Moses Ludel
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Kawasaki KLR Motorcycle Engine Teardown and Inspection
Moses Ludel replied to forman's topic in Dirt & Dual-Sport Motorcycles
Great, Forman! After measuring the piston and cylinder, we'll outline the findings and factory recommendations from your shop manual...As a wrap-up for the "inspection" phase, it would be good to show piston to wall clearance and the ring end gaps in this loose cylinder. We can start a new topic as you "rebuild" the upper end of this engine and perform related work: "Kawasaki KLR 650 Engine Rebuild" would be a good working title for the topic, you have the entire engine apart now...Your photo/video documentation has been valuable. It's time consuming and appreciated. This is valuable to KLR owners and others...some consolation despite the work and cost involved! Once done right, you'll have a reliable motorcycle that is quite desirable, the KLR has a strong following. Thanks! Moses -
Kawasaki KLR Motorcycle Engine Teardown and Inspection
Moses Ludel replied to forman's topic in Dirt & Dual-Sport Motorcycles
Your usual great photos, Forman...No "major" damage evident, some wear visible but nothing serious. The piston measurement was revealing. Is there piston skirt aluminum sloughing or any skirt damage to the cylinder bore? I recall severe glazing, but is the bore out of shape? Were the piston skirts dragging the wall? If not, this is as you say, an engine with accumulated debris. Flushing passageways would be worthwhile if you decide to rebuild completely. What kind of piston-to-wall clearance were you experiencing here? Moses -
Jon and I go back many, many years. In the '80s, I often photographed parts and rebuilding procedures at Border Parts when I wrote for both OFF-ROAD (Argus) and 4WD & Sport Utility (McMullen then McMullen-Yee). Jeff Sugg, now owner (with wife Karen) of MIT at El Cajon was a very young fellow then and worked for Border Parts. Jeff rebuilt transmissions and transfer cases for customers. Jon Compton has been serving the 4WD (primarily Jeep and Scout) communities since the early '70s. He is a great guy and tries hard to be of service. When we lived at Spring Valley from 1982 to '88, Jon was a friend, nearby neighbor and professional colleague. It has been a while since we spoke last, and, yes, we're overdue... Glad you connected with Jon, Forman. Moses
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For $25, go for it, JohnF...Sounds like factory welds on that casting from the known history. If you get a moment, wire brush the paint off that zone I describe. Let us know if that's a factory weld...very interesting! Moses
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Looked at the photos...These very hefty Federal trucks had rear axles with differentials, not chain drive, very "modern"! Note the 3-1/2 ton rating on the log loaded truck. Fascinating...Quite a bit of history here, Rocket Doctor!
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We'll have fun following your restoration, Atsbush! BGillon's restoration is underway, too...He's now into repairing the front axle shaft and brakes, and he found an I-H shop manual, too! Keep us posted... Moses
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JohnF...This bore only supports the seal...The shaft runs through the casting bore without any contact. The break is so clean that I mistook it for a washer/backer at first! There is a shelf there, so the piece would likely stay in position with an OEM type double-jacket seal. The modern replacement seal will typically be a thinner-walled single jacket. That provides little downward or seating pressure at the jacket seating position. This is not a lost piece, though. I braze and silver braze, and my first reaction is to reach for the oxy-acetylene torch. With care, clean parts and the broken "washer-looking" piece seated at its original position, you could place a nice braze right at the junction between the piece and the bearing cap's seal bore. Brazing temperature should not distort or crack the casting if you concentrate the heat at the junction and do not overheat the whole piece. Use just enough localized heat to properly flow the bronze or silver rod. Flux coated would likely work unless you prefer flux powder. Pre-cleaning before brazing must be very thorough. Note: I'd wrap the piece in a Kevlar or fiberglass welding blanket after brazing to allow slow cool down. This would be a permanent repair. The nose bore only supports and centers the seal. There's a curiosity point to this damage, though. I'm not convinced that you broke this loose. It looks like the casting ear has been welded or brazed already: See the middle and lower photos, looks like the "arm" has been repaired. Or is this "factory"? The case has a lot of black paint covering something, maybe a repair from long before your work? Does this broken seal seat casting pre-date your work? Moses
