I dragged this motor home from our summer cabin about 10 years ago because it wouldn't run. It had been there as far back as I can remember as a little kid (I'm 42). The only work I'm aware of in that time frame was a carb kit and lower unit bearings in the late '80s (maybe 1987). My dad recalls that his parents bought this new. Needless to say, I'm sort of committed for nostalgia reasons.
I was expecting to need an ignition tune up because the last time it did run, it had a high speed miss that was progressively getting worse. Also I was expecting to need a lower unit seal kit as it would make a "milkshake" of the oil. Sure enough, it wouldn't start.
Paint on the head shows signs of overheating. That was do to me, as a kid, back in the mid eighties, but it ran after cooling down and fixing the impeller.
I did a compression check. Getting 90-95 on the top and 95-100 on the bottom (did the test twice). This seems low, but from what I've learned here, should be acceptable.
Inspecting the coils. One original, one has been replaced.
Lower unit definitely needs seals. The pinion bearing on the drive shaft needs to be replaced. Other two bearings look good but have only been inspected briefly.
With tips and information from this site, I tried for two days to coax the flywheel off. I used the correct harmonic balancer style puller. Lots of PB Blaster, also ATF. Let it soak, gentle tapping. Left it under tension to soak. Let it soak with no tension. Used both a breaker bar and also hit the puller with an impact wrench. On to measures I don't like. Whacks on the side of the flywheel using a block of wood (maybe a dozen). Whacks on top of the flywheel using a block of wood (a dozen plus). Resorted to gentle heating of the flywheel, not so much I couldn't touch the outer edge. I ended up breaking the flywheel!
The steel center hub is still firmly on the crank. I will use a bearing separator, and more aggressive heating on the hub while keeping the seal cool with a wet rag.
While soaking and thinking, I pulled apart the carb. Disassembled and had it in the dip tank for two hours followed by blasting out passages with a can of spray. Carb had no trash in the bowl. I can not get the main jet or the seat out.
Questions:
Do I have enough compression to run? I wasn't afraid of investing in coils, points, condensers and plugs to find out. But now I am another $50 to $70 into a new flywheel before doing the tune up so getting nervous that I'm building a parts motor rather than a runner.
Any tips on the flywheel hub?
What year flywheels interchange, 55-58?
Test and verify the one newer coil? Everything I read here suggests it will be okay.
Procedurally, I'm thinking get the flywheel and ignition parts and put the carb back together (gaskets look good), and only after it's running invest in a carb kit. Does that make sense?
The drive shaft bearing has a Timken number on it, I trust I can find a replacement, yes?
Experts, what am I missing?
I was expecting to need an ignition tune up because the last time it did run, it had a high speed miss that was progressively getting worse. Also I was expecting to need a lower unit seal kit as it would make a "milkshake" of the oil. Sure enough, it wouldn't start.
Paint on the head shows signs of overheating. That was do to me, as a kid, back in the mid eighties, but it ran after cooling down and fixing the impeller.
I did a compression check. Getting 90-95 on the top and 95-100 on the bottom (did the test twice). This seems low, but from what I've learned here, should be acceptable.
Inspecting the coils. One original, one has been replaced.
Lower unit definitely needs seals. The pinion bearing on the drive shaft needs to be replaced. Other two bearings look good but have only been inspected briefly.
With tips and information from this site, I tried for two days to coax the flywheel off. I used the correct harmonic balancer style puller. Lots of PB Blaster, also ATF. Let it soak, gentle tapping. Left it under tension to soak. Let it soak with no tension. Used both a breaker bar and also hit the puller with an impact wrench. On to measures I don't like. Whacks on the side of the flywheel using a block of wood (maybe a dozen). Whacks on top of the flywheel using a block of wood (a dozen plus). Resorted to gentle heating of the flywheel, not so much I couldn't touch the outer edge. I ended up breaking the flywheel!
The steel center hub is still firmly on the crank. I will use a bearing separator, and more aggressive heating on the hub while keeping the seal cool with a wet rag.
While soaking and thinking, I pulled apart the carb. Disassembled and had it in the dip tank for two hours followed by blasting out passages with a can of spray. Carb had no trash in the bowl. I can not get the main jet or the seat out.
Questions:
Do I have enough compression to run? I wasn't afraid of investing in coils, points, condensers and plugs to find out. But now I am another $50 to $70 into a new flywheel before doing the tune up so getting nervous that I'm building a parts motor rather than a runner.
Any tips on the flywheel hub?
What year flywheels interchange, 55-58?
Test and verify the one newer coil? Everything I read here suggests it will be okay.
Procedurally, I'm thinking get the flywheel and ignition parts and put the carb back together (gaskets look good), and only after it's running invest in a carb kit. Does that make sense?
The drive shaft bearing has a Timken number on it, I trust I can find a replacement, yes?
Experts, what am I missing?
Thankfully, the worse is over. Putting the flywheel back on is a lot easier