Topic: Bringing Back a Motor

[Finnigan]

A month ago I found a motor from Ted's (Ricky Racer) inventory that changed hands after he passed and found its way to me.  This is something I wasn't looking for but couldn't leave alone a second time - I knew it had at least 2 uncommon parts and decided to dive in.  After speaking with several people who got the same story from Ted as I did when he was still around, that it was a built motor possibly even by the Yoshimura shop from back in the day, I took a chance.  I'm a sucker for Yosh stuff...

When I went to see it in person the engine was rough on the outside (broken fins, covered in who knows what, mud crammed between passages and the bottom fins and bolts scuffed way down) but I was able to remove the valve cover and see light at the end of the tunnel - a heavy duty cam chain and Daytona cam.  And it was very clean.

This is what it looked like when I brought it home - with BigUtah giving me info as I went, I had it almost completely apart and in bags in a night with a decent idea of what I had.

The goal was to get it apart, investigate and catalog what I had, clean and measure, replace anything that needed it and get it back together.

[Finnigan]

First bad finds: broken sprocket cover threads, more RTV than I'd like to see and a cracked intake spigot (thing crumbled when I touched it to move the motor

[Finnigan]

Cylinder head investigation: thick gasket on valve cover, Yoshi valve springs and holders (not pinned), Daytona cam, HD cam chain, surprise under the cam towers were Yosh spacers (never seen these aside from old catalog pics, I'll be replicating them and laser cutting sets later on), all holes reinforced with Helicoils

[Finnigan]

Cylinders off - 812 Yoshi pistons and SuperRods (and more broken fins).  I can see cross hatch marks on the cylinder walls and some vertical scoring from the piston skirts but can't feel them with my fingernail

[Finnigan]

First look into the crankcase with pistons off, what seems to be a brand new points assembly, clutch coming off

[Finnigan]

Closer look at crankcase (paint pen markings) and chain guard, modified crank, modified oiling holes, ball bearing replaced with tapped plug

[Stev-o]

Interesting...subscribed.

[Finnigan]

Transmission - looked closely after removal and knew it wasn't stock, comparing images of stock first gear and old photos along with information from friends and on this site it looks like a close ratio gearbox

[Finnigan]

Closer look at the bare head, porting, possibly decked, accidental through hole mistake in intake 3?, initials hidden in cam chain tunnel

[Finnigan]

Crank weight 18.8 lbs compared to stock K6 at 21

[Finnigan]

Replica cam tower spacers are in, I'm happy with dimensions except the dowel hole needs to be enlarged - thinnest the shop had was .1mm thicker than Yosh

[denward17]

Following...

Question; What's the under cam tower spacer for?
Is it just to help with the pucks leaking oil?

[newday777]

I remember that motor, Ted tried to get me to buy it on my visits to see him.

[BenelliSEI]

Fascinating,  nice find!