82 Excel III - motor turns over to a point and then jams

S

schmitty2000

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I have an '82 Excel III and even though it is almost 30 years old, it is one of my favourite sleds. It is great for beginners and kids and is generally very reliable. At the end of the season last year, we were out riding it and it just shut off all of a sudden. When we tried to start it up, it would not turn over at all. The battery would not turn it over and pulling the pull cord did nothing. I towed it home, dumped a bunch of oil in the cylinders and left it sit.... until now. It will turn over now, but only to a certain point. I can turn the secondary clutch the opposite way as it turns when I turn the key forever... it never jams up. When I turn the key, or pull the cable, or turn the clutch the same way that it wants to go when it starts, it will turn a bunch of times, but then eventually jams up. I can turn it past this point manually, but it feels like there is a lot of resistance after this point. The starter can't go past this point. I have taken the heads off and at least on the top end everything looks to be really good (especially for an '82). I have taken the intake manifold and exhaust manifold off, but I don't know how to get to the bottom end. I'm good with tools, but I am what you would consider an amateur mechanic. I'm okay, but I need a lot of help. Do I need to be getting to the bottom end, or do you guys have any other ideas what it might be. When it shut off, there was no bang or boom, just died, and like I said the pistons and cylinders actually look to be really good. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would really like to get this sled back up and running.
Matt
 
Gorkon said:
Are you saying its too tight to turn over up without plugs in it? if so, I think you have bottom end problems. G.
Click to expand...

Yeah, with or without plugs in it eventually gets tight to turn. It is weird though. I can turn the clutch over 10 or 15 times and then it just gets to a point where it becomes very tough to turn. Sometimes I turn it 1 or 2 turns and then it gets tough to turn. But turning it the opposite way, I can turn it 100 or more times and it never gets tough. I guess I will take it all apart and keep you guys posted as to what I find. I will definitely need your help to get through this.... assuming I can even find replacement parts.
 
First how many miles? An E-start Excel III should have a tach and speedo.

Second does the tach cable turn (smoothly) when you turn the engine. If not your culprit could be the oil pump drive. The primary clutch has a gear on it that drives an idler gear that drives the oil pump which drives the tach. That little gearcase is suppossed to have grease in it to lube the teeth on the gears. The bearing on the idler gear is sealed. If you have tooth damage on the gears or the idler bearing went out things could be hitching up in there and causing this problem.

I would also check the mag (recoil) end by pulling the recoil and flywheel. It could be mechanical damage inside or something as simple as acorns (or?) from a mouse messing around in there.

Look these things over real good before you just assume it's got internal damage. It may but rule out the simple stuff first. Also if it is an internal crank bearing you can sometimes tell by rolling it over by hand (not the recoil just by turning the clutch) If a bearing is bad or going bad the cages that hold the balls will come apart and all the balls will fall to the bottom of the race they run on. When you turn it over by hand the balls will ride up one side and then fall over the other side and make a "click" as it hits the next ball inline. I don't see this much on Yammies but it is common on many Rotax engines.

You may have bottom end problems but from what you describe I think it's something else. Those little 340 fanners are near bulletproof and not prone to internal failure unless the have a TON of miles on them or they havn't been taken care of.

Good Luck, Phil (opsled)
 
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