Chipped Tooth!

[mspenz]

Hi guys, when replacing a water pump shaft on my recently acquired 99' 250 Techno I noticed that part of a tooth on the clutch basket drive is missing and I've no idea how long it has been like that  but there were a few small flakes of metal on the magnetic sump plug!

 

This was a cheap bike so I didn't expect too much however it does run pretty well without any knocks or grumbles and I'd rather not throw too much cash at it meantime until I decided whether or not this is definitely for me.

Question is, I can get a complete clutch 2nd hand and just replace the roller bearings or does it really make that much difference replacing the primary drive as well seeing that they are supposed to be a matched pair?

Again, I can get a new basket complete with gear attached and a matching primary drive for £100 then use my existing clutch or do I go for the used good condition option of a complete clutch for around the same price but without the primary drive?

And just how much play is 'normal' in the rubber silent block drive between the basket and gear as my existing probably has around 3mm back/fore?

 

I'm thinking that it should be the new matched pair and original plates...maybe?

 

Mike.

[lineaway]

A picture would be most appropriate for this before further damage. When the teeth meet the primary, there is only so much area meshing with that smaller gear. I think you answered your own question best. But before you spend too much money, you need to wonder how this could of happened. Foreign object, out of alignment, bad transmission shaft bearings, bad main bearings. Just how much work are you chasing. The `99 techno was a bullet prove bike, is this bike just tired? Good luck.

[mspenz]

I've decided to just run it in the thinking that the damage has already been done, possibly due to the clutch basket and drive having been replaced at some point and the gears not being a perfect matched pair...perhaps??

The main meat of the tooth is still there with only the top inner edge knocked off so there is probably still around 80% in contact, I've flushed the engine 3 times now and have filled her up with some Putoline synthetic 75w and am hoping that this will help to preserve and protect all the important stuff in there including the drive gears. The idler gear is perfect but there are some marks on the primary drive although nothing too serious, unfortunately I put everything back together before thinking about taking a photo but I'll run it for a while then take the casing off again at a later date (providing nothing fails before then) so I will post up a picture at some point to resurrect an old thread.

As I said, the engine runs pretty quiet without any untoward noise and there is plenty of compression (starts first kick), a wee bit of a rattle from the small end bearing when cold but that totally disappears when it's up to temperature so there isn't really much to get stressed about apart from the aforementioned.

 

Main bearings and the like are all relatively cheap so it's just the time involved to change them and I'm pretty used to getting my hands dirty.

 

I'm sort of tempted to go and throw £100 at it but I might just not have to, well not yet anyway 

 

Thank's for the suggestions, appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike.

[mspenz]

Thats £100.00 saved on bits.....but £100.00 to spend on fuel to go practising. Excellent!

 

Fuel and beer of course 

 

I was out today for a couple of hours and all seems well so I'll just continue to use it but keep an eye on things anyway.

 

Cheers.