy your Rocky Mountain weekend. I would go, but stuck working.
i watched this video before tearing my kawasaki's down end for changing main bearings and seals. i was kinda afraid for that job... But that was the easyest job that i have done. it took me 4 hours to rebuild the whole engine.
There are actual freeze sprays available as well. Dry ice is very good though, just remember to keep an window open and the cooler in the trunk while driving home from the supplier, co2 evaporating from the dry ice can make you sleepy in hurry.
Good stuff, keep it up!
Wow! This is the only channel ive seen where everything is done step by step and each step is explained. Ive searched youtube for months trying to find this.
As a young mechanic I ate an entire engine/trans R&R because I think I put a thrust washer on the wrong side or something ....was a hundred years ago so ...anyway I LEARNED to double triple quadruple check! Because that is OUCH! I mean I put the entire bike back to together and test rode it before i found out! Waaaa ....had to take every fricken thing back apart and split the cases and reassemble ...at least it was all nice and clean! After less than 2 years of professional wrenching? Being SCREWED over by shop labor charges with them taking half and the ULTRA stingy "flat rate" schedule Kawasaki had at the time? I knew there HAD TO BE a better way to make a living ...turns out there are LOTS of better ways to make a living! Take for example Kawasaki flat rate to Remove and tear down a Z1 (900cc inline 4 cylinder) ...EIGHT HOURS! I shit you not ..EIGHT HOURS to pull that big ol engine, remove the entire top end, split the cases and then reassemble it all running again ....EIGHT HOURS...yeah maybe in a FACTORY with all sterile brand new parts and air tools galore hanging with the right sockets in each one ...and after someone learned it for a while...but a filthy motor? You have to super clean first! Lock tighted together? with the inevitable stripped threads and broken screws just trying to get the thing apart?...I HATED warranty work! You had to cheat to sort of break even and create some fictitious non existent extra problems you had to fix on warranty ...which I mean is wrong but? you know? And the shops? They loved to be kind to customers at the mechanic's expense ...how would YOU like to repair several flats and/or install new tires? For FIVE BUCKS wheel ON BIKE? (drop everything rush jobs btw) ..The ONLY breathing room was the non warranty diagnostic and repair ....well and servicing still really new bikes made good money on services and non warranty repairs ...but the tire changes and warranty repairs were just KILLERS! Also being interrupted all the time to come up and help the parts counter idiot work with the customer idiot trying to buy parts for his bike...they had no idea what to call something and forgot what it looked like etc ..."Doug could you come out here and help us" ...Sure I get paid ZERO dollars an hour for ANYTHING but work orders ....but SURE let me just drop everything and help out ...what I live for.....NOT....
Goes to show you cannot skimp on installing a simple flat washer if it was shown on the manufacturers' exploded view of the gearbox.
Thanks for showing us how the gearbox will bind when the washer is not installed too!
You probably saved me from another headache or 'swearing fest' after I had put the box back together!
You do good work dude. Very meticulous. Great attention to detail. This engine will be way better than when it left the factory for sure.
One thing I do is locate the gasket with the case bolts. Often it's not necessary, but on those few occasions when the gasket isn't a perfect fit, this helps avoid the bolts catching as you fit them blind later. I've known a gasket to get pulled out of position and then break at that point.
Hi Cameron, great video. Just a few points. I would not be too worried about localised heating of case before fitting crank. Aluminium soaks up heat very quickly & dissipates throughout the case with no obvious warping issues. Also when the engine is started it warms up unevenly anyway without any warping issues. I have found that more often than not, that cranks are a tighter fit in the LH case than in the RH. So I usually pull the crank into the LH case first & assemble everything in the LH case, then the RH case usually just slides on. Some cranks are a tight fit in both bearings, so in that case it does not matter which side you assemble in, but I will heat up the entire opposite case so you have more time to slide it on before it cools. Heating up the inner race only as you have discovered does not work well. Don't worry about the heat damaging the seals as they can handle a bit of heat, as long as you do not direct a gas flame or heat gun directly at the seals.
Use dry ice throw all the bearing over night.I use a toaster oven to heat up to 300 degrees .The shift drum bearing is pretty wimpy so it must drop by itself to bottom of case.Take your time and don't rush have a plan and prep.Good vid.
