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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Machining the head for plain bearings?
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Message started by chuck on 01/22/08 at 20:36:51

Title: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by chuck on 01/22/08 at 20:36:51

Anybody ever machined the head for plain bearings for the camshaft to ride on instead of the bare aluminum?

I ask 'cause I now have two heads with trashed journals and I have noticed that good used heads for the LS650 are rare as hens' teeth... and new ones ain't cheap.

If nobody else has done it I may have to pioneer the procedure on one of these here heads of mine.

(Note to self-- if an engine eats up a head, don't go putting another one on it until you've figured out why the engine done gone and et up the first one.)

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by jjn on 01/22/08 at 21:30:04

Theres also the possibility of using roller bearings maybe?

jon

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by verslagen1 on 01/22/08 at 21:51:35

You can put 2 next to the bath tub and they'd get plenty of oil.

But you really need one next to the sprocket.

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by Savage_Greg on 01/23/08 at 22:11:52

Got someone that could line bore that puppy? Have to have oil holes lined up too.

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by MMRanch on 01/24/08 at 21:28:30

Hi Chuck

The cam bearing on mine were so floppy i couldn't stand to listen to them any more. This last Dec. i rebuilt them. It occoured to me that J.B.WELD is as hard as alumium is. On the head side there is no oil hole, just the exit slot. Well if you clean the bottom bearing surface really good and put a layer of J.B. about .015-.020 thick on and work it onto the surface good as you can, then let it about 2/3 set, you can apply a thin coat of wheel bearing greese to it and gently place the cam on it (no cam chain at this point), then put the top cover on and snug it up. After letting it set overnight take it back apart , clean up the new surfaces with your handy dremmel tool, recoat with greese and your BETTER than new.

I've got about a thousand miles on mine since then and all is well. But if I have to do it again I will use some Briggs and Stration rod bearing cut to fit and J.B. between the bearing and the head (just in case i cut to deep, and so the cam can fit itself instead of being in a bind).

Visit your Small Engine shop. you will need two half bearing .99-to 1 inch, and one half bearing .79 to 13/16 inch

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by Savage_Greg on 01/24/08 at 21:59:49

607260727F6C636E652D0 wrote:

That's a new one. Ingenuity plus + :)

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by LANCER on 01/25/08 at 03:39:23

Very impressive indeed

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by chuck on 01/25/08 at 15:10:21

And THAT's why this board rocks. Thanks MMRanch, I think I'll give it a try. It's not like I've got anything to lose, and this could save me some serious coin.

Title: Re: Machining the head for plain bearings?
Post by MMRanch on 01/25/08 at 15:21:17

[smiley=dankk2.gif] Thank you, thank you very much !