The mighty little 408cc fuel to fun converter.

The engine is really not that bad to work on. I hadn't ever torn down or done much work on engines (besides model airplane engines) and had no problem dealing with this one. I didn't split the case, but that doesn't even look that complex; just a bit more work. First, make sure that you've got some room to work, the appropriate tools, as well as a good manual or three.

I have:

Teardown

Tear down of the engine is, can I say, cake. Simply start at the top and work your way down as far as you need to to get your work done. Before you remove the engine from the frame, take the oil pan off. Makes it easier to slide out of the frame. Set the engine on a surface that won't destroy the oil pan gasket face and begin with the breather. Then remove the valve adjuster caps (Those 8 round caps) and loosen the valve adjustments. Now remove the valve cover.

Now, off with the cam gear and slide the cam out. You can drop the cam chain in the hole if you have a magnet to pull it up later.

The head is aligned with a couple of guide pins and oil nozzles. Don't try to move it sideways to get it off, though a little bit of motivation with a mallet (a soft one) to the side (ABSOLUTLY PERPENDICULAR to the fins) may help. The cylnder block can then be removed. Again, a little motivation may help; remember, perpendicular to the fins. Make sure when you pull the cylinder block you don't drop ANYTHING in those holes.

Pretty easy, ehhh?

My plan is to repaint the engine case with a silver paint very similar to the original color. I know the cylinders and head were not originally painted. I am debating on painting them the same silver, or finding some type of cleaner to remove the corrosion and dirt. Any ideas?

Then the engine is going back together. I didn't mess with the bottom end. I have nothing leading me to believe that it has any problems. I took a good look up inside for any gear damage. None, and I'm happy.

Things to Know...

Let's see, what do you need to know about this little gem? It has a couple of little nuances that need attention. The cam chain is one. Don't worry, this is pretty easy. I found some real good info on fixing it. Page 1, Page 2, and Page 3. You'll know if you need to check this out by a little high pitch rattling.

Ignition issues? Some people have mentioned that this bike can be a bear to deal with in the wet. I hate taking mine in the water so I wouldn't know much about that. The twice that mine has been ridden in the rain, I had no problem.I've heard of guys sealing up the plug caps suggesting that they may be shorting out with the water. If you have any ideas, drop me an email so I can add more information here...

Regarding cleaning up and refinishing the cases... The engine seems to have been originally painted a silver color, I haven't ben able to get a good match, it may have been clear coated originally. Here is a site that goes over case refinishing though... Refinishing Engine Cases

Problems I've Had in the Past

Just the occasional oil leak from either the pan gasket, head gasket or cylinder base gasket. None of these are difficult to fix, and gaskets can be had for fair prices.

One of the previous owners had it down on the left side. The alternator cover was damaged, but didn't look bad. Turns out it was bent and causing the alternator windings to rub against the rotor for the alternator. Found a new cover on eBay for $40.00. No more problem.

Bits and Pieces

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