kevin j

that gets the rear bearing, certainly an easy place to start. May help, may not solve it though. there is also a front bearing, fan end of same shaft. front one takes the thrust loading, may be the source of the noise. Someone did a post in past about disaseembling, drilling out rivets, and lubing it.

13.4. They build them to suit individual rider eg weight etc The extended, free length is exactly that of course: no load. Only reaches there when rear wheel is in the air or very light. Once loaded with bike and rider weight, the sag height will depend on weights and spring rate. So its quite possible a longer shock with softer spring and less preload will ride shorter than the other way around. I have a 175 with no shocks at all-it just has these tubular thingies that hold the springs from falling off-so I am following the falcons/etc discussions of what to put on to actually have some damping. Tough to justify $300+ shocks on a $500 motorcycle, but they seem to be the most improvement for the money on vintage stuff. kcj

May not help if you are in UK, but I have one of these tables. I think I paid $USD900 about 6 years back. Awesome, rugged, nice worktable to hold tools, etc. My dad has it, elderly, intent was to get him out in the garage more with his past projects. http://www.handyindustries.com/ I also have a crankup one made from a patient transfer lift discarded by a hospital. That's what I use mostly. I can PM you a pic but don't know how to post it. kcj

I'll have to look for notes at home, its been years. My youngest is now almost 18 years old, been a while since I had to spend all the TY80 miantenancne time, but I don't regret any of it. No, taking off the side is the slow part. I think the pump gear was held on by a pin or key or something easy. Once remove, the pilot hole is exposed to the oil cavity of the primary drive. That hole is what you cover up. Making the cover plate is easy just a chunk of alum or steel with two holes drilled in it. Took some carving to clear some gussets or webs, but I did it with a hacksaw and file. Did two of them. Then just some 6mm screws, silicone seal on the plate and silicone the hole where pump cable came in. Also solder or seal off the inlet to the intake manifold where the little barb fitting is. you are US, Dennis Kirk has gasket sets also. Vesrah brand. No crank seals included, but head and base, all the paper and copper exhaust ones. I have never dealt with BikeBandit, seen their web though. DK is just an hour or two north of me so I can get parts in UPS in about 18 hours from ordering. I can dig around at home. top of house was off for room addition and my life is in storage or piles or covered up. I'll see what I can find. You'll do fine, they are pretty simple to work on. kcj

I'd like an address to paypal to also. Only thing I could find last year was an automatic renewal. love the site have had identity theft, very careful in all dealings after that. k

I use the fine wire platinum/iridium etc stuff in any 2 cycle engines i have: lawn, saws, mc, etc. Last longer, start easier, less fouling. 3 to 5x the money, and I think well worth it. The functional advantage is in the fire wire design-It takes less voltage to initiate the ionization and spark jump across the gap with a sharp small point than a wide flat or rounded surface. The reason for the fancy metal is that the conventional nickel iron center wire would overheat and melt if made into a fine wire, not enough mass to dissipate the heat rapidly. (This local heat is a totally separate issue than the heat range of the tip and insulator) The basic idea was known many decades ago. I saw a tip in literature written in the 20's about filing to a point to prevent oil fouling in auto engines of the model T era. The idea was there, just not have the materials to make it last until the last 20 years or so. Freshly filed ground electrodes and sharp flat center electrode of conventional plug improves spark, same reasons. just not last so long until it rounds off. I'd recommend trying them. kcj

thought of something else: TY at least when main bearings get worn, the timing goes off and won't start. I had to run very tight point gaps (Im thinking .008 inch vs 012 to 016) to make the igntion work as it wobbled around in the bearing clearance. obvisoulty that is a temp fix until proper rebuild, but itm ight be a cause of not revving up properly. sounds like it is just tired out though and needs a rebuild. I used Wiseco pistons and rings, but for some t\reason they didn't have a 10?mm piston pin. had to get from Yam. bearings from the local suplly house, but Yam prices were about the same. carb adjustment is just routine tuning once its running, nothing mystical there. I think TY carb was smaller, but can't recall. I had a GT carb and it didn't work directly on, maybe it was the top or cable mount or something. k

yz about the same at tymotor (or maybe vice versa, not sure which one came first) except for cyl porting, transm gear ratios. cyl head finning is different also for pipe clearance on the Ty, but bascially the same mechanicals. Personally, I'd take off the autolube and run premix. at least you know for sure what is going on then. I did that with all the TY my kids had. don't just disconnect it, as the pump still runs and pumps the idle amount. If the tank runs dry eventually the pumps seize up. You have to remove the side case to get the autolube and gear off. the gear is bigger than the case hole as I recall. make a small plate of alum and bolt on in its place. Or, pull the gear, use the pump housing as a plug. I made cables from carb to Domino throttle, using a universal throttle outer housing, and a lighter than normal core cable. got that from a bicycle shop, 10 speed shifter cable material. Use a solder dip cap to put ends on. search for prior posts on this discusssion. bottom line, i'd run autolube until the next time you have it apart, then pull it off. why warped? overheating, from plugging up fins with mud, maybe lean mix or timing way off? just guesses. plugged exhaust overheats badly also. great little bikes. kcj

