Crank bearings good or bad

[Bryanj]

That damage has been caused by somebody being hamfisted it getting a cotter pin out that locks the rocker shaft.
That is the big problem as the shaft cam move in and out now , it probably would not leak but i wouldnt run it.

Any 500/550 rocker cover will fit but only the late 76 onwards have the locked shafts, i am told that earlier ones can wear the cover holes oval but i have yet to see one, you can sort of lock the early shafts by putting an O ring in the end bore before fitting the end cap

[Murf]

BTW your crank journals look really good, hope mine are that good when I pull the bottom end apart.

[Acro1985]

That damage has been caused by somebody being hamfisted it getting a cotter pin out that locks the rocker shaft.
That is the big problem as the shaft cam move in and out now , it probably would not leak but i wouldnt run it.

Any 500/550 rocker cover will fit but only the late 76 onwards have the locked shafts, i am told that earlier ones can wear the cover holes oval but i have yet to see one, you can sort of lock the early shafts by putting an O ring in the end bore before fitting the end cap

Do you need to lock the shafts in place and will my current breather cover fit

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

BTW your crank journals look really good, hope mine are that good when I pull the bottom end apart.

I agree with Murf it certainly looks as though you just need to fit the right colour shells.

Have you managed to find any paint remnants at all Acro?

[Bryanj]

If the end was not broken out allowing the shaft to move inwards too far it would be ok but as it is i would say not

[Acro1985]

BTW your crank journals look really good, hope mine are that good when I pull the bottom end apart.

I agree with Murf it certainly looks as though you just need to fit the right colour shells.

Have you managed to find any paint remnants at all Acro?

Not yet Ted it will be Friday until I get chance to have a go and see if I can see anything, and it's doing my head in not being able to solve the problem straight away 🤣

[Bryanj]

Have you tried looking for the size codes on the crank?

[Acro1985]

Hi Bryan

The only thing I could make out on the crank was A1, and the code on the back of the crank case is BBBBB. I am going to give everything a good with petrol and a soft brush and see if that reveals anything else

[Bryanj]

You should find 4  letters and 5 numbers, sometimes on different webs sometimes all on one

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

The markings can be like a sort of invisible ink - catch the crank web in the right sort of light and you might find them - some light sources are better than others - my garage is LED strip lighting.
When I found some of mine I tried to take a photo - it just did not photograph being so feint.

[Acro1985]

Definitely a 1 on four of the webs and an A on three of the website. But will see if I can find anymore after giving it a wash and trying different lighting.

Is it 4 letters and 5 numbers on each web or is it 4 letters and 5 numbers in total spread across all the webs

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

It might be worth trying to get hold of a pair of Brown shells for your mains then using Plasigauge see what the clearances are. Likewise a pair of maybe green big end shells  & do the same before you splash out on a full set.

I'll have a look in the morning to see if I kept any of my old used marked mains shells.
Can't help with big ends as I had to buy a used crank that came with good big end shells & conrods.

I'll PM you if I find  still have them.

PS After talking to a member who is currently suspended he told me If you do find a colour on the mains shells the odds are that if all the shells have the same batch number chances are they are all the same colour as well. Same logic for the big ends.

[Bryanj]

Its a letter and number for each combination so as 5 B on case will be 5 numbers on crank, which means 4 letters for big ends so no confusion on crank therefore letters on conrods, you will find numbers on rods as well which are weight codes.
It is all explained in the workshop manual downloadable from ashs dropbox/alladins cave.

I have for my use built an engine with all black shells and run it in carefully, the tolerances quoted by Honda, as i understood the tech talks, are so that a new engine does not require the carefull running in of old but only bedding in before using hard, in fact Kawasaki with the Z1000 fell foul of people treating them too gently to start, glazing the bores and so burning oil. They were reboring under warantee and telling owners not to molycoddle the motors

[Laverda Dave]

If you use petrol to clean the crank webs you should just be able to make out the codes with a bit of luck but it can be very difficult to see as they are feint and you have to move the crank around in the light to see them and maybe use a torch as well. I had one crank where I couldn't see them at all.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I've sent you a PM I only have a pair of used Green Mains for a 500 for you to try for size using Plastigauge, sorry no used Browns or used big end shells with markings.