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First, you do need a quality rebuild kit that has all the wear parts and smaller items, too. Advance Adapters has that handled with this "Kit". You'll like the price and the thorough approach, now that you're familiar with the Dana 300's needs: http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/400300r--dana-300-rebuild-kit/ This still does not include the gears or shafts, so that leaves those items. Advance Adapters offers a 4:1 low range conversion, and I trust their gears, machining and hardening beyond any others I know. This can be a spendy package but does provide all of the gears: http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/430000--jeep-dana-300-401-low-range-gear-set/ As for the intermediate shaft and any other parts, try Jon Compton at Border Parts, Spring Valley, California. Jon has maintained a line on the Dana 300 parts for decades and is reliable: Phone (619) 461-0171. If you do a "stock rebuild", he can likely help with the parts, too. Please share my regards with Jon... Moses
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That's frustrating, JohnF! Post a few reasonably lit close-ups of the damaged section and the chipped section. Take a photo from each side (front and back views). I'll share my opinion about the cap's reuse...You can make an informed decision. Moses
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Very pleased that we nailed the axle shaft issue, joint failure is common. That quickens the troubleshooting, a good idea at your neck of the woods during this bitter-cold time of the year! The wheel cylinder should be common, so don't fret over trying to free it up. It would be great to restore the cylinder, if still a safe measure. However, the only parts available will likely be the rubber cups and boots. Suggestion: Disconnect the brake hose and remove the cylinder from the backing plate. Soak the cylinder in denatured alcohol. Denatured is often used as professional glass cleaner or for "shellac thinner", not to be confused with lacquer thinner! You can find denatured alcohol at Lowes and Home Depot in the U.S., I've found it at old-fashioned hardware stores for years. Make sure the product is pure. After soaking, work the pistons only when they will yield without great force. The goal is to preserve the pistons, they are the wild card due to lack of parts availability. If the cylinder is not pitted (rare!), clean the cylinder thoroughly with denatured alcohol, touch up surface blemishes with crocus cloth, and dry the cylinder completely. There is a bore to piston clearance. See your I-H factory manual for specifications and additional brake cylinder rebuilding details. Caution: Depending upon the manufacturer, brake cylinder bores in your truck's era can be factory "bearing-ized". This is a factory boring and surfacing that involves compression. The compressed iron surface becomes bearing-like in hardness from the process. (The factory method involves a diamond hone!) This is all well and good as a tough, wear resistant surface; however, honing during service is not advised. If you hone through this surface hardness, the softer underlying iron will not deliver a long service life...For those wondering why vehicles from your truck's vintage onward have cylinders that can only be "touched up with crocus cloth by hand", this is the reason. Glad you're happy with this truck. You have a new counterpart here at the I-H forum: "Atsbush". His truck is also a 1210 4WD with very similar componentry to your pride and joy...Looking forward to the three of us—and others—dialoguing! Moses
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Atsbush...First, welcome to the forums...I'd like to emphasize that this forum is as active as you and others want it to be! I'm pleased to enter any dialogue about I-H trucks and Scouts, I grew up around them during the I-H light truck heyday and have tremendous respect for these vehicles. As for your rarer 4-door 1210, congratulations! I have considerable information about your truck when needed. I also "teethed" on I-H trucks as a light- and medium-duty truck mechanic in the early years of my career, and I can "talk I-H". More importantly, I know the best practices for repairing these vehicles and how to do a professional restoration. The transmission in your truck is likely from a Travelall. The five-speed was a rare option around the years your truck was built, and a Travelall could have been the donor. We can discuss this or any of the other components on your truck. The Holy Grail for any I-H truck is its original "Line Ticket". If you have the sheet, you're really in luck. Otherwise, parts can be identified by common industry parts listings. Feel free to ask questions...This forum and our posts can be a valuable resource for other I-H owners and restorers. Read the I-H posts to date...If you're looking for a counterpart to your truck, follow "bgillon" at: http://forums.4wdmechanix.com/topic/265-new-member-with-1973-i-h-1210-4x4-pickup-truck/. Moses
