Tried all the usual advice - still can't shift it!

[Lord Faversham]

So I went to pull the CVT cover off today.  As I was whipping out the bolts, they all came out with copper slip on them which was an encouraging sign, how wrong I was!  Can I get the blimmin' CVT belt case cover off? Not a chance.  Tried prying it, whacking it with a rubber mallet, whacking the pry points from the other side of the bike and the result and conclusion is that the casing must be stuck on the clutch bearing.  Evidently I'm not the first to have this issue as the joint around the case and the case cover is all chewed to beggary where someone else has had a crack at it. (Unsuccessfully I suspect!)

I have movement pretty much all round the casing but it just will not come off. I'm loathe to use the BF&I approach and just try to monster pry it off for fear of cracking the casing as it would be £120 to replace it.  I've tried a blow torch on the outside of the bearing housing to see if it would loosen but no joy.  Any suggestions?  I've bolted the blinking thing back up again for the time being..

[CROSSBOLT]

Gasket holding it more than the bearing or the two dowel pins. Take it slow, maybe use some solvent on the gasket edge and light taps through the rear wheel spokes to those pry lugs you talked about. Biggest thing is try to evenly part it as best you can. Use a hardwood stick or dowel for that through-spoke drift pin.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yes, hang in there. Those stuck belt covers can be r e a l  frustrating to get off.
Eventually I had to tap a thin metal putty knife into the gasket seam of my LIKE200i.....made certain I had a new one to replace it with, first.
Burgman 400's use two bolts threaded through to gently push the cover off and free it from that clutch shaft bearing. Are there any threaded ports that might permit that on a 500 cover?

I lightly greased the new gasket to prevent this the next belt rodeo.

Stig

[Lord Faversham]

Thanks gents.

There’s no gasket fitted so the case has been off before but the evidence suggests that it’s not been for some time.

I’ve got movement on the dowel pins and all around the case but as I said,it seems to be stuck on the bearing. There are some bolt holes for fixing the plastic covers to the casing so I’m going to fashion a handle of some kind and bolt it to these so I can pull evenly with my feet against the rear wheel. Just hope I don’t knock my teeth out if it comes off all of a sudden!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Some heat right there on the cover over that bearing?
You know this - but  I've found that even a little bit of mechanical pulling is more successful than a lot of manual pulling. (like those bolts threaded thru the Burgman cover near the bearing....they push it right off) But I understand that it is not always possible.

(Yeah, be careful - the memory of the outcome of pulling a 20 penny ring-shank nail with a crow bar still brings tears to my eyes)

Stuck things can sure mess up a nice afternoon. Brake fluid reservoir screws on a Honda bike or scooter (use proper #2 JIS !!)- foot peg Torx head bolts on a Piaggio, etc., etc.

Good luck......!

Stig

[Lord Faversham]

Thanks Stig.

Im cogitating the issue. I may try to drill a small hole in the casing by the bearing so I can get on it with the air hose first. The bearing will need replacing anyway now so I’m not bothered about sacrificing it but compressed air might be a better and less damaging way of getting the bearing out of the casing than the BF&I approach. I will keep this thread informed on any progress/failure.

[Lord Faversham]

So here’s the latest in the stuck casing saga. This is what I tried yesterday after painting up and fitting a centre stand I nabbed off eBay.

A. Copious heat applied to the casing in the vain hope that I could expand the case enough to pull it off the bearing by using two bolts in the case and a couple of mole grips. I pulled like barmy for about 10 minutes with the result being that the case was still stuck on the bearing and the bearing stuck on the shaft, only now I was suitably knackered. On to Plan B.

B. Drilled a small 8mm hole in the case over the bearing seat and jammed the airline in there in the vain hope that I could blow the case off the bearing. Not a chance. Not so much as a smidge of movement.

C. Cut a small circle of casing off immediately over the bearing so I could get at it and introduce some easing oil between the inner race and the shaft, again in the futile hope that I might still be able to pull it off. Nothing.

At this point I was contemplating defeat and resorting to cutting the bleeding thing off the bearing but I still had a couple of shots left at pulling it off before getting to extremes.

D. Drilled and tapped 2 holes either side of the exposed clutch shaft bolt and then machined up a puller which was duly attached to the case this time hoping that I could wind the case off the bearing or shaft. Result? The bolts simply threaded as the case is only about 6-7 mm thick so nowhere near enough meat to bite into.