Good point, the stuff is more than just antifreeze, it is truly 'coolant'. Has more properties than just water. Compared to pure water, the AF mixture should raise the boiling point, lube the water pump, protect system from internal corrosion. Those additives wear out, thus the need to change occasionally. Ethylene glycol (green) every year or two in automotive applications. The other formulations can go longer. To me, its not worth stretching out the life for the cost of 1 liter of coolant. And the fluid is usually drained anyway every year or so to get access to clutch, gearbox, engine, etc. Keeping the radiator cap correct, so the system operates at proper pressure, prevents cavitation at the water pump on the back side of the impellor. (for the techies, cavitation is when the pressure drops and temperature rises, such that it drops below the fluids vapor pressure at that temperature. Small bubbles of vapor form, then milliseconds later they move to a spot with higher pressure and collapse. The resulting collapse creates a mini shock/pressure wave that stresses the surface of the material. Eventually it fails from fatigue and slowly erodes. Looks like a mouse has nibbled away on the surface, somewhat like detonation marks on a piston except more sandpaper appearance. This can also happen on the water side surface of the cylinder liner if the combustion causes vibration of the liner, although this is more likely in diesel engine liners. It can also eat up a hydraulic pump in hours.) Many good premixed coolants available, or mix soft water and 'antifreeze'; concentrate. Seems simple but we take for granted how much chemistry and engineering makes performance and modern life comfortable. biased viewpoint, I design hydraulic systems for big diesel powered equipment. kcj

thicker oil may cause some drag when released, but should not cause slipping. May take some more time to lock up if there is too much oil in it, but once locked, should not slip. make sure there is proper free play in the mechanism down below, nut just the cable. Might also have had some springs removed to make it softer. I did that when kids were small.

Not quite so tough as it seems. Once you find the right level, you just sort of remember visually which part of which gear should covered. Alternate: Put a mark on the outside of cover, then use a clean screwdriver as a dipstick. If you can't find it cast into the cover near the kickstarter area, I can look it up. Might take a few days to find the manuals. kcj

I've a bunch of TY350. I've never ridden a 250, and would really like to. 250's weren't imported here, but through canada. I've been told the 250 revs quicker and more responive and more modern like. 350 is pig slow, and goes flat on top end, not rev at all due the the restricted space around transfer ports. On the other hand, I ride everything in second gear. if there is a long climb, pick 3 or 4 and let it lug. trimming the flywheel helps, but still sluggish response. I have 4 piston front disc from GG, will be lowering the pegs on the frame. the rest is about normal. clutch extender, flywheel trim, etc. weight should be almost identical. all the parts are same. 350 aluminum barrel with chrome liner, I think 250 has cast iron liner or barrell personally, I think I'd stay with the 250, especially that beauty. looks reallynice. kcj

I'd never say 'never' when it comes to big brothers increasing appetite. Those who adamantly believe they know better how to run everyones lives get into power.... we are on the same scary path over here, just further behind you. kcj

My kids are older now, (still have the last TY80 in the garage) but as I recall, the clutch was hard for 4 or 5 or 6 yrs old just because of size of hand, but not heavy in pull. TY80 has a strange mechanism,, a plastic spiral gear in the left housing that pushes on the center rod through to the clutch. Part of the rod is exposed just ahead of chain sprocket. The spiral mechanism and push rod are exposed to dirt slung from the chain, and to damage is a chain is spit off. The arm to the cable is still avaliable from Yam but spiral gear is not. Since the arm is riveted onto the gear, it's a moot point. Basically, these parts are vulnerable to damage and NLA from Yamaha, at least in the US. My suggestions: 1. make sure you have a very good chain tensioner on it. stock on is easily damaged, usually gone. If you need to make one I can send you some drawings. 2. Disassemble, throughly clean the sand out of spiral and everything, and check it all over. 3. Replace the cable, or make very sure it is lubed. I have seen issues with cables on bikes in storage a long time where they felt super smooth when unhooked, but bound heavily when under load around the corners of bends. I assume there was some rough surfaces inside. I used graphite or moly lubes in suspension in pentrating oil. I have heard of someone lengthining the arm on the spiral gear, but it requires careful tig welding and drilling a new exit hole for the cable on the top of the case. Personally, I would not go there. There are inline devices that have two levers inside them to increase leverage. Bob Ginder at B&J sells a lever and perch with adjustable fulcrums. I don't know if they would fit the smaller TY size or not. kcj

