It's a great feeling when you can switch your wrenches to tighten after loosening so many bolts! I pulled the crank out today and installed the new cam chain, and with a lot of help and counseling from Jojje managed to get the crank out and back in without having to remove the alternator rotor or the counterbalancers. It took about 15 tries and 4 hands to line all the gears up correctly, but it was a lot better than having to fight the alternator.
Here is the engine, sitting upside down, with the bottom case 1/2 removed:
A: are the counterbalancers
B: the crank gear that drives the counterbalancers
C: alternator rotor
D: Cam chain drive gear
The trick Jojje told me was that you can remove the crank without removing the alternator rotor by marking both the crank and the counterbalancer gears, then lifting the crank out the top. When you reassemble, you need about 10 hands to line it all back up, but it's still easier than pulling the rotor. The pain of it is that the crank has to go in straight, into the 2 counterbalaner gears and also the primary/clutch side. It took some doing, sweating, and swearing.
Here's yours truly holding the crank. I've got that grimace on my face because the freakin thing is heavy!
Here's another shot of the crank:
So I slipped the new cam chain over the crank and got it all lined up correctly, then reconnected the connecting rods. Finally I can tighten bolts instead of loosening them. It's a good feeling!
My head should arrive Monday and I'll get the motor assembled, back in the frame, yadda yadda yadda, and hopefully be up and running in about a week...
I can't wait! more pictures to come... :-D :-D :-D :-D
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