I am happy to relate that my Frankenbike project was completed yesterday and is rolling. This is a 2001 Savage with a re-built 1996 top end and a salvaged 2005 bottom end.
I purchased the 2001 Savage at the beginning of the summer ($1500, 3100 miles) to remove its engine and fit it into my Ryca. The Ryca is based on a 1996 Savage. Its transmission output shaft had stripped its splines (22K miles). The engine replacement went well and the Ryca has been in good operation since that.
Scanning eBay regularly I found a bottom end from a 2005 S40 for $300 delivered from Cyclenet Parts in Hastings, Florida. Apparently someone had purchased this bike, put 500 miles on it, and abandoned it to the elements
The bottom end was delivered to me on a pallet by truck, but the plastic wrap packaging was damaged and the unit exposed. This did not make me happy (not very professional there, Mr. Cyclenet Parts). After several kerosene and oil flushes the crank rotated smoothly and I convinced myself that there was no significant contamination left. I did fish out a head stud washer with a magnet-on-a-stick that was lying near the oil pump intake (see professional comment above).
I took my 1996 top end to a local Harley shop, B & S Cycles of Montville, Connecticut, where a nice job was done on a valve re-grinding, new valve guides, and a cylinder honing.
I put it back together following my Clymers manual. There were a couple of gotchas -- a combination of my inexperience and the incompleteness of the manual, but I worked through them.
Yesterday I fired her up and started the break in process (new rings) with several runs up and down some local roads. All gears are there and shifting smoothly. Everything works. I've done two quick oil changes with cheap oil, then put in a new filter and Rotella 15W40.
I am pleased. This is something I've wanted to do since I was a boy. It was really an education. Now I have three running motorcycles (too many?). Next spring I'll decide whether to sell Frankenbike or convert it to a Ryca CS-2 or Blue Collar Bobber.
My winter project is to re-build the 1996 bottom end sitting on my workbench in the garage to replace the bad output shaft. Idle hands are the devil's playground.
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