TY350 air filter was not too good, and scoring/flaking of the chromed boare could resuot if dust/sand drawn in. TY250 had cast iron liner, could rebore and use chrome rings. Cylinders are NLA from Yamaha. I have heard that rings are no longer available. Wiseco and others typically have chromed rings, for running in cast iron liners. The TY350 is chromed liner so cannot use chrome rings. That's a problem. As I recall, piston was only available from Yam, nothing Wiseco directly. I think the DT360 piston could be machined and modified. Not sure. I had a barrel rechromed about 5 years ago, cost about $150. I can get the company name if you \wish. I would not rechome again, due to now shortage of rings. Bob Ginder at B&J does a cast iron liner and piston and porting package. Spendy for the value of the bike, but I have heard the porting dramatically imporves the 350, aothough will never be as responsive as the 250 just due to the limited space for transfer ports. Then, you can can rebore and can use chrome rings. kcj

tks, wrote shan, they didn't do an 07 one. maybe next year. oh well... kcj

Last year I got a colored 12 month picture calendar. Nice pics, Ordered from TrialsComp ad, but no idea where I got it. Anyone know a contact, I'd like to get an 07 version. kcj

Will fit Billy T mods to a friends 03 Beta after first of year. What are recommended jetting for this model, elevation here about 1000 ft. I am told the engine does have the flywheel weights still. tks, kcj

there were two sprocket combos used, 10/35 and 12/42, but both had the same 1-3.5 ratio. I suspect the 10 front had some vibration or wrap issues, or maybe chain tension loads were too high?

caution! putting 220 into the primary will indeed get twice the output voltage intended, but it also may burn out the primary side as the current on that side will be twice as much regardless fof output. Junior may get to see some fireworks. I was over in UK last jan to do some teaching, had to get a 220/110 transformer because laptop power supply died. I ended up at a tool store, (this one was Newbury) and got a power tool transofrmer, 8 inches cubed, I think 1500 w capacity,to run 100w computer. It cost about LS50 I think. Then I patched cables together as you are doing, to get to the plug into my computer. Apparently there are safety rules that outdoor power tools, saws, drills, etc must run on 110 VAC. You might find similar trnasofrmer at industrial suppliers nearby. would still be 50hz though. kcj

I can scan manual page and parts exploded, but won't be back access to scanner til next week. maybe later. Pretty typical japanese clutch asm with needled bearings, thrust washers, push rods, small ball in middle , etc. kcj

The plates are the same as some of the YZ models of that era, but one less plat euse, ,and narrower gear and basket. 250 and 350 I believe use the same clutches. FWIW the 85 and 86 'might' have used different parts. I had one apart, tried to rob parts from another part engine I had, and found they had 1 or 2 teeth more/less on the crank gear and basket. That may have been a substitution of parts, which is what you are asking for, but I have no idea where the odd parts came from. I just assumed the two years had slightly different primary ratios. Not sure if true or not.

If it's condensor failures, heres another option that may or may not apply. I had Yam RD350 that I converted to automotive ignition coils, mounted under front of tank on the frame downtubes. I also used standard automotive condensors mounted there instead of in the cases. The original reason for the conversion was to get more spark energy to fire plugs so it didn't eat plugs every 1000 miles. (days before synthetic oil and fine tipped spark plugs). In that repsect it worked wonderfully. Started easy, ran on plugs forever. Advantages: cheap condensors (then, might be rare now) made in volume so they were reliable. much cooler operation out of the engine, heat is the major killer of electrical stuff. Also, auto condensors were physicallyt larger and more durable for the same electrical characteristics, and mounting outside gave room to use those larger condensors. disadvantages: long ways from points. Capacitor is there to absorb the induced voltage and stop arcing across the points when they open, ideally should be as close as possible. I have no idea if this would help in your situation, might be worth a try. Personally, I'd probably go the electronic kit route. k

I was looking at convertng a TY175 to later model electronic, from the Dt, etc. General feedback I got was that electronics of that early era were less reliable than the old magneto points, that I should go to new design or stay with points. Bob ginder has an electronic conversion developed by the vintage people in the US. Major reason was just what you had: long expensive trip then be out of it due to ignition problems. As I recall the kit was approaching $500, out of my league for the 'buddy bike' TY175, but looked like a good way to go for improvement. Try BJracing.com kcj

Helicoil is pretty straightforward to install, for the owner, certainly for any garage. Here, Grainger has the kits for about $40 US. which includes drill, special tap, tool, and 10 inserts. You can practice a few times if uneasy about tackling it. I have several sizes, as invariably the next thread to strip is a differnt size, can't make use of the 9 extra unused inserts in the other kit.... They are a great product though, and worth the money. kcj