Well guys, I'm re-assembling my newly rephased and 750 big bored 79 motor, after months with the parts all sat on a shelf in my workshop. So, despite carefully laying out the parts in a sort of sequence when disassembling I have still managed to forget what some of the parts are or where they go. Old age memory I guess, and it being the first time I've needed to tear an XS motor down fully, into its component parts.
Anyway, everything cleaned up and inspected and replaced where needed I decided to begin the rebuild. My big mistake was following the Haynes manual's build sequence. Why I hear you ask. Some of you out there will know what's coming. So, followed Ch.1/28 and fitted the selector forks, the selector drum and the followers. All good. Then Ch.1/29 fitted the input and output gearbox shafts and the pushrod oil seal, followed by the crankshaft. All good. Next step in the manual (Ch.1/30) deals with joining the crankcase halves and torquing down all 18 of the bolts, having first Timebonded the mating surfaces. All good. Next two sections of Ch.1 are concerned with fitting the kickstarter mechanism and then fitting the clutch......and this is where the sh*t hits the fan.
Haynes appear to have 'dropped the ball'. Not my usual terminology in these instances, but thought I'd keep the language clean. What Haynes totally forgot, as part of the build sequence, was to advise their readers that they need to install the starter crossover shaft and pinions BEFORE joining the cases. So that left me having to rip the motor apart again to install the shaft and pinions and clean up all the mating case surfaces again and replace the copper washers that had been crushed. I mean, this isn't some simple typo error, like exists elsewhere in their shoddily proof read manual, this is a significant build element they forgot to include!! Ok, I haven't built a full engine in quite a while, only usually needing to work on top ends and peripherals, which is why I felt it necessary to follow the manual procedures closely. I feel I can be excused not spotting the omitted shaft and pinions.
And maybe I'm mistaken but I can find nowhere in the manual that relates to re-installing the other elements of the starter crossover gear train, the only thing dealt with being the starter motor itself. Sorry but I think its piss poor of Haynes to forget so much information from the rebuild procedures. How the hell is a reader supposed to trust a manual that can't get the sequence right or miss build elements out? And I find it hard to believe that nobody, in the early years following release of the first manuals, reported the ommision to Haynes Group. But shamefully they didn't bother to reprint, because my manual is a 1990 edition, so well after these models went out of production.
Just wanted to vent my frustrations guys. Thanks reading my verbose rant.
PS: I spotted that CH.1/6, line 5, refers to a bolt at the front of the cyl head when it is actually at the rear of the head. So, does anyone know of any other Haynes errors I need to be aware of when rebuilding the motor, so I don't fall foul again?
Anyway, everything cleaned up and inspected and replaced where needed I decided to begin the rebuild. My big mistake was following the Haynes manual's build sequence. Why I hear you ask. Some of you out there will know what's coming. So, followed Ch.1/28 and fitted the selector forks, the selector drum and the followers. All good. Then Ch.1/29 fitted the input and output gearbox shafts and the pushrod oil seal, followed by the crankshaft. All good. Next step in the manual (Ch.1/30) deals with joining the crankcase halves and torquing down all 18 of the bolts, having first Timebonded the mating surfaces. All good. Next two sections of Ch.1 are concerned with fitting the kickstarter mechanism and then fitting the clutch......and this is where the sh*t hits the fan.
Haynes appear to have 'dropped the ball'. Not my usual terminology in these instances, but thought I'd keep the language clean. What Haynes totally forgot, as part of the build sequence, was to advise their readers that they need to install the starter crossover shaft and pinions BEFORE joining the cases. So that left me having to rip the motor apart again to install the shaft and pinions and clean up all the mating case surfaces again and replace the copper washers that had been crushed. I mean, this isn't some simple typo error, like exists elsewhere in their shoddily proof read manual, this is a significant build element they forgot to include!! Ok, I haven't built a full engine in quite a while, only usually needing to work on top ends and peripherals, which is why I felt it necessary to follow the manual procedures closely. I feel I can be excused not spotting the omitted shaft and pinions.
And maybe I'm mistaken but I can find nowhere in the manual that relates to re-installing the other elements of the starter crossover gear train, the only thing dealt with being the starter motor itself. Sorry but I think its piss poor of Haynes to forget so much information from the rebuild procedures. How the hell is a reader supposed to trust a manual that can't get the sequence right or miss build elements out? And I find it hard to believe that nobody, in the early years following release of the first manuals, reported the ommision to Haynes Group. But shamefully they didn't bother to reprint, because my manual is a 1990 edition, so well after these models went out of production.
Just wanted to vent my frustrations guys. Thanks reading my verbose rant.
PS: I spotted that CH.1/6, line 5, refers to a bolt at the front of the cyl head when it is actually at the rear of the head. So, does anyone know of any other Haynes errors I need to be aware of when rebuilding the motor, so I don't fall foul again?