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A family album story for generations now has been the 1924 Willys Knight that took my Grandma Lena, Uncle Dave, Aunt Millie and my father, Leonard, across the entire country in 1927. They camped at the early National Park system spots, too, which provided talking points at many family dinners and gatherings. The Willys Knight stories largely centered around mud and the Lincoln Highway, also the flat tires. Everyone could change a tire before that trip was over; my father, fourteen or fifteen at the time, surely did his share. These cars and the early trucks got the job done...Again, it was often big touring cars, like the legendary Cadillac of "Cadillac Hill" fame on the Rubicon Trail, that negotiated the roughest roads. I enjoyed the University of Oregon's Pacific Northwest archival photos with images of the early logging trucks: chain drive with narrow, spoked wheels. Imagine a Ford Model TT or Model AA powertrain compared to today's one-ton rated trucks! We have made some progress here... Moses
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I'd suggest finding a "good used" Dana 300 and taking the crapshoot approach that between two transfer cases, you'll have serviceable used gears and parts to work with...The gears in your unit have suffered sorely from metal and debris running through the teeth. You're way up the learning curve now, Forman. Try hunting for a used "core" transfer case that has the pan off and gears viewable. Even on a budget, let's use a level headed approach and not put the current unit back together without resolving the initial problem. I'm not pleased with the intermediate gear's reuse, and the other gears are not in the best of shape... Moses
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Want more thoughts about the AX15 gear lube? This includes the "brass synchro ring versus sulfur discussion" and other points we haven't gotten to here. The exchange is at our Jeep forum, right here at this address: http://forums.4wdmechanix.com/topic/47-ax15-transmission-gear-oil/. Take a peek, it's a nice read! The synthetic Redline bias gets aired, too... Moses
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Incidentally, I looked up the official oil recommended by Jeep for the 1994 Cherokee and Wrangler YJ. The factory shop manual calls for API 75W-90 GL-5 of good quality. No distinction around conventional versus synthetic, consumers were on their own here. "Good quality" does provide a "good conscience" if you elect to use conventional GL-5 75W-90 lube and a quality brand. As for filling, Jeep suggests just to the fill hole when cold. (Might spill out slightly when checked warm.) A clean and completely empty transmission should take 3.27 quarts in your 4WD version of the AX15. A used transmission, drained but not flushed thoroughly? I'd guess 3 quarts or under would do it. In any case, fill to the base of the fill hole on level ground and cold...Don't overfill. Moses
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Biggman100...We're back to the synchronizer response. If you can get proper synchro braking (smooth shifting without clashing) with the synthetic, use it. From my recollection, the original Mopar oil was not a synthetic, possibly a blend, it looked and poured like a conventional 75W-90 oil. Toyota does not specify a synthetic, either. I am a synthetic buff, too, so if you can use a synthetic and still get proper synchro response, great. An expensive experiment if the gears clash with synthetic and you need to change out the oil. Moses
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Biggman100...Here are illustrations of each for your identification. The Dakotas apparently all use the AX15. Jeep 2.5L four-cylinder models use the AX5. Here is the difference: 1994 AX5 Transmission.bmp 1994 AX15 Transmission.bmp This should help. Your Dodge Dakota trucks are V-6s, so the AX15 is the transmission you need... Moses
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Hi, Biggman100...I ran this down with research. Mopar had a specific lube for the AX5 and AX15 transmission that is no longer available. I used it in the AX-15 rebuild at the magazine, so the first fill was a non-issue. It got dicey after that when many followed a Mopar superseded approach with a 10W-30 motor oil (presumably synthetic?) replacing the discontinued Mopar AX5/AX15 lube. (I may still have a few bottles of that lube left, likely an eBay NOS collectible item at this point.) After watching this question kick around in the forums and elsewhere, I chased down the Toyota A150 transmission approach. The A150 is the AX15. Toyota recommends an API 75W-90-wt. gear lube in GL4 or GL5 class*. I'm good with this idea, although there may be a synthetic alternative from Redline or Amsoil worth testing. Each makes direct replacement synthetic lubes for GL4 or GL5 gear lube. Be aware that synchronizers are very touchy on these transmissions, and too much lubricity is not "better". I found the Mopar lube (original) worked well, the synchronizers maintained braking effect. *Note: Unlike a lot of speculative approaches to this question, my information is from page MA-17 of the 1993 Toyota T100 factory shop manual, Publication RM299U for North American market. I thought this as close to your AX15 in the Dakota, Biggman100. My shelf is lined with Toyota truck manuals from the AX15 era, 1989 up in the case of Jeep and Dodge Dakota. What I would not do is run a motor oil, and for one simple reason: Motor oil is not an EP rated lubricant nor intended to be. It does not have the same degree of anti-foaming or "squeeze factor" engineering as a true gear lube. If there is an issue with a conventional 75W-90 weight lube, I'd consider an alternative. Otherwise, I would sleep nights with the Toyota recommendation. When I recommended synthetic gear lube for any manual transmission back in the 'eighties in a magazine Q&A response, a Toyota 4x4 truck reader wrote me kindly and suggested that his gears were gnashing after the change. He switched back to conventional gear lube, and the problem went away...That was the end of my making arbitrary statements about the virtues of synthetic lube. Synchronizer braking action requires a prescribed degree of friction. Others may have more to add or suggest... Moses