Thank you very much for this great video. Im about to rip into a crf 250. Some of the gears are slipping. You just boosted my confidence. I love your great quality videos.
You are an inspiration to everyone who is ready to accept it.
Draw the general shape of the crankcase on a piece of cardboard, and poke holes where the bolts go. As you disassemble, push the bolts in the holes until you assemble. That way you don’t have to guess where they go. Can do this with side covers as well. I keep the cardboard mockups in my shop for reuse.
Carto Scro genius
Most if not all, big four crankshafts are machined press fit into the mag side and slide fit into clutch side. You should always fit the crank into left (mag side) first, makes it way easyer.
When rebuilding transmissions it is very important to know that the thrust washers have a barely noticeable chamfered edge on just one side. Same with the spline washers and circlips that go on the shafts. The chamfered edge always faces towards the thrust load side of the gear or bushing. If installed incorreclty it will still seem to shift smooth and mesh correctly, but it could eventually cause premature failure or overheating of the components and anything they come in contact with. Nice build! I really like that engine stand!
So awesome man!, I haven't rebuilt an engine in over 22 years it was a 350 small block in my 1971 blazer, I love watching detailed engine assembling like this! Your CR is going to be bad ass!
Lol. I had a lot of trouble telling which washer went where when I did a similar rebuild on a CM250c. None of the manuals were clear on which washers went where, and if you swap any of them you will end up with problems. Everything is done to spec on those engines, so when you take them apart use calipers to measure washer thickness and record where it came from. That way if you mix them up or lose them you can easily get it sorted out. Nice rebuild setup you have there. Very clean.
Sweet build! I blew up my 10’ husky TE250, so it’s getting rebuilt by a shop, the next time, I’m going to try it myself using your vid as guidance! Great job.
That's crazy how something that small like a little washer can hold the deal up and make something go wrong but it's good to know those things like you said double checking your work awesome can't wait to see the next video
The feeling of doing a full engine rebuild and installing the engine back on the bike just to realize that something is wrong with the transmission is pretty lovely. Happened to me when I was working on my ktm.
You were right about the main bearing seals needing to be slightly deeper than what would be level with the crank case. The manual specifies a certain depth
To put the crankcases together, it is easy to leave out the main bearing seal to get good heat quickly into the inner bearing race, then the crank slips through with zero resistance. The seal is easy to install after, especially with that tool you have.
Nice and clean build. It´s important to check everything when assemble and not be in a hurry. One washer missing can end in a ruined engine or several crushed gears. Put some grease to the inner race of the seals, or else they can burn up.
About to tear down my 2005 CR250 for an engine build this fall. First time doing a lower end, so I know this video will be a HUGE help!! thanks man
Thanks for showing the resplitting of the cases. Mistakes happen and you handled it perfectly. Real world stuff here.
Thank you for the video, I just bought a 2004 crf250r and i found out yesterday it needs to have a new crank. I’ll definitely be using your videos for my rebuild once I can afford parts
Good explanation. High strength / high temp loctite is recommended. Dry/clean gaskets bake together better after several heat cycles. Less chance of air leaks... Braaaaaap Braaaaaap
This is some outstanding work Cameron! Can't wait for new videos. Thanks for video taping all of it and explaining step by step. Now I perfectly understand how the transmission works! Keep the good work coming!
Really good job. Most engines don't get put together with this type of quality.
Your so awesome bro I would never afford a machanic you gave me confidence to do this
CRC has purpose made spray to freeze, works better then dust remover :P Also the longer u give the spray the colder its gonna get. Not fast squirts
Why bother when the bearings had been in the freezer over night, plus they would not thermally expand fast enough to warrant the use of a freeze spray.
THANKS FOR SHOWING YOUR SCREW UP AND TOTAL HONESTY,really
Always keep the old bearings. You can put the old outer race on the new one to press in the bearing in. Plus I recommend to put some oil on the thread off the pulling tool - can make a difference.
You make this look incredibly easy.Great video certainly something to look at for anybody assembling a motorcycle.
Im always enjoy studying about engine parts and to see someone whom very passionate of having his work done like you is so inspiring. Keep the good work bro! And get well soon! From Malaysia with love 👍
Thanks Cam' your video is worth so much to me! I would of wasted endless hours through trial and error to get the parts of my gearbox fitting together.
