ES150 will not run right!!

[AlanJ]

Hi Bob,
I must say, I have never seen so much "grinding paste" for so few miles, but I guess the only answer to this problem will only be found when
you split the cases with a complete strip down. Have a great Christmas and a possible shut down in the new year may help with the re-build.
Stay safe Alan

[ScotBob]

Well, I have stripped down the engine enough to expose the main bearings on both sides and both appear to be intact, nor can I detect any movement in the crank shaft.

I did notice that the LHS bearing is sitting proud of the casing and not flush but the RHS is flush however it's the side with the shim, gasket and cover cap, so not sure if the LHS should be flush or not, i'll need to read up on that for the rebuild.

The primary drive sprockets were extremely difficult to get off, I made up a puller and it needed so much force it stripped the thread on my home made tool but it did move it just enough to get a conventional puller on it, but that too required a huge amount of force to move it.

Both the clutch basket and primary sprocket retaining nuts were quite loose, they should be torqued to 60NM but I doubt it would have taken 20NM to loosen them, there was also no tab securing the clutch retaining nut, I think it's all pointing to a poorly done rebuild in the past.

Next step is to get the engine off the bike and split it so I can check the seals and see if there is anything else more obvious inside, I have to say i'm a bit disappointed as I had hoped to find something amiss by now. So no going going back I'll be splitting it open in the next day or two.

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[ScotBob]

Ok, engine split and disassembled and the clues are there as to the issues. Firstly the motor literally came apart in my hands, all the casing screws were hand tight and the casings just lifted apart no tools persuasion required, even the crank came out easily.

There is clear evidence of the crank scoring the casing as it’s ground a groove in it, this must have been before my ownership as I’m sure it must have been audible the noise has stopped I guess as the groove has been cut and no longer makes contact.

Both main seals are misaligned and not evenly seated, the RHS main bearing is shot, it’s loose in the housing and moves in and out the layshaft bearing just fell out as I split the casing.

As for the swarf, the gears are grinding away the casing over a large area so clearly not aligned or adjusted to spec and possibly a bearing issue as again the gear shaft bearing fell out by its self whilst taking the gearbox out.

So numerous issues to deal with, new bearings and seals all round as a start.

[ScotBob]

Pics of the damage:

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[dave47]

Well Bob, at least you now know the worst. It would be as well to check the crank is true before refitting. Good luck with the rebuild.

[Blurredman]

The only thing I can add to this, is the bearing behind the removable cap is indeed to be offset but with the help of the shim to be butted against the inside recess of the cap. I know this after doing the same proceedure on my es250 recently.

[Gerryman Ts125]

Good luck with the rebuild, at least you know what to replace. Whilst you have it apart, just check it all over, Nothing worse that realising once put back together. Is a mystery rumble. I put my ts 150 engine together. To find out that it needed a new gearbox bearing. As it didnt like being disturbed. All I did was a finger test on it. Luckily I never ran it, it had been spinning around slack in the case for a while. Cured it with a blade or two of my old feeler gauges. and my mates 1/2 tonne press (a converted jack and a 1/4 inch box welded onto it)

[ScotBob]

Good luck with the rebuild, at least you know what to replace. Whilst you have it apart, just check it all over, Nothing worse that realising once put back together. Is a mystery rumble. I put my ts 150 engine together. To find out that it needed a new gearbox bearing. As it didnt like being disturbed. All I did was a finger test on it. Luckily I never ran it, it had been spinning around slack in the case for a while. Cured it with a blade or two of my old feeler gauges. and my mates 1/2 tonne press (a converted jack and a 1/4 inch box welded onto it)

All bearings and seals will be replaced in the build, also going to do the top end whilst i'm at it

[Gerryman Ts125]

Should run tip top, be almost like new. They were built to a cost. Almost agricultural in quality. Should last for ages without much input by any spanners. Unless you still have the contact breakers in situ.
I used to file my ones, (if I never bothered buying new ones, only £ 0.90 -1.40p, back in the late eighties) then reset them. And boogie on up the road on one wheel. Often with my Ts sliding along besides me

Enjoy your two wheeler.

[AlanJ]

Hi Bob,
At least, now you know the worst, and once sorted it will be great. I must say though, you, having ridden that bike a 100 miles in that condition
could only be achieved on an MZ, you would never have managed that on a Honda or Yam etc with a similar problem. When you are ding dinging you
will have a great smile which says Yep I did that,
. Stay safe Alan.

[AlanJ]

Hi Bob,
Just had a thought about the loose screws etc. Perhaps it could be that the interference of the flywheel could set up an internal vibration
in the crankcases, sufficient to loosen them. I don't know whether that's possible or not, as I said, just a thought.
Alan.

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[Gerryman Ts125]

By agricultural, I mean function over form. But when I bought my TS 125. It did stand out in the crowd. I had plenty of old people in 1986 doing a double take, that Mz still made them. Some of them asked me 'is this a BSA Bantam?'

As they either drove them, sat as a passenger or new someone who had a Bantam
I had one of the one thousand D plated TS models left over that were made. At that time they had started making its replacement the Etz 125 - 250 for over four years.

And had quite a few left. Wilf Green, even sent me flyers of all models. And for three years in a row. Christmas cards.
Now that's unheard of by most concessioners.