I noticed one of his pics shows the 2500CC oil level casting on it. I'm not an expert on years but wasn't that change made on the 447 motors?
You really have to pin down whether you're working with an older or early engine because there's several big internal differences. The cam chain is a different pitch and length. The cam chain sprockets are different sizes and also made to fit the early different chain pitch. That little sprocket on the rear tensioner probably also wouldn't fit and mate up well with a later cam chain because it was matched to an early one.
You'll need to see what your spare engine has for an adjuster. As 5T point's out, that ain't the right one for that motor. Come to think of it, does the spare engine # match the frame? If so, might be better to build that one up.
Hmmmmm..... Okay. Kind of a stupid question here, but, before you started the tear-down, was your bike running? If it did, what did it sound like? (nice & smooth, coughing & farting, or like a box of busted dishes?) As 5Twins and Jim have mentioned, you could have a bunch of mis-matched parts that won't want to work and play well with others. Cross-check and verify your engine numbers, to make sure you know what you have. The more homework you do, the fewer surprises you get. All seriousness aside, these motors are really only slightly more complicated than a lawn mower. And unless there's something tragically wrong, they can't not run (yeah, okay, I employed a double negative ). Don't let it intimidate you into thinking you can't tear it down and put it back together better than ever!
Ha... from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance....It did not sound good, like a bunch of change in a metal jar. It ran okay though
I believe that change was made in 72 with the E-Start engines. Both my 72 motors say 2500CC.I noticed one of his pics shows the 2500CC oil level casting on it. I'm not an expert on years but wasn't that change made on the 447 motors?
Ha... from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance....
"This old engine has a nickels-and-dimes sound to it. As if there were a lot of loose change flying around inside. Sounds awful, but it’s
just normal valve clatter. Once you get used to that sound and learn to expect it, you automatically hear any difference. If you don’t
hear any, that’s good."
Of course, Persig was referring to an old Honda twin, but very similar engine and definitely built in the same era with the same technology.
The combustion chamber is a steel insert into the head so you can safely finish your clean-up using the little wire wheels in a Dremel to get the rest of that carbon off. Finish it off using some chrome cleaner. Here's one I did and as you can see, they come out pretty much spotless .....
So, from the engine serial number, it appears you have a later 447 motor, at least the bottom end anyway. Maybe the P.O. just swapped in that older, incorrect cam chain tensioner, as he said. Or maybe the complete upper end is swapped (cylinders, head). I would still recommend counting the teeth on the cam sprocket to confirm it's the later, newer type.
Is it any good on toast? Sorry. I couldn't help myself...I like assembly lube on everything