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I am very curious about this LS V-8 swap and any responses here...Great question, Sparky1! I'd still like to do a 50-State emissions legal diesel swap into our '99 XJ Cherokee...Haven't found an affordable prototype with any real torque yet...Not a VW TDI fan. The 2.8L VM is spendy...Volvo, BMW and Mercedes are spendy. The new 3.0L VM V-6 in the Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 would cost a fortune...Isuzu's 3.9L four would be great but not legal, it's a "medium-duty" truck engine, not acceptable for use in a passenger/light truck chassis. Is this Novak 5.3L Chevrolet LS gasoline V-8 package 50-State legal if done properly? How easy is the "kit", what more is needed? Please furnish details... Moses
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Wow, that's a good one, Sparky! We're only talking about 1/2" difference on radius, so the sidewall exposure would not differ that much. If the tread is the same and the tire aspect ratio (sidewall height to section width) remains similar, the profile would not be much different. For my multipurpose use on the 1999 Jeep XJ Cherokee, I opted for 16" rims when other size factors were nearly the same. There is less rubber exposure at the sidewall. I went over the Gold Lake Trail (Rubicon-esque) with these size tires and use them constantly on the highway. See my Jeep XJ Cherokee tire and wheel choice details at the magazine. This setup works very well with the long arm suspension lift. If you air down off-pavement, the squat might be greater with the 15"; however, the sidewall exposure to rocks and obstacles would increase. The more deflected the sidewall, the more vulnerable. At lower inflation pressures, this would also be a weaker sidewall. Here are some definitions that might help: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=46. When a coin toss like this is the test, most of us go with the tire size and wheels that are readily available. In either case, the 1/2" radius difference is not earthshattering, and if you have one tire or wheel preference over the other, maybe based on price or wider choice options, go for it. Others may want to weigh in here. Let's hear your viewpoints... Moses
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Great equipment in the Australian market! Shipping costs from Australia to North America would be an issue, though shipping looks free within Australia. I see that some of the automotive equipment at Garage Workshop is U.S. product: BendPak for those interested. You have terrific four-wheel drive venues at Australia and a keen interest in dirt/dual-sport motorcycles. It's great to see your participation at these forums! Like to hear more about four-wheeling and dirt riding from Australia—and New Zealand, too! Moses
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First, the wildlife photography is terrific! What camera and lens system are you using? This is ultra sharp, very good depth of field control, too! As for the Dana 300, the gear teeth patterns would be okay if hard metal had not circulated through this unit. Note that the scraping evident at the teeth is uniform across the tooth faces, that's a good tooth contact pattern. The concern is the depth of this damage. These gears are typically 8620 or similar base metal with case hardening after machining. The depth of case can average 0.035", sometimes more, seldom less. Given the case hardening, try to judge the depth of these striations from debris. With the heavier gear lube used in a Dana 300, you can likely get by without replacing all of the gears. We know that the intermediate gear is gone, especially if its inside wear at the needle rollers is contributing to the wobble and radial play. Any gear(s) that you reuse must have normal contact patterns. If you want to minimize cost here, you need gears with teeth that will mesh properly when using a new or "good used" intermediate gear. If you seek out used gears, that's a gamble, because gears establish a wear pattern, and two used gears will increase the likelihood of tooth contact issues. So, if affordable, a new intermediate gear would be advised. You definitely need a new intermediate shaft, thrusts and the bearings. Considering that this is a through-drive transfer case, in high range you simply need the input and output to lock up without play. The bearings and support for shafts need to be on tolerance. Make sure that parts will run in alignment. Be certain that the 2WD to 4WD synchronizing mechanism will work properly