Can Anybody Shed Any Light on This Please?

Bewarethemoon

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I’m sure this has been covered many times before and I did have a brief search for the answer before posting but I thought I’d ask anyway.

I’m getting a bunch of stuff ready for vapour blasting (rockerbox & head, valve & cam covers and both side casings)

I noticed these ‘plugs’ on my clutch casing.

I wanted to try and clean them up a little but am curious as to their original intended purpose as I see corresponding areas in the casting on the reverse side.

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As always any input is appreciated, I love learning all the little historical nuances and changes between the model years.

Many thanks!
 
In order to create passageways through the case that turn 90°, they had to be drilled from the outside. Then the hole on the outside was plugged with whatever that stuff is you've found.
 
In order to create passageways through the case that turn 90°, they had to be drilled from the outside. Then the hole on the outside was plugged with whatever that stuff is you've found.

I can see a little light looking from the inside of one. Can I smooth them off and then spot weld a little alloy to fill any holes before finishing again?
 
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Second side casing question.

How do I rightly go about removing this?

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Current damage isn’t done by me, I bought this casing off eBay and I don’t want to cause anymore.

Is it a steel washer encased in a rubber seal on top of a kickstarter shaft bushing of sorts? Do I therefore need to press out the busing to remove the ‘seal’?
 
That's the seal. It's rubber vulcanized to a steel cup washer of sorts. Yes, pry it out and replace it.
Regarding the plugs... iirc there's a steel ball swedged into most (if not all) of those passageways. It's supposed to be the seal and the epoxy is a further seal and for looks. Not sure if those steel plugs would interfere with welding it closed as you suggested.
Would be interesting if you kept us informed on how that goes.
 
That's the seal. It's rubber vulcanized to a steel cup washer of sorts. Yes, pry it out and replace it.
Regarding the plugs... iirc there's a steel ball swedged into most (if not all) of those passageways. It's supposed to be the seal and the epoxy is a further seal and for looks. Not sure if those steel plugs would interfere with welding it closed as you suggested.
Would be interesting if you kept us informed on how that goes.

So it’s epoxy, JB Weld? If that’s the case should I use it to fill any small holes I find?
 
So it’s epoxy, JB Weld? If that’s the case should I use it to fill any small holes I find?
Yes. Bob ( @Mailman ) cleaned the old stuff out of his motor and replaced it with J B Weld. As I recall, it worked out pretty good. Maybe he'll chime in here.
 
I was able to remove the kick starter seal by using a flat head screw driver from inside the case like a chisel and setting it in the groove of the seal then hitting it with a hammer. I did it that way to try and minimize leaving pry marks on the aluminum case. loosed up enough to pull out by hand after two or three wacks.
 
Yes. Bob ( @Mailman ) cleaned the old stuff out of his motor and replaced it with J B Weld. As I recall, it worked out pretty good. Maybe he'll chime in here.

Yup JB weld to replace that grainy looking epoxy in a number of locations. Most times the old stuff just popped off without much effort.
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I have been thinking about removing those 2 original "blobs", and tapping the side cover to 1/4" or 3/8 BSP, and use stainless steel allen head pipe plugs instead.
Any reason not to? (I prefer BSP to NPT, as the latter has the tendency to crack whatever it screws into, being tapered)
 
I have been thinking about removing those 2 original "blobs", and tapping the side cover to 1/4" or 3/8 BSP, and use stainless steel allen head pipe plugs instead.
Any reason not to? (I prefer BSP to NPT, as the latter has the tendency to crack whatever it screws into, being tapered)

I like that idea! Would look very neat!
 
I’ve removed the kick starter shaft seal and all of the paint from inside the letters of YAMAHA, did all models come with these letters painted, or is it something a PO has done?

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I also smoothed out the epoxy ‘blobs’ I first asked about. I re-checked the suspected hole in one of them by holding a torch against the surface and saw no change regardless of whether the torch was on or off so I suspect I was possibly seeing the ambient light from outside catch the surface from within, does this make sense?

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That seal is easily available and a new one can simply be tapped back into place with an appropriate sized socket.

I suggest that you make sure that the edge of the little pocket into which it fits has no rough edges and I’d put some lube on the new seal to ease its way in.
 
That seal is easily available and a new one can simply be tapped back into place with an appropriate sized socket.

I suggest that you make sure that the edge of the little pocket into which it fits has no rough edges and I’d put some lube on the new seal to ease its way in.

I plan on wet sanding the cases before polishing so I’ll be sure to address the kicker shaft ‘pocket’.

I do like Arctic’s idea in regards to tapping the holes and using little plumbing plugs. I’m undecided?

Any thoughts?
 
You'll need to use some pretty aggressive paper to get those heavy scratches and nicks out, 320 at least. 400 and/or 600 won't do squat, or at least not until you're sanded for hours, lol. 400 then 600 will be needed after the 320 to remove the 320 scratches. Or the quick and easy way is to use medium (maroon) and fine (blue) Roloc discs .....

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Sorry - to answer your query about painted letters....yes, they are all intended to be painted black as far as I am aware.

Many people just use model aircraft gloss black which comes in those teeny-tiny little glass bottles (Testors or Humbrol) and very fine brush.
 
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...sorry, just one more point: I don’t think I would use a tapered pipe plug in there.

Too much risk of cracking that fairly hard aluminium alloy case and then you’d be cooked and would have to replace it or have it welded (yet more mess).

I would just do as Mailman did and use JB Weld which is essentially a very high strength epoxy glue with some metallic content. It will look OK as JB Weld is actually a reasonable shade of silver.
 
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