Unable to crank over Skorpion after 18 month lay up

[iktank]

Put few drops of engine oil in the piston before you turn it over and see how it goes wrt the piston, lets see if that moves when you try turning it over with plug out, if it does - Great. Put plug back in, If the carb is full of fuel no need to refit everything try turning bike over see if it fires(I'm assuming starter works).

Iam only 40min away so can pop up - need to give mine a run as i just stripped the carb as the float bowl filter was blocked fuel not getting to carb quick enough. Just putting back together now

[OLDMTNCARVER]

If the clutch is bound up follow Daves advise and in second gear work it back and forth, don't force it.
If it doesn't work/break free your better off removing and reinstalling the clutch.
This is common with old British bikes that have sat for not that much time.
Also, as a habit before I start any big single I pull in the clutch lever and make sure it's lose, working it back and forward. This has benefit for the starter as well the battery.
Regards,
Robert

By the way this is not the first time this subject have come up on this forum...

[DAVID THOMPSON]

leaving a bike set can sometimes not be helped...
it is best to start and run them about once a month
to save the grief

i have a small tank i hook up and run the 660 so i can leave the plastic tank empty
and run the carb dry while its on extended lay up
the cost of keeping 3 bikes on license is hard on a pocket book

i have even had the dry plate in a bmw get stuck and boy is that a pain to free up..
dave

[maxgain]

Thanks for the help guys. I am learning these things at my peril. I also have a Ducati ST4s which has been standing as long. I know the battery is also shot in that one so hope that I have not caused my more problems. Once I am down to one bike I will keep the battery tender on and turn it over monthly letting it warm through and cycle the oil throughout the bike.

I will try your suggestions and update this post.

Stu

[Bill Jurgenson]

I have never had a siezed clutch on any of the many XT/XTZ motors I have had. But the clutch plates do stick together after periods of unuse. How badly depends on what sort of oil. Putting in gear and rocking the bike back and forth while pulling the clutch usually frees the clutch.
Remove the plug. At the center of the left sidecover you find a large Ø plastic cover with screw slot. Unscrew this. Bihind this you find the nut securing the flywheel to the crankshaft. using a19mm socket, turn the crankshaft counterclockwise.
no plug remember.
Again, depending on the oil but also the humidity in the garage/shed, the piston rings can have fused to the liner. This oxidation and normally they will break loose by turning the crank. If not try using a hardwood dowel, inserting thru the plug hole and tapping it down a hammer. Pouring in some WD40 or petroleum or kerosine and waiting a day is a good idea.
That should do it. If you can turn the crank, the start can, too.

The oil level was mentioned If the tank is more or less full, OK. The check valve in the right sidecover can be delicate putting it mildly. Then the oil flows down into the engine. This is part of the reason why the oil level is only checked aftr the engine has been running at least 10minutes. Far too many have topped up the oil in a cold Skorpion. can get messy.
never do that. Obviously, when the crankcase is full, it is not so easy to turn over the engine.

[maxgain]

Right then. I took the plug out and sprayed some wd40 inside and left it overnight. I then poured a little oil inside also and left. Just gone out to try the suggestions I received and this is whats I have so far.

Put a 19mm socket onto the nut as suggested by Bill and the the piston turned counterclockwise with no real resistance. Great I thought.

Put the bike in second and proceeded to rock back and forward with the clutch alternating between in and out. With the plug still out the bike moved forward with a little resistance but refused to moved backwards. I tried this for quite sometime hoping it would free the clutch but to no avail.

I also tried running the bike in Neutral on the starter but still will not crank and just the solenoid clicking once.

[breakwellmz]

CAN you bump start a 660 high compression single,WITHOUT a manual valve lifter?

I`ve never had to bump start my Mastif,and wouldn`t fancy trying too,despite(Or because?)of having owned a temperamental 580B50/CCM that didn`t have a valve lifter.
Anyone experience of trying to?

[iktank]

I can call up next week to have a look if any use to you

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i just had a bad thought
maybe the lock key on the balance gear came loose and is locking it up

it came loose i hope at a time where it did not make a bunch of noise
and hopefully did not destroy anything inside the case

but is just far enough out of time now to keeping it from turning over and starting

best to have a look there before trying to bump start it

dave

[samandkimberly]

Sounds like your starter motor is seized.

Sam

Right then. I took the plug out and sprayed some wd40 inside and left it overnight. I then poured a little oil inside also and left. Just gone out to try the suggestions I received and this is whats I have so far.

Put a 19mm socket onto the nut as suggested by Bill and the the piston turned counterclockwise with no real resistance. Great I thought.

Put the bike in second and proceeded to rock back and forward with the clutch alternating between in and out. With the plug still out the bike moved forward with a little resistance but refused to moved backwards. I tried this for quite sometime hoping it would free the clutch but to no avail.

I also tried running the bike in Neutral on the starter but still will not crank and just the solenoid clicking once.

[maxgain]

This is where I am so far. I pulled the starter out and fired it up no problem. It had loads of torque. Removed the cover plate that the starter sits into and I found the bearing that it mates with totally seized (image below)

[img][IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img341/4066/img1421te.th.jpg[/img][/img]

I will endeavour to purchase one and get my local garage to remove and fit the new one.

So I think that’s another problem hopefully solved. I am now just left with a possible clutch issue. Looked at the case covering the clutch and it looks like a bit of a pain to remove, what with the oil filter and water pumps needing to be taken out.

Thanks for your kind offer Ian. I have friends over next weekend so will be busy then.

I will get the starter problem resolved and work from there.

i loaded the real pic so we have it when the link dies DAVE

[radiograf]

Grahame's list this as a 6200 bearing.

[samandkimberly]

Wow, that was a tough one to diagnose, congratulations! Any idea why there was enough moisture in thereto seize the bearing?

I'd bet that the clutch problem sorts itself out once you get it running. I'd *definitely* change the oil real soon though.

Sam

[radiograf]

Condensation from the air, and not running the engine for long enough to boil it out of the oil. Especially in winter when its more humid, and cooler so the engine doesn't warm up as fast.

[maxgain]

Thanks guys. I shall have to replaced the oil and filter once its running. Hopefully the clutch will free itself once running. I did a search on stuck clutches and it was suggested to rev the bike up on centre stand in a lowish gear and lock back wheel with the rear brake whilst applying throttle to break the clutch free. Thanks for all your advise. I am hopefully off to Fowlers in Bristol tomorrow to see if they have a Yamaha bearing I can replace it with. Then to my local bike specialist in Caldicot to pull and replace the bearing. Hopefully a quality oil change may stop the problem happening again anytime soon.

Regards

Stu