How do i "lock the crank" on my saxon 500?

[ncmz]

I am attempting to fix the starter sprag clutch on my 95 Saxon Tour. I found this wonderful forum and the post on how to do what I need to do. Well... except the little detail of exactly how to lock the crank. (I'm new to this kind of thing.) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I can't seem to be able to kick start the thing. I use the compression release, opening it as little as possible, I look for the mark through the little peep-sight on the side of the engine, and kick and kick and kick... I tried different throttle positions, cursing it, apologizing, begging... and then I pushed it 7 miles home--with more cursing involved. It does occasionally start--maybe one time out of fifty attempted starts. I have seen videos on-line of people kick starting an MZ, and it seemed quite effortless. Any suggestions? (I should mention that it has stalled on me a few times--once going 60 mph--and refused to start again.)

Thank you! (Love the forum!)

Jack
North Carolina, USA

[95SaxonTour]

Never had to do the sprag on mine, thank god. The folks here seem to suggest using the decomp lever to shut down the motor. I always have, mainly because the previous owner diconnected the kill switches to force the use of the lever to kill it.
It saves wear on the sprag somehow.

As far as kickstarter, forget it. I've jumped on my buddies 500 country and he bet money I couldn't start it with the kick. He drank on me that night, lol. Mine is the same way. I'll bet it has something to do with the slide operated carbs that those european rotax motors have. ie-Dellorto. I haven't seen a video on youtube yet with a someone kickstarting a Bing equipped MZ (or matchless, atk, MT500 ect ect) The engine vacuum from kicking may not be enough to lift the diaphram slide on our USA Bing equipped models.

Ryan

[ncmz]

Thanks for the reply, Ryan. I am happy to hear it was not just me that could not do it. It is a bit of a mystery why it will not kick start because using the starter the engine fires up INSTANTLY!

As for locking the engine, I figured it out. There is a bolt one has to take out under the engine and then turn the motor (I used the kick starter to turn it) until one can see a little groove in the gear, looking through the bolt hole. (Small flashlight necessary.) Then a bolt, whose end has been tapered, has to be inserted and tightened.(I had to make the bolt.) The tapered part of the bolt fits into the groove in the gear and keeps the engine parts from turning. Fixing the sprag clutch was no problem. The spring had actually come undone and was just flapping around in there. I trimmed off 3/4 of an inch and re-threaded it together. With everything put back together, the bike started up, well... INSTANTLY!

Only trouble is, in my search for the right crank-lock bolt I undid a bolt that held the tension on the kick starter. (OOPS!!!) The kick starter will not return to the upright position any more and when the engine is running, it makes a ratcheting sound--the sound that the kick starter used to make as it returned upward. Has this ever happened to anyone else? What to do?

Thanks, again, for the reply.

Jack
North Carolina, USA

[DAVID THOMPSON]

on the kicker take it back apart and rewind the return spring
i think its just inside the first cover
dave

[ncmz]

Thanks Dave!

I'm kind of new at this thing. Can you tell me more about how to do that? It seems there is a gear in the way... and what to do with the bolt I loosened? (The one under the engine.)

Thanks!
-Jack

[DAVID THOMPSON]

been 4 years since i had mine apart
let me look at the books
and i will get back to you
sunday night
dave

[Nozz]

Hey guys. I was just gonna jump in and say I'M BACK! I have tinkered around with all of this for too long. My bike is back on the road as of today, and my other engine has a fresh rebuild with the stage one cam so I hope to have both bikes running by later this fall. As for the TDC business. The top (cam) pulley has the mark stamped into it, so that's TDC when it is up in a straight line with the crank shaft. To lock it down, you need to find the allen head bolt that is below the main side cover, it is one size larger than the side cover bolts. This short bolt comes out and you screw the lock bolt into lock the crank. I just got a longer bolt and ground it down to a point, retapped it and viola, it worked. I think you can buy one from Ron Wood if you really feel the need...

HmnnZ had a step by step guide for this, so between that and a parts book you should be OK... Good luck and keep us posted.

-=jn

[DAVID THOMPSON]

glad to see you back
may put my Saxon Tour back on the road.
while i do some major stuff to the 660 Traveller

it hits the pocket book too hard to keep 3 bikes insured
3 cars is bad enough ouch
dave

[comanche91]

My bike is back on the road as of today, and my other engine has a fresh rebuild with the stage one cam so I hope to have both bikes running by later this fall.

Hey Nozz, glad to see ya back. I rebuilt my spare engine with the 805 cam over the winter and have the Ron Wood can. Rejetted the Bing (don't have the Dellorto yet) and it's ready to go soon as I blow up my current engine. Let me know when you get your other Silvy running and if there's a bog difference and if it retains good street manners. Got to say mine is running great and really wonder now if I need any more speed.

[Nozz]

Right-O! Will do. Definitely gonna let it cool off around here before getting too ambitious on putting the old one back together. Dave, thanks for the link to Miami/little Havana. I happen to work with a Cuban so we should be able to communicate. Wood and Co. said this cam (same as yours?) was reasonable and not too radical for street use. We'll see about that. With some luck I will be able to post a youtube of these two revving side by side before year's end. Gotta get my speedo cable functioning before I go too slow or too fast! Thanks guys!

-=jn