Pressing crank apart

[XLerate]

Hi guys & oily old diesel gals!

Will be building a trans out of a Suzuki GS550E engine. This will also give me a clutch plus spare 12V electric start. Have it all apart now & inspecting crank. Pressed together & can't see an easy way to break it down!? 4 cylinder, 6 main roller bearings [very nice!].

Looks like my best bet is to burn off the connecting rods, cut crank into pieces with a torch, dress up the cuts some & press apart those smaller pieces??

I have a piece of 1.25" steel bar stock to press bearings onto as new main shaft, actually input shaft. Figuring I'll use some simple tube spacers between individual bearings for alignment in bearing saddles. Neighbor [machinist] can turn it down to proper ID's for assembling parts.

Another little problem is that transmission primary drive gear is of course a part of crank! So somehow I've got to get that added into the works with proper lateral alignment. I'd guess all these crank parts including drive gear are splined from the factory?

Thoughts, ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!

JD

[pietenpol2002]

No mention in the factory manual regarding popping the crank apart. They're probably wanting us to leave it to the "professionals". Generally an adequate crank unless abused at which point they tended to twist a bit, prompting some to then "weld" them. Suzuki eventually abandoned their 2 cycle mentality and went to shell bearings, but a bit too late for the 550.

Your plan for the new shaft does present a challenge both at the PTO end and with the need for a taper on the stator end. Also, because of the orientation of the trans, do you plan to mount the Daihatsu transversely? If so, it would seem the drive coming off the engine would be well outboard of the input shaft at the stator. Unless, your "crankshaft" is extended beyond the Suzuki crankcase to align with the Daihatsu flywheel and incorporate an outboard bearing. Just trying to puzzle it out in my head.

Any chance you could replace the oil fed bearings with sealed units and forego the oil pump? Does the trans/clutch require oil pressure? And are you sure that little starter is up to doing battle with that compression ratio?

Enough questions.

[XLerate]

No mention in the factory manual regarding popping the crank apart. They're probably wanting us to leave it to the "professionals". Generally an adequate crank unless abused at which point they tended to twist a bit, prompting some to then "weld" them. Suzuki eventually abandoned their 2 cycle mentality and went to shell bearings, but a bit too late for the 550.

Your plan for the new shaft does present a challenge both at the PTO end and with the need for a taper on the stator end. Also, because of the orientation of the trans, do you plan to mount the Daihatsu transversely? If so, it would seem the drive coming off the engine would be well outboard of the input shaft at the stator. Unless, your "crankshaft" is extended beyond the Suzuki crankcase to align with the Daihatsu flywheel and incorporate an outboard bearing. Just trying to puzzle it out in my head.

Any chance you could replace the oil fed bearings with sealed units and forego the oil pump? Does the trans/clutch require oil pressure? And are you sure that little starter is up to doing battle with that compression ratio?

Enough questions.

I don't think I'll need the taper because it will become a trans input shaft. I can't quite remember but think the right side of crank has the points & left side has the generator. Don't need either for this build. I'll only have to machine one end of shaft to accept a sprocket.

Planning to do the engine transverse, as crossways in chassis. Probably use a lay shaft or jackshaft between engine & Suzi trans, so alignment won't be a problem. Using the Suzuki clutch I haven't decided on a flywheel. I most likely need something with sufficient mass but it could either go on engine or on one end of Suzuki trans shaft I think?

As far as changing bearings, if I could afford that I'd only remove trans main gear from crank, toss the rest. Rather not fork out $250-$400 for bearings though.

Yes, I somewhat doubt the Suzi starter is up to the task as mentioned, but the engine will have its own. Don't know if clutch demands an oil pump but I doubt it.

Near as I can tell I should be able to replace crankshaft with a solid steel shaft, somehow attach trans gear to it, and fit the old bearings to it also, driving it all with a sprocket on one end.