My '03 FC550 Rebuild (lots of pics)

I have bought a kinda cheap FC550 '03 engine lately.
The owner mentioned in the advertisement it needed a new Big-end.
In this thread I will describe the rebuild of this engine to use it in upcoming SM season.
(in my current bike I have an '02 FC550 engine which will be replaced by this one)

Planning on replacing this in the engine:
-Dual spring kit
-LX2 Cam
-New cam chain
-100mm HC piston
-Thicker camchain tensioner blade
-all new bearings
-All the things I come accros during the rebuild

Lets first start with some engine pics:
How I bought it:





Engine parts (including nearly new big-end+new headgasket):





Head:




Cilinder+piston:




Clutch(+broken items):




Rocker cover+inside parts (new camera):




Wear on the camchain tensioner, gonna remove the alloy knob when I replace the tensioner blade.







Feel free too comment!
Will be posting updates frequently, and posting (dumb) questions frequently, I am a 'first timer'

Thanks

RE: My

I am currently waiting on a flywheel puller and crackcase splitter Belgiquebastard has sended to me.
Thanks again BB!

Re: RE: My

Taffy said:

i would measure the compression you have now before splitting the engine. all you need to do is vaso all around the top of the piston edge with the piston at TDC. bolt the gasket and head back on and tighten down. lay engine so plug hole is at the top (in other words lay the engine to the left 30-40d. and then inject with a suringe white spirit till the it is at the bottom thread. the syringe will tell you how much you injected.

tell me how much and i'll do the maths. i also suggest that you measure the squish NOW before stripping! that will help as well. use 1mm solder and plasticine for this and lay it on the edge of the piston at 3 and 9 o clock over the gudgeon pin. then measure the solder with a vernier or feeler gauge.

regards

Taffy

Click to expand...

Ok Taffy why should I measure compression? Will do compression test this weekend.
What do you mean by plasticine and rotating the solder at 3 and 9o clock over the gudgeon pin (what is the gudeon pin??).
What I can understand is I should measure the thickness of the solder after it being pressed against the squish by the piston?
Sorry but English is sometime's a bit hard for me to understand

Re: RE: My

Taffy said:

you want the right compression. not too much, not too little. especially because of the SEM!!! the sam damages engines IMHO. this is called the actual compression. none of that bollocks on paper!

gudgeon pin is the steel pin through the piston.

use the fork oil syringe you should own anyway!!!

fold a 'pellet' of solder spaghetti style like this: "&" then put it in some plasticine, then put on piston near the edge in the squish area at 3 and 9 o clock (sat on the bike) bring the engine a little back from tdc, smear a drip of oil on the top of the plasticine and solder "pie" so that the plasticine stays with the piston and doesn't go 50/50 like sh**&^& does on a blanket and then; headgasket on, head on and bolted down with two nuts semi-tight.

rock engine too and fro 5-6 times and then remove all. use a vernier or micrometer to measure the 'pellets'. note this.

then do the first thing i said: vaso, wgite spirit etc etc.

regards

taffy

Click to expand...

I will let sparks repair my SEM stator (my '02 stator has also been repaired by sparks)
I own a syringe.
But why should I use the plasticine? Doen't the solder gets compressed also so I can measure the thickness of the solder after I let my piston push it between the head?
Sorry but can't really understand what you are trying to measure/get by these things

RE: Re: RE: My

Taffy I am sorry but I just can't understand what you are meaning with this method.. Should I cover my whole piston with plasticine?
I am trying my best and really appreciate all you help but what are your goals with this method? Should i measure the thickness off the plasticine afterwards? Maybe it will help me explain what I should do..

edit:
Readed a bit about this method on Dutch bike forums, the just mention placing a long piece solder on the top of your piston (solder matches diameter off the piston), put the had on and move the crank up and down couple off time's and then measure the thickness of the solder on both sides?
This method I do understand, will that be sufficient?

Ok Taffy readed a bit more about this method, now I fully understand it (finally )

Will do this weekend, hopefully my flywheelpuller and case splitter-tool will arrive tomorrow so I will be able to split the cases also this weekend. Really looking forward to the rebuild

Got some plasticine at the toy store today
Will use it tommorrow

Well Taffy, when I try to measure the squish with 1mm solder, the solder doesn't get crushed? Not even where it crosses??

Removed my valve springs yesterday, 1 was broken, will take a photo off this one tomorrow (maybe for the doc)

Ok Taffy and sparks, thanks
Will do the test tomorrownight, my girlfriend leaves on a holiday tonight so today no time..

Taffy said:

hi steve

if he has done even one 'figure-of-eight' (1mm plus 1mm) he'd have a crushed solder. as i suspected, he has a huge gap and this is why i aksed him to check. we're getting close to an '06 piston here already....

regards

Taffy

Click to expand...

the result is just over 2,0mm, i think 2,005 or something, cant really measure that little (no digital equipment here).

Pic of my broken exhaust valve sping:

Taffy said:

then get yourself a cheap vernier. you can't do it without one. £20 on ebay. even if it is a yingtong. it'll do what you want.

regards

taffy

Click to expand...

yes this is measured with it vernier (didn't know the English name)
but not a digital one..

Splitted the engine today.

Removed Flywheel:


Used Belgique Basterd casing split tool to split cases:

[


Open Engine:




Lots of alu scraping on the oil screen:



Crank+piston:




Piston details:




Cilinder:



Gonna search all the partnr's of all the parts I need tomorrow, order a shitload and then the rebuild can begin
:evil: