Alrighty, guys, I was having some valve noise out on the trails today and had lost a locknut off the tappet, and i was pulling my cam to see if it was in that area, and since the only tools I had were interchangeable bit screwdrivers so i was using that on the retainer screw tabs, and that damned bit fell off and down the timing chain area. Anything I can do, or am I screwed?

On a better note, found the tappet nut...

 

you can go to a hardware store and look for one of those long slinky like magnet and you should be able to fish it out, carefully

 

Most likely the bit won't do any harm as long as it fell through and isn't still stuck in the chain area to get jammed into a sprocket.

After having my warrior for over a year, and riding it a lot I tore it down to replace my clutch. Looking through one of the channels between the clutch side and the transmission area I noticed something mysterious... a washer about an inch in diameter that had been bouncing around in the bottom end for who knows how long. Never did any harm, just stayed in the bottom that whole time.

A magnetic drain plug might be a good investment. That way once that bit works it's way down to the plug it'll stay right there.

That's just me though, some would probably really worry about this and tear the engine down to find it.

 

Could you see through that hole without taking the clutches off? I was looking through my Clymer manual and it didn't look like taking that cover off would do me any good, but I may at least do that for some peace of mind. Definately getting a magnetic plug. I of course had to pull the head to find that tappet locknut, and it came loose promptly, which was very setlling. I really have half the mind to go up to a 12:1 piston while I have this thing torn down again. I probably will hold off on that, though.

 

Why would you want a 12:1 piston? Run race gas for less than a 1 horsepower gain over an 11:1?

Anyways, I just got lucky when I saw that washer. You can barely see anything through the little oil slots, the washer was just laying in the right spot, and when I shined a flashlight in just out of curiosity I saw it.

I just started thinking about how the warrior's drain plug works, how it has to hold the strainer in place with that spring and all. I don't know what good a magnetic drain plug would do with that spring right in the middle. It might be worth a shot though.

 

Why? No reason really, just an excuse for tearing it down, of course. I just ordered a new gasket set and I'm just gonna put her back together as is, anyway. I pulled my piston and what not and was shining a flashlight all in the timing gears and around the crankshaft and there was nothing, and i couldn't see anything in the backside of the case. I may go ahead and pull that clutch cover and take a looksie around through that hole as well. Does that gasket stand for reusing or do I need to add one to my list? I'll also probably do some lifting and shaking and what not to see if I can't get it to come on out. A washer has a better chance of staying out of harms way than a hardened tool steel bit with some depth; at least I would think so.

 

Plan on getting a new gasket if you pull the clutch cover off. I never tried reusing paper gaskets, but yamaha's factory gaskets are just trash to begin with.

 

Aha, didn't know it was paper. Thanks for the experience bro.