This had me scratching my head a bit as there should have been some movement by now. So I went and had a look at the parts diagram partly to see how much it was going to set me back for a new casing, Bearing, etc. It would appear the the bearing is retained in its seat by a circlip which would explain the fun I’m having. 

https://www.bike-parts-kymco.uk/kymco-motorcycle/500-SCOOTER/XCITING/XCITING_500_RI_4T_EURO_III/CRANKCASE/127/9/0/127

So my last shot before trashing the casing is to try to take the clutch bolt off with a windy gun (air impact driver) so I can endeavour to pull the whole assembly off the bike and at least get the case on the bench where I might be able to either drift or cut the bearing out in bits. 

Failing that, it’s out with the Dremel and having to place a new casing on order. Still, it has the be done!

In the meantime, I plastic welded the points back on the side panel finishers (notorious for snapping off on removal) and painted them up in matte black and then did the same with the CVT case outer covers. I’ve decided that as the scoot is a 2008 500i model and the plastics need tidying up, I may as well upgrade the styling to the 500Ri spec which is more visually appealing to me. I may start another thread with progress on this aspect.  The weather should be a bit better today so I may well have the rest of the inner plastics off and tidy them up too whilst mulling over the stubborn casing issue.

[CROSSBOLT]

Whew!

[Lord Faversham]

I finally got the b*gger off!

It was a combination of brute force and ignorance (BF&I) and impatience that won the day.  I tried the windy gun. Didn't even move the nut so that will no doubt be another part of this unfolding tale....

Given that  the next step was going to be trashing the casing by cutting it off, I thought I'd have nothing to lose in beating the hell out of it. Throwing caution and best practice to the wind, rather than use a long wooden dowel and a rubber or brass mallet (It didn't work earlier so unlikely to work again) I resorted to using a long piece of bar and a lump hammer and beat the bejaysus out of the case on the pry points from the opposite side. I must have been getting a tiny bit of  movement as the gap around the case opened enough for me to be able to get two dirty great screwdrivers in opposite one another and in line with the bearing. I flooded the area around the race and shaft with easing oil and went and had a cuppa. I came back and then pulled like crazy on both drivers and stone me if it didn't start to move!

I got the thing off and its clear its not been off in a while.  The clutch boss that fits into the casing bearing race was pretty corroded and there was no sign of any anti-seize compound which would have been helpful!  I'll be able to clean that up I suspect. The bearing race is in good nick ironically but the inner race face which mates with the clutch boss is a little corroded although I may also be able to clean that up. The variator is stepped and the belt isn't reaching the edge fully, the clutch end looks a bit corroded and again there doesn't seem to be full movement on the contra spring both of which would account for the imperfect performance.  The windy gun won't shift the bolts on either clutch or variator so I have ordered a removal tool and will get the breaker bar on them both and hope that I don't bend anything!

[Stig / Major Tom]

"And Oliver has run himself over!"
Well done, you!

Stig

[Lord Faversham]

So first off apologies for not updating this as promised. By way of an update on the xciting 500i saga I’m happy to report that it has had the full treatment and is now behaving as it should. Since my last post I’ve been hard at it. I’ve also completely refurbed the scoot too.  [emoji12]

It started as this

All the plastics have been taken off, repaired where they were cracked and then prepped and repainted in 500R colours.

The engine has been given a full service - oil and filter, air filter, tranny fluid, valve clearances and a new PAIR pipe.

It’s had a new Mivv catalysed exhaust, new Kymco clutch and Dr Pulley sport vario and 30g sliders. The front forks have been painted as have the rear fork and all the callipers which have also had an overhaul together with the wheels. .

The upshot of all this graft is a pretty much new looking scoot which now tops out at just over an indicated ton (where legally permissible of course) and is quick off the lights too. It sits quite happily twos up at the legal motorway limit and the new CVT has made this a very relaxed affair. (Big thanks to Dirk and the team at Mr Pulley for getting it to me in fast time). 

All of this just in time for me to take her Ladyship away for a weeks sojourn in La Belle France in our motorhome behind which we will be towing the scoot so we have something to zip around on whilst we’re out there.

Road tests all completed, nothing amiss and all systems now fully functional.

It now looks like this and goes like a stabbed rat:




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[CROSSBOLT]

Good show! Absolutely stunning. I dub thee now the 500 expert!

[Stig / Major Tom]

It all started with a stuck belt cover!
When he free'd it - all heck broke loooose.
What a nice job!
Safe journey - and please take snaps.
Stig

[Lord Faversham]

Thanks fellas. Pix to be forthcoming. Watch this space!


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[xsel777]

Very nice job. Well done.

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