Splitting cases?

[ihampson]

Hi. Does anybody have any tips?   This is the first time i have done it. and could really use some help. I have read through the manual and have taken my time to try and do everything right but i can`t get them apart!

I am using a puller and have undone every bolt (i think!)The cases split about 1mm all round and are free to move on the locating pins. It feels as though it`s stuck on the crank. The only bolt i havent undone is on the selector drum. in the manual it says it will slide through the case on the clutch side. The engine doesnt appear to have been rebuilt for a while so could the bearing be stuck on the crank and in the case? In the manual it says the puller should only need to be tightened hand tight to seperate. I have tightened the puller as much as i dare (more than hand tight) and no joy! Is there some hidden away clip or bolt i have missed, or do i just have to keep tightening?

[Dutch-K5 Fan]

If you have a manual, and done the proper instructions. Maybe a smal hit with a synthetic hamer or pice of woud on the crank axle should work. First put the nut back on for safety of damaging the thread.
Tightening it a bit, repeat above.
If it works and you are rebulding the engine. Put the crank and crankbearings in a plasticbag with some olie, and put it in the freezer. With a paintstripper/ gunheater/ hairblower warm up the case were the bearing fits.
So you don't have to hamer it back together, its muts beter for you engine/bearing!
And the engine wil run like new or better!!!

        Dutchie

[ihampson]

Thanks for you reply dutch. I managed to get the cases apart. Tried the hammer,  heating it up, swearing at it, kicking it . . .  Finally got a better puller that mine, closed my eyes and tightened it down untill it came apart with a loud pop/ It mustn`t have been taken apart for ages. Thankfully after that everything was pretty easy and is all stripped down waiting for me to pick up the new bearings etc.

[Kawasakinut]

           well i'm going through the same thing now. finally got the scratch to buy parts and have been picking up tools along the way the only tool i'm missing is the case splitting tool. i figured that i could get it  apart without one but no luck. i start buying goodies this week sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet can wait to ride!!!!  i'm picking up a cheap hydrulic press from harbor frieght any suggestions on what tonage i should buy?

[don46]

I don't use a press to put the bottom end back together. I put the crank bearings in the freezer, after the've been in there for quite awhile, I install the seals, then heat the case, being very careful not to damage the seal, once it's hot, go to the freezer and drop a bearing right in. After both sides are installed into the case, i apply 2 stroke oil to the bearing on the clutch side, then heat up a metal slug, or a socket, something with some mass, and I mean heat it up, then set it on the inner bearing race and leave it for about 5 minutes, then take your crank and slide it right through the bearing. The repeat the process for the other side, once the slug is on the bearing I install the tranny shafts, shift forks and put my yamabond on the case half, I have a Kawi crank tool, so I put in between the crank halves and slide the left case right over the crank, it should slide right on, and once its seated completely i'll install the bolts and tighten it down. sometimes the crank isn't quite centered in the cases, with the crank tool installed you can give it a tap to center it and your good to go. the puller to split the cases is probably one of the most critical tools, in most cases the motor hasn't been apart and can be a bear, but with the right puller they come apart easily, Motion Pro makes a good one.

[Kawasakinut]

   well scratch my last post. i got them cases apart, just beat the clucth side flywheel spindle some more with a small sledge. i'm not using the old flywheel and crank so its all good. well now my whole bikes in pieces and things need cleaned and i got to order some parts. so its still going to be a while till i ride her but i'm n the downhill now.


     jimmy v.   

[Kawasakinut]

      well split the cases and looked at everything inside and all the tranny gears are  all fine, if anyone cares!!! anyone ever replaced all the bearings in the cases if so how did you get them out? 

[Kawasakinut]

I don't use a press to put the bottom end back together. I put the crank bearings in the freezer, after the've been in there for quite awhile, I install the seals, then heat the case, being very careful not to damage the seal, once it's hot, go to the freezer and drop a bearing right in. After both sides are installed into the case, i apply 2 stroke oil to the bearing on the clutch side, then heat up a metal slug, or a socket, something with some mass, and I mean heat it up, then set it on the inner bearing race and leave it for about 5 minutes, then take your crank and slide it right through the bearing. The repeat the process for the other side, once the slug is on the bearing I install the tranny shafts, shift forks and put my yamabond on the case half, I have a Kawi crank tool, so I put in between the crank halves and slide the left case right over the crank, it should slide right on, and once its seated completely i'll install the bolts and tighten it down. sometimes the crank isn't quite centered in the cases, with the crank tool installed you can give it a tap to center it and your good to go. the puller to split the cases is probably one of the most critical tools, in most cases the motor hasn't been apart and can be a bear, but with the right puller they come apart easily, Motion Pro makes a good one.

  cases splitters are $170 so i didnt buy one instead i used a 2lb sledge took awhile but the casses came apart. just hit the flywheeel axle on the clutch side while keeping the motor stationary best part i didn't even have to pay for the hammer!!

[don46]

If you keep using a 2 lb. sledge, your going to spend more than $170 to get it fixed. Never, repeat never, beat on the crank ends to take it apart, unless of course yourgoing to junk it and you just want to see what's inside. There's a reason it cost $100-200 in labor to do the bottom end, expensive tools, and giving you the satisfaction of knowing it's right (Ok that depends on who's doing the work).

If you want something that is going to last and run trouble free do it right, I'm not preaching, just expressing an opinion, it's your money and you can spend it on whatever, just bear in mind if you continue to use 2lb sledge hammers your going to be spending it on crankshafts and bearings.

[Jeeks]

LOL - The cranks are pretty soft, too.  I thought mine was going to mushroom over too big to fit through the inner bearing race.  LOL 

[Kawasakinut]

          don ur right. what the heck was i thinking. but i'm not using the crank assembly i have now  that mess is going to the trash can.
the cases where split about maybe half an inch so i just beat the clutch crank end to remove the clutch side case all the way. i'll use the press on the tranny side though. was kind of hard to resist the temptation after my motor has been sitting in the same state for 2 months so now i got everything apart. i was on the phone with the parts guy at the kawa dealer askin how much the case splitter was explaining what i had tried before. so the mechanic chimmed in the background like i'm a goof " hit it harder" so testing my manhood proved to work. if i would of screwed the cases i would of added them to my already expensive parts list. i didn't mean i was wacking the heck out of the motor parts, just solid coersive taps (bearings and crank are scrap metal anyways.   

[BDI]

I use a stearing wheel puller with longer bolts then come with the puller to pull the case off the mag side then I press the crank out of the clutch side in the old shop press. My buddy Cliff was telling me the other day how him and his buddy pressed his cases back together using some blocks of wood a floor jack and his pickup truck and he has been riding that bike for two years now.

[Kawasakinut]

                     bdi how exactly do you us blocks of wood, floor jack and a pickup truck to press cases haha. sounds like a w.v. or s.c. trick
crazy a@# rednecks lol.

[ma71t]

is your friends name macgyver.....are youre sure there wasnt a paperclip and a toilet paper roll involved too?

[BDI]

To be perfectly honest these guys have been wrenching on bikes at a professional level for years and they like to smoke pot. They had weed and a motor to rebuild and they were not going to let a small thing like the lack of a shop press stop them.  So with bong in hand and probably a paper clip to poke the stem with, these guys pressed the engine back together with a floor jack and a pickup truck. Even though they pulled it off and probably smoked some more pot and watched some mtv afterwards you should not try doing this because you probably can't do it.