And you give great little tips along the way - to save on maintenance, mistakes or do a quality job.
'A thousand thank you's'
Keep the vid's coming!
I know what your going through first hand. My 2002 Xr650r was actually missing a few thrust washers and the dogs were pretty worn causing the bike to “automatically” shift from 2nd to 3rd gear under heavy throttle. Dangerous to say the least. It’s amazing how a few $3.00 washers can hold up a build. Or O-rings for that matter. Good luck bud
I could spend hours watching ... wait a min ... I do spend hours watching this kinda stuff ... love it.
Man what you do has no name, you do it like no other, amazing!
Only thing I may add is, as you were pulling the cases together, I would tap on the rear of the cases with a soft small hammer, just to make sure the cases are coming down square and flat, just a soft slight tap
My first bottom end rebuild I almost had the crank pulled in all the way, looked on the table and a couple gears were sitting there! Don't assemble engines at 3am with little sleep. Had to clean the sealer off the gasket and start over
Hopefully with all the effort you put into making this beautiful, that you had the Crank balanced.
I believe you might be actually warming up the bearings slightly by spraying them IMHO. I use dry ice or liquid nitrogen as an A&P Mechanic on aircraft but I know that's not readily available or cheap for most people. Don't even stop for a few seconds like you did in the video before installing the new bearings, they have to be installed immediately after coming out of the freezer, same with the covers coming out of the oven. Work as quickly as you can & don't use pliers that are at room temp. Put the crank tool, pliers & any size matching sockets or bearing installation bushings in the freezer with the bearings. Your pliers are transferring/conducting heat into the bearings if they're not as cold as the bearing you're installing. Most bearings should drop right in place but if they don't drop right in use a socket or bearing bushing installer tool frozen at the same temp as the bearing to push it in place as quickly & straight down as possible. Hyd press should not be needed if you clean out the bearing cavity real good. Use a 3M Scotch-Brite 37448 Ultra Fine Pad by hand to remove any built up gunk & try not to remove any metal using light pressure only when cleaning out the bearing cavities. Keep up the great work. I hope & pray you get well soon. I would love to see you rebuild & restore a Honda CR500 also in your future videos (I have a 91 & a 94). I'm sure you'll get a lot of views!
you can use a small bit of grease or assy lube for the washer(s) on the bottom side of the gear cluster to prevent the washer from sliding down the shaft when fitting the cluster into the case,good vid.
That new crank looks incredible...
you put the case halfs together the difficult way! one side of the crank fits tighter than the other as you found out! put the crank in the tight side first use a puck of steel( like a bushing driver) heated up on a stove burner and set that on your bearing to preheat the race slip the crank in drop the transmission in and then the other half just slips on
great vid, crazy how the smallest oversight can be so consequential, first time I actually understood whats going on in my dirt bikes transmission, thank you!!
Very professional and honest, I’d let you rebuild my engine Cameron.
Thanks for sharing
'Lesson', I take from this. - Always check your work progressively.
You don't want the nightmare of trying to figure out what you did wrong after you put the gearbox halves - back into the frame!
Get her done right. So exited to see how this bike will turn out!
These videos are addicting. Its amazing how clean you get everything!
Good call on cracking open the gearbox again
Top tip cooling the bearings and heating the casings. almost drop in if you get it right , as you’ve shown here 👍🏻
In terms of expanding the crankcases try boiling hot water out of the kettle on bearing area.bearings pop on nicely.no warping
It is really easy to rebuild a bike transmission, did this on my old moped.
you have to pay close attention to the spacers and stuff like that because if you get it wrong you might end up with a transmission that won't shift.
What a nice down to earth video. Reminds me when I rebuilt my 78 Yamaha dt400 transmission.
Well at least you caught it before it was completely put back together. Nicely done.
My wife loves your videos and is a huge fan, despite not really knowing much about bikes. "He's a nice guy"!
Haha that's awesome!
