Best place for LC parts?

[yuckfou]

Just wondering where's the best place to get RD350LC parts? Yambits seems to stock a good range but with the exchange rate and all, would it be cheaper to try source from US or Aus?

Aside from the crank, what generally needs doing in the bottom end? My friend is a bike mechanic and his older workmate thinks labrinth seal might be gone. What's the worst case scenario if i cracked open crankcase, left crank alone but replaced bearings and seals? Is these a danger if it shits itself it might take other things with it, or just need a new crank?

Alternatively what's a crank rebuild worth? The near $800 price tag for a new crank is a bit steep for me at the moment

Some of you have said not to half-ass the rebuild. But i can't justify $2k+ for a rebuild. $1000 i can manage..

Engine is not on a bike so anything i spend once rebuilt will become dead money. hence wanting to keep cost down..

[Grumph]

Just wondering where's the best place to get RD350LC parts? Yambits seems to stock a good range but with the exchange rate and all, would it be cheaper to try source from US or Aus?

Aside from the crank, what generally needs doing in the bottom end? My friend is a bike mechanic and his older workmate thinks labrinth seal might be gone. What's the worst case scenario if i cracked open crankcase, left crank alone but replaced bearings and seals? Is these a danger if it shits itself it might take other things with it, or just need a new crank?

Alternatively what's a crank rebuild worth? The near $800 price tag for a new crank is a bit steep for me at the moment

Some of you have said not to half-ass the rebuild. But i can't justify $2k+ for a rebuild. $1000 i can manage..

Engine is not on a bike so anything i spend once rebuilt will become dead money. hence wanting to keep cost down..

You won't know what you need to do until you pull it apart and have a look. In my experience the labyrinth seals last very well but the big ends are the place to check...

[yuckfou]

If all looks reasonable and there is little to no movement, is that enough to call it ok and reuse? Will it be obvious if it's not in great shape?

I can get my friend who is a bike mechanic to take a look and measure etc, but he doesn't seem to be very enthusiastic about this engine. He's kinda the sort that will say its a piece of shit even if it's not, just because he doesn't like it...

[Grumph]

If all looks reasonable and there is little to no movement, is that enough to call it ok and reuse? Will it be obvious if it's not in great shape?

I can get my friend who is a bike mechanic to take a look and measure etc, but he doesn't seem to be very enthusiastic about this engine. He's kinda the sort that will say its a piece of shit even if it's not, just because he doesn't like it...

I like him already...But if he's not old enough to have done yamaha 2 stroke twins, find someone else who knows them.
i'm not going to speculate on someone else's abilities to judge crank condition as there is a lot to look for, colour, feel, even smell....

[yuckfou]

He's not he's a loyal Honda man I don't think has worked on much but to be honest. And four stroke at that. So who do I entrust it to? Will the local Yamaha dealer be able to check it? Not sure I really trust them all that much, probably haven't seen an rd in many years

Not sure who I would see as a "specialist" round my way. Guess the least I could do is ring and ask

[yuckfou]

Upon removal of head, barrels and pistons it was revealed to me the left hand side of crank case is half full of water.. yay for me

What would be the cause of water in the crank case? There's water in gbox too.. Is that even fixable?

If so looks like it might turn in to that expensive ass rebuild i was hoping to avoid. However this engine has certain sentimental value to me, so i'm thinking i might go through with it anyway (maybe in stages)

So....what is likely to cost more out of a new crank from yambits or a rebuild of the old one? the labour for rebuild will be $200 from this one guy, parts on top. I don't really know what parts ill need, or how many different parts there are, where to get them, or anything for that matter..

Do i bother getting it checked or just go straight for the new one? Should i have a shop look over crank and gears for a significantly more professional opinion?

[eelracing]

Should i have a shop look over crank and gears for a significantly more professional opinion?

Yes.Then you can go from there and if engine has been sitting like this for ages then prepare for a total rebuild.
I recommend Yambits as they know their shit and everything is pretty much available.Price up parts and shipping then compare it to what the shop quotes for rebuild.
Take your time and do the maths.

My Elsie sat in the shed for 8 years and over that time I got parts as I could afford them.

If your not prepared to do this then sell it to me.

[yuckfou]

That is exactly what I'm thinking, do bottom end and put away in shed until I can afford the top end. I haven't been able to find anything I would consider a suitable replacement in the 6 months+ I have been looking. Can't seem to beat the size/weight/power of this bad boy, at least not for a reasonable price

[yuckfou]

Also one side of head, the side that has water is all pitted and rough inside combustion chamber. Other side nice and smooth. I'm guessing this will need machining?

[eelracing]

Also one side of head, the side that has water is all pitted and rough inside combustion chamber. Other side nice and smooth. I'm guessing this will need machining?

Yeah depending on how much damage,get an opinion same time as crank & gears.

Just as a heads up try an source a genuine Yamaha head gasket when rebuilding top-end.
And dont neglect replacing the rubber o-ring on the stub between the upper crankcase and the clutch cover.
One or both of these would of been the cause of the water ingestion...im leaning towards head gasket.

[eelracing]

Oh yeah the seal behind the water pump could be US too,which will mean the bearing is fucked as well.
This rebuilding does'nt get any cheaper mate...still wanna sell it?

[yuckfou]

I can't seem to bring myself to sell it. If I could find a suitable replacement I would but I can't find anything complete that is light and powerful enough. Only other option I really have is buy dirt bike just for engine which would run me a similar price (at least). Would really need a 450+ after the 350 2t

I'll sit on it a while longer then decide. In my mind this thing is at least as fun as a dirt bike if not more, so may be worth the money after all

[Yow Ling]

these engines are built like brick shithouses, they plenty tough.
crank will be rooted, get a new one, are the gears rusty? I would look at the teeth on the gears and make sure the gear faces are nice and shiny, just put it back together, get a Haynes manual

even people who think they are too dumb for this can rebuild LCs

when you do the top end make sure you use a genuine head gasket as the others said. I prefer Wiseco pistons different people tell you different stories. pretty much all pistons will be RZ350 ones so need the tag on the bottom of the skirt on the intake side removed, search eBay for 513m06450 for .5 over pistons 6500 for 1mm over.

you aren't going to get a new gearbox for cheap so you may as well chance your arm on your old one

[yuckfou]

I've read manual a few times now, does seem to be so easy anyone could do it. Waiting on a flywheel puller and some form of clutch holder before I go any further. At this stage the gears will be the deciding factor on whether or not I fix it or sell on as a parts engine. I would've thought I'd be lucky to find any at all?

So you think I would be better off getting new crank from yambits rather than trying to get old one fixed? If gears turn out ok I'll probably do bottom end and save top end until near end of the year

Sort of hoping oil would've kept rust off the gears, whilst at the same time hoping they're poked so i can get rid of it. Really like this thing tho it hauls this several hundred kilo frame round really well (back in the day). On a lightweight bike this thing must be nuts