REMOVING AND SPLITTING A
TRIPLE ENGINE
(this scenario presumes that the engine WILL be torn down and the
crankshaft replaced/rebuilt to ensure that the crankshaft seals and bearings are
good).
Chances are that if the bike that you have acquired/or currently own has “sat”
for any extended period of time (outside especially) – the cylinders are going
to be “stuck” on the engine case and difficult to remove. Usually the “worst
stuck” one will be the RH cylinder. I would suggest that you DO try and remove
the cylinders while the engine is still in the frame and the tires/wheels are
still on the bike, as that allows you a little more room under the cylinders
that you won’t have if you pull the engine and set it on your workbench and it
also helps to hold the engine firmly rather than it “moving around” on your
workbench. Of course, the “ideal” set-up would be to run the bike up on a lift,
and raise it to a good working height.
First, of course, remove all the head bolts and all 3 heads/head gaskets. Next
remove the 3 exhaust pipes/mufflers. Then remove all 3 carburetors and
carburetor mounts from the back of the cylinders. Then try to get the cylinders
off.
There are a couple of ways to remove these stuck cylinders – I’ve had the best
luck using a mixture of 50-50 Acetone and Power Steering Fluid (or ATF) and
heat. The details are located elsewhere on this Board.
Here's the link.
After I get the cylinders off, I usually stuff paper towels or rags down
alongside the pistons and inside the cylinder studs to help prevent damage to
them or crap from getting into the crank area. I DO wait to remove the
pistons/rings until I get the engine out and it is on my workbench.
Drain any transmission fluid by removing the drain plug on the bottom of the
engine and drain any oil into a container. If the liquid is milky or watery – be
prepared for rust to be inside the tranny/clutch area!
I usually try to remove most engine parts while the engine is still in the
frame. I remove the LH sprocket cover, the engine sprocket nut, the engine
sprocket and the drive chain, then remove the clutch cable from the clutch
actuator arm and pull out the clutch cable. I also remove the 2 screws that hold
the clutch actuator in the 2 engine halves and pull out the actuator assembly.
You at least NEED to remove those 2 screws in order to split the engine cases.
Then I remove the LH stator cover, remove the rotor bolt and rotor, remove the
screws that hold the stator to the engine cases, then remove the stator and
unplug the stator wiring from the wire harness and then remove the “big” rotor
that sits on the crankshaft so you are down to the taper on the crankshaft. Make
sure and keep the “half-moon” key that sits in the groove in the crankshaft
taper. Then remove the driver’s LH footpeg and remove the shifter and linkage
from the shifter shaft.
Then I move to the RH side and remove the kicker arm, then the oil pump cover,
then unscrew the tach cable and pull it out of the clutch cover. (IF you are
working on an early H1 - you also will have to remove the distributor cap and
wires and get them out of the way). Then I remove the oil feed line at the oil
pump, pull off that banjo fitting and thread in a 6mm bolt/screw to “plug” the
oil line and prevent oil from coming out of the oil tank. You can then pull that
oil feed line out of the clutch cover and carefully bend it back out of the way.
Then I remove the 3 cylinder feed oil lines at the pump, then the 2 screws that
hold the pump on the clutch cover and remove and set aside the oil pump. Then I
remove the bolts at the other end of each oil line (at the back of the
cylinders), pull the 3 oil lines out and set them aside. Then I remove ALL the
clutch cover screws and the rubber “boot” on the RH side of the shifter shaft
and gently pull out on the clutch cover (be prepared to have to “catch” some
more tranny oil, as some WILL come out along the bottom of the clutch cover).
Usually the brake pedal has to be held down to allow the clutch cover to slide
off.
Then I remove the little (10mm) bolt that sits on the end of the crankshaft and
pull off the oil pump drive gear, then I use a thick rag (some use a penny) to
go in between the large clutch gear and the gear on the crankshaft to prevent
them from turning and then remove the nut/washers/collar/gear that are on the
crankshaft so you are down to the “bare” crankshaft. Again, keep track of the
half-moon key on the shaft.
Then I remove the 10mm bolts that hold the clutch outer plate on the clutch
basket and set aside all those bolts/washers/springs/cups. Then I carefully pull
off the outer plate and then slide off all the clutch friction/steel plates and
expander rings (if the expander rings are still there).
Then I use an inner clutch basket “holder” (mine is just an old clutch steel
plate with a piece of #4 (1/2”) rebar welded onto it as a handle) to hold the
inner basket as I remove the clutch nut – this will take some force, as it
SHOULD BE on there pretty tight. Then remove the "lock" washers and thrust
washers (pay attention to the order they are in) and then slide off the clutch
basket with the large gear, there is a separate smooth collar inside the center
bearing of the basket, so be aware of it.
Then I remove the oil receiver – this also HAS to be removed in order to split
the cases. This is a “half-moon” shaped aluminum piece that sits slightly above
and to the left of the clutch. It has a “protrusion” that sits inside a tranny
shaft, so pull it straight out. It has a single Philips head screw that holds it
on. Then you can remove the shifter shaft that runs all the way through the
engine by pivoting “down” the arm that engages the shift drum so it clears the
shift drum outer plate - and then pull the entire shift shaft assembly out the
RH side of the engine.
You should then be ready to pull the engine out of the frame. Remove all the
motor mount bolts from the frame and lift the engine out of the frame and set it
on your workbench with the pistons facing you. The next step is to remove all 3
pistons/rings/needle bearings/wrist pins. The crankshaft cannot be removed from
the engine cases without removing the pistons.
First it is necessary to remove at least one of the piston pin circlips on each
piston so you can push the piston pin out that side of the piston. A piston pin
“puller” is usually necessary to remove the pin, because you do NOT want to
hammer/hit the pin or you could damage a connecting rod.
Then turn the engine “upside down” (so the cylinder studs are on the workbench
and “away” from you). Then remove ALL of the large and small nuts that are
visible on the bottom half of the engine, EXCEPT – the outer 4 large nuts that
sit on the outside of the crankshaft area – these you can leave on, but have the
nuts unscrewed far enough so they are “flush” with the end of the studs. NOTE:
IF your engine is rubber-mounted, you need to pull out the metal tubes that have
the rubber mounts attached to them, as there ARE additional small nuts
underneath them that HAVE to be removed before you try to split the cases. It’s
best to just pull those tubes straight out – twisting them as you pull them out
will not help. Try to pay attention to the shape and orientation of the outer
metal portions “washers” of these rubber mounts as you remove them.
Once you have the nuts removed from the studs, you are ready to try and split
the cases. What I do is grab just the lower engine half and lift the engine up
while pulling up on it and then tap those outer studs with a hammer. What you
are trying to do is to have the weight of the crankshaft help you separate the
halves. If you alternate tapping one outside first and then the other side, they
usually will begin to separate. I would not pry on ANY area of the halves that
need to seal together. Once they begin to separate, then you can remove the last
4 large nuts and gently tap on the studs and they should allow you to pull the
lower case all the way off the studs. I leave the kicker bolt spring retainer
bolt in, and as you pull apart the cases, you will hear that spring “unwind”.
Don’t be alarmed by that.
Once the halves are separated, you should be able to lift the crankshaft out of
the upper case - sometimes the rubber seals "stick" to the upper case - if you
carefully wiggle the crank by alternately pulling up on each end while pressing
down on the upper half, it should come out. Protect the connecting rods -
package it up carefully.