If you freeze the crankshaft and assemble the stator side first you won't need to pull the crank in with the puller as the clutch side bearing has more clearance for the crankshaft to slide in
Brooo! This probably the best TH-cam channel, i really love what you do, I've been through all of your videos and they are amazing, alot of things to learn from you.. I appreciate what you do buddy, n i can't wait until the CR engine is complete.. All the support and best of luck 👍👍💪
Don't ride, don't repair, I have zero interest in bikes BUT your video is killer and I love watching them, I do build engines but for vintage cars, its amazing how similar they are in process, I reckon you are one of the few rebuilders that actually cares and cleans and gets the parts to better than new.
Great detailed video!! Thanks so much. Ive got to get my RMX250 back together...its in pieces. A buddy is helping me do the work because I have never split cases before. I had a bearing go out, and she starting smoking REAL bad...hopefully sometime this summer we can get to work on my own rebuild.
Thanks for referring us to rocky mountain very helpful diagrams.
Dude watching those bearings go in was amazing. I've never done anything but fight them.
This is just pure awesomness!
I've enjoyed most all of your rebuild video's but this has got to be one of my favorites by far.
I have a 04 crf450. Awesome work!
One of the first best video on a 2 stroke engine rebuild!!!
Dude, I've watched a few of your videos now and they are really well done but this bottom end rebuild really does simplify things! Thanks for the great vids man.
I had to split my cases three times before I finally got my transmission correctly assembled, but after you do it right once, it's really easy, I would never let a shop charge 3 grand for something like this
That engine looks brand new. Nice job brother.
Cameron the pieces or square rod are for your splitter tool. The installer doesn't use them. And that is one sweet looking motor
you can use a CO2 fire extinguisher, it comes out at -260c to cool the bearings
When u get the engine together and put oil in it, move the kickstarter up and down several times to disperse the oil throughout the engine before starting it, the manual for my bike tells you to do that every time you change the oil and thought it wouldnt be a bad idea
StilwellMotovlogger not recommend for every bike but good comment everytime you change the trans oil In a bike it flows over the gears when you are putting the fluid into it so I wouldn't say that every bike needs this procedure but it's just my opinion ..........have a great 1 solider
Those crankshaft seals are going to pop out if you lube the outer surface because there is pressure in the crankcase. Only lube the inner surface so it won't leak.
Love the videos Cameron, I’m currently rebuilding my 04 CRF250R from the ground up and all of your videos are super helpful!
Estou ansioso pra ver essa cr funcionando ✊
If you don't have a special crankshaft puller and dont want to spend 80 bucks on it, just put 3 out of 4 engine mount bolts in and start tightening them down evenly in a circle with very small increments. it will draw the case halves together in the same way
Good lord man, you need to go restore old Ferrari's, i have attention to detail but this takes it to another level,good job!
I'm surprised you didn't check thru every piece to verify. We play we pay and that sucks big time. You got this buddy.
Hey man great video awesome editing and so on. But I do wanna say I would use OEM bearings for any cranks never ever go with Hot Rods Bearings just from personal experience here! Also I would much rather tap the bearing in the res of the way or you chance cracking or fracturing the aluminum with a press. Over all great video!
Dont forget that the washers and c clips on the transmission are supposed to face a certain direction. Each one has a flat side and a rounded side. Not all of them face the same direction.
Awesome camera work on this project
11:27 I'd yell out "Who turned the printer off! Every time!" I've finally trained them though so that's good.
That is a great video! I love how you always show and explain each step very clearly.My son is going to be rebuilding his 2004 yz250 bottom end this summer.👍
This video really made me feel more comfortable rebuilding my bottom end on my crf
Another amazing video! It’s finally coming together! Excellent tip on the grease and the gasket. A dab of oil works well also. I use this method for all gaskets in the motor. I hate scraping baked on gaskets.
Great work Cameron..
Just noticed the gasket covering some other holes rather than the case bolt ones.
Check with the manual that it is not covering any oil passages or something.
Keep up the nice videos going...
Amazing work cameron. Really clean and professional.
Thanks for all the useful information
my friend's mixed up the main shaft and counter shaft thrust washers on his 450 honda and it ran but the second time he rode it the clutch quit working upon inspection the bearing broke the case due to no end shaft play 300 dollars later for a used case. the washers are different thickness. all he had to do is check end play or look at parts diagram it tells the thickness of washer. service manual does not. my book does because i wrote it in the book.