I believe all the bearings are NTN C3 which should allow from some side to side movement, but I am not sure on the tolerances allowed. I did not check the crank run out at all, I do not have the proper tools to do it. There is no "up and down" play in the bearing that I can feel at all, if that makes sense

 

Its not crank run out, its crank end play. Run out would be if your crank had a wobble. End play is how much the crank moves along its axis of rotation (back n forth). But if you can't feel any movement in the bearings in any direction, I guess they're good. Its just kinda hard to believe in a 25yr old engine lol

 

Ah heck man, I am just trying to talk myself out of taking all the gears and transmission out. That is not an option now, I picked up the case and heard something rattling around behind the gears so I had to take all the gears apart to see what it was. Some kind of pin or key. Anyway, all the gears are out now so I might as well replace all the bearings. That is the correct thing to do anyway. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction.

I hope I can get those gears back together correctly, me and shift forks tend not to get along real well

Any recommendation on main bearing brands?

 

Seems like I remember being able to take the crank out without having to disturb the gears. Whatever is made is japan is good. Stay away from taiwan and china.

 

Yeah, the crank was out without pulling the gears. But, I did not think I would going to be able to move the case around to hammer out the main bearing with all the gears still installed...maybe I could have. Either way, it turns out the oil seal on the drive shaft and the drive shaft bearing were both a little shaky anyway. I was goofing, I will be able to get it back together, it will just take a little time and a wrench or two thrown across my workshop.

 

So now that you have the crank out, what kind of shape is the rod in?

I'm going riding so I'll be away for a while

 

It seemed decent, but it had a little more side to side play then I would like. I will send it off to Vince today I will ask him how bad it was when he finishes the work. He is sending all the old parts back to me when he is done, maybe I can post some pictures. Here is what it looked like when I pulled it. Again, I did not measure the play, but it "felt" like a little more then I would be comfortable with, especially after going to the trouble of boring the cylinder and putting in a new piston.








And yes, two of the pictures were taken on my kitchen counter and yes, my girlfriend would have killed me if she saw me putting a crankshaft down in the kitchen

 

Vince will figure it out. Sounds like you're doing everything right... except the kitchen counter thing lol

 

yeah the kitchen counter, not good. but i did one better. i tore my entire engine down in the living room, with new carpet. well let's say "i thought i had all the oil out" split the cases and boom all over the floor, oil stain the size of a 5 gallon bucket lid, even with a rubber shop mat under it. the wife nearly hung me by my ears for that one.

 

I bet. A couple of years ago I was replacing an oil pan gasket on a friends car in the driveway and needed a large rag to cover the driveway to avoid oil stains. I looked in the garage and found this great big grey "sheet" that seemed pretty thick, I had not noticed it before and it was in the garage so I figured it was mine! Well, it was not mine exactly. It was one of the large curtains from the picture window that she had taken down to get cleaned. When I pulled it out when the job was done I noticed the hanger things on the top. Well, I tried to tell her it made the curtains have that modern art ink spot look, but she did not buy it.

Fortunately in this case my GF was too mad at me about other things to notice any oil on the kitchen counter.