and that the transfer case shift positions will not jump out of gear. From photos, some of these parts look rough and worn. Check shifter detent parts carefully, these are small parts that play an important role. As for low range, if you can eliminate the backlash of the gears, caused mostly by a loose intermediate gear, replacing some of the other parts is elective. You're not taking this Jeep over the Rubicon Trail with 35" tires and axle lockers. You simply want the transfer case gears to mesh properly, shafts to stay aligned, and bearing end plays to be correct. Note: These last points are covered in my Jeep CJ Rebuilder's Manual: 1972-86. Proper end play shim adjustment at the bearing cap during final parts assembly is crucial. Bearing play determines parts alignment and bearing life, keeping the shafts spinning true with the correct bearing preloads. Share what parts you think are reusable and how you're approaching the new parts needed...I'm here as a sounding board and extra set of eyes! Moses
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Forman, I need to share that these photos are professional grade. Short of using benchtop studio lighting (which would be total overkill for our purposes!), these photos are certainly magazine level. There are very clear indications of wear and fatigue, major concerns if we were talking about a day-in, day-out trail runner or installing a 5.7L GM V-8 in this chassis. I like your hint about wear at other points on the vehicle. There's no sense in doing a "blueprint" rebuild on this Dana 300 then have the Model 20 AMC rear axle, Dana 30 front axle and T176/177 transmission require major work—about the same time that the 4.2L six decides to give up! Let's talk about reasonable restorative work here, aiming for transfer case survival to the point in time when the entire Jeep CJ has outstripped its duty cycle. Or do you want the Dana 300 to be the first "as new" restoration piece with the whole Jeep intended for this level of work later? Moses
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Great update, Forman...It's that "tends to wobble" that I was after. The endplay is of course excessive, we knew that from seeing the wear at the end thrusts. This intermediate gear/shaft looseness and wear were central to both the whine and lurching. Typical of a tough Dana 300, the whole setup would have lasted a lot longer if the intermediate shaft, bearings and the gear itself had not become worn and loose. This is not a "weakness" in the Dana 300, rather this unit took a beating over time, likely lacking oil when vitally needed. Were it not for the pitting and scoring on the gear teeth, the upper photo shows a gear with normal tooth mesh. The other gear is scored and pitted. The abnormal tooth shape resulted from the loose and wobbly intermediate gear. How do the mating gears look? Not sure what your budget might be or the end game for this Jeep CJ-7. You've narrowed down the noise and backlash in this Dana 300. If you have the time, lay out the other gears and parts, photograph or film them (whichever is easier), and I'd be glad to comment on what I see. Based upon budget, we can talk about parts options for restoring this unit... Moses
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Overton, this is phenomenal news! I built two FJ40 Land Cruiser projects, the first an early '70s F-engine model, the second a '78 that was originally 2F powered. These were the first Land Cruiser builds at OFF-ROAD Magazine (circa late 'eighties and mid-'nineties, respectively). Members and guests may recall these two projects, each was heavily represented in my Toyota Truck & Land Cruiser Owner's Bible (Bentley Publishers). In my experience, the FJ40 represented the premier 4x4 chassis design for a build-up, with an optimal wheelbase, track width, powertrain and axles. These vehicles seemed unstoppable in the roughest and steepest terrain—even in pure stock form! The FJ40 recipe for traction was simple: a long, hefty iron inline six-cylinder engine positioned well over the front driving axle. I am intimately familiar with the F-, 2F and 3F engines, gear trains and axles found in the FJ Land Cruiser models. If any members have questions, please ask... It is satisfying to see the Land Cruiser FJ40 receive this level of recognition. The current trend is vindication for many Toyota FJ 4WD owners. Land Cruiser OE parts were considerably more expensive than Jeep, Scout, Bronco and other domestic 4x4s in the day. (I stopped building Land Cruiser magazine projects when off-road enthusiasts balked at the cost of building and maintaining a Land Cruiser.) Now, as you share, Overton, FJ40 restorers can realize a great return on their investment! Whether you use your FJ40 on the Rubicon Trail, where I first shared that trail with an FJ40 Land Cruiser in the summer of 1967, or have recently begun collecting Toyota FJ40 4WDs with a meticulous restoration and high-end auction in your sights, the forum members would like to hear about it! Looking forward to your posts and great photos, Overton. Check out the 'Garage' Photo Gallery here at these forums, and please share these terrific 4x4s with members and guests! Welcome to the forums... Moses
