** WITH LOADS OF UPGRADES **
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@SpookDog said in ** WITH LOADS OF UPGRADES **:
I know it might sound crazy considering I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m not convinced you’ve ‘blown up’ your bike. It still turns over, yes? Not locked up? White smoke is classic head gasket blown and coolant burning.
I just replaced both my main seals without removing the engine! It’s easy enough bud. So is the head gasket and it costs about45 for genuine seals and 13 for a decent gasket...
Seriously bud, basic tools
...At least strip the top end to check...
I know it’s not literally blown up but it’s definitely at a stage where a rebuild is on the cards otherwise it’ll be a case of fixing one thing for another to break as I’ve had the bike 3 years now without a rebuild and that doesn’t factor in the miles done by the last owner in France. Since then it’s been thrashed and for the past year hasn’t had a working speedo so I’ve not kept track of the miles done.
Even if it is just a head gasket gone I feel I’m at a stage where it makes more sense to rebuild the whole thing and start at ground zero so I know how much wear and tear parts etc have had.
Also wouldn’t I have to drop the engine to check the top end and how did you change your main seals without splitting the cases? i think I remember you saying self tapping screws in the old seals to pull them out and then two stroke and some gentle persuasion with a hitty stick?
Also if it was just my head gasket gone after the miles put on the engine wouldn’t that be a sign for a rebuild anywhere even if it where just the top end?
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@Stevie-Wonder A blown headgasket doesn't necessarily mean you need a top end rebuild. My '98 (same colour as yours, also bought from Tony) was pressurising the cooling system last year causing it to lose IIRC 150ml of coolant every 200 miles. New genuine headgasket fixed it and I carried on riding it for another 8 or 9 months. Interestingly at 65000km, it's the highest mileage DTR ever sold by Unit5 and despite this, when I took the head off and measured the bore it was standard! The previous owner racked up that mileage commuting in and out of Paris year in year out so I guess they must have had so many rebores they eventually had to buy a new barrel.
You can get the top end off with the engine in situ no problem. Also to apply the recommended 22Nm to all 5 cylinder head nuts use the aforementioned 1/4" drive torque wrench; you'll need a 1/4" drive universal joint to reach the one at the front.
I've heard lots of people talk about using self-tapping screws to get the left crank seal out; it should work but you'll need to be very careful to avoid drilling through the main bearing which is just behind the seal. Another thing you could try is, make a hooky thing out of a flat blade screwdriver to lever it out (or just buy a pick set) but you'll have to be very careful to avoid marking the sealing surface of the crankshaft. When I replaced my gearchange shaft seal I had some success cutting small pieces of 1mm Lexan (used for radio control car bodyshells) and pushing that between the seal lips and the shaft before trying to push a tool into the space; it's flexible but tough as old boots.
The RH seal is easier once you've got the clutch and primary gears off as there's a sleeve which fits on the crankshaft and forms the seal so this can just be put to one side. But you will need an impact driver and the home made JIS 8mm bit I described to remove the screws holding the baffle plates on; they're Loctited at the factory and one of them is an M8 thread with 16Nm torque setting so you only get one chance to get it undone. And like we discussed these are some genuine Yamaha screws worth ordering.
If you get the top end off and there's no play in the mains/big end, just doing the headgasket or maybe a rebore might be a good way to get a flavour for doing the whole engine another time. One of the great things about the DTR engine platform is you can replace the crank seals without stripping it; I've heard of some KX engines where the crankcases have a ridge outside the seals so you have to fit them before even dropping in new main bearings to a bare crankcase.
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@HOTSHOT-III what is that black box in the back?
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That’s a radiator coolant expansion tank I think...
Unless the main bearings or big end bearings are shot you don’t need to rebuild the bottom end
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I just popped the stator side seal out with a very small flat head screwdriver, same with the clutch side. My seals were shot even tho the bearings are still good...I used a 1/4 inch drive ratchet with a large Philips screwdriver bit to crack off the big screw-bolts. Using a normal screwdriver always seems to chew them up, badly. The ratchet works proper good tho
give them a sharp hit with a tap-stick first... -
@SpookDog the coolant expansion tank is the same as the non-electric start DTR and is just in front of the tool kit compartment.
@Hybrid_Theory01 It's a separate compartment for the tool kit because the DTR-shape DTRe has a much bigger battery. Funnily enough though when this pic was taken I was running the stock DTR battery packed out with bits of foam to save a bit of weight for off-road riding. It never went flat even though I was using the electric starter!
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@HOTSHOT-III oh, so the little v shapped metal thing in the frame is for an actual tool box, noticed it on mine but didn´t know it was for that purpose, thank you
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Damn, I have to carry my tools on the rear rack like a poor person!
I’ve never seen the battery mounted version either. So many bits and bobs missing from my bike. Like the plastic half circle that goes under the headlight unit/ wiring...Can you please tell me what amp-h battery an RE uses as standard? I thought that the Dtr was 6amph but was wrong. It’s more like 3 iirc...
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@Hybrid_Theory01 said in ** WITH LOADS OF UPGRADES **:
@HOTSHOT-III what is that black box in the back?
+1 to this, what’s the parts code for that little tool box and do you need a different rear rack for it, I’ve seen a few of the frenchies have extra mounting points on their rack which looked like they are for them. I’d love one for mine to keep the odd spark plug, jia screw driver and other bits and pieces to strip the panels and access the factory tool kit.
Also your bike looks so good! It’s convinced me to Chuck my original panels and headlight back on
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@SpookDog said in ** WITH LOADS OF UPGRADES **:
That’s a radiator coolant expansion tank I think...
Unless the main bearings or big end bearings are shot you don’t need to rebuild the bottom end
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I just popped the stator side seal out with a very small flat head screwdriver, same with the clutch side. My seals were shot even tho the bearings are still good...I used a 1/4 inch drive ratchet with a large Philips screwdriver bit to crack off the big screw-bolts. Using a normal screwdriver always seems to chew them up, badly. The ratchet works proper good tho
give them a sharp hit with a tap-stick first...Haha yeah I guess so, I always just thought most people did both at once to make life easier rather then trying to squeeze the last few miles out the bottom end before having to pull it apart again.
But I guess cos two strokes are so easy, quick and cheap to sort a top end out on once you got the hang of it there’s no real excuse not to
I’ve got tons of different screwdrivers and jia bits so those screws shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I’ll be investing in an impact driver just to make light work of things like that and to avoid any damage
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@SpookDog Stock DTR battery is 3.8Ah and the DTRe takes a 7Ah which takes up the entire battery/toolkit compartment. Here are some links:
https://www.tayna.co.uk/motorcycle-batteries/motobatt/mb5-5u/
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@Stevie-Wonder Thanks bud
Greta (for that is her name as she's noisy, irritating, aimed squarely at the youth market and responsible for thousands of them bunking off school all over the world) cost me half as much as my '93 due to the mileage and had a thick layer of grime all over due to years of grinding commuting. I gave her a scrub with Jizer (several times) and this is what was underneath 
Here are the part #s for the toolbox and lid, bit pricey IMO and you'd have to get the lugs welded on to a non-e start frame. Be a nice touch if you were getting it powdercoated sometime though
