Froze engine is just the tip of the iceBERG! (pic heavy)

[Rot Box]

I sold the CR today because I'm too old for it and what do I do?? I mope around for a few hours and then go out and buy another dirt bike Oh well.. truth be told I really need a project and I've wanted one of these for a long time.

I bought it from a pretty cool guy who was the original owner. He used it for desert racing and years later he let his son borrow it and shortly after the engine seized. Not sure how or why.. but the price was right so I jumped on it. I have no idea how bad it's going to be once I dive in but a seized four stroke is almost never a cheap and easy fix so I don't have my hopes up. Anyway I'll take you guys along and see where I end up..

It's a 2002 Husaberg FX470 so it's built in Sweden, it's the cross country model and it has the wide ratio six speed transmission, electric start, lighting coil and a few other goodies.

Looks good from far but it's far from good. Holy smokes this thing is filthy

 

[Rot Box]

The engine was covered in oil/goo. I found this broken valve cover breather tube that had been 'repaired' with duct tape.. explains a lot.

Cool/unusual place for an air filter. Kinda hard to see but the battery is under the brake reservoir keeping center of gravity low.

I was happy to see the Dellorto carb. I've always liked these, this one doesn't have an accelerator pump but it's very simple and they work well.

 

[Rot Box]

At this point it's becoming more and more obvious that it was a race bike.

Starting to get somewhere. Nearly plugged off coolant port.. Not a good sign.

Pulled the sump screen to find it covered in metal shavings and a fair amount on the filter as well. Hmm.

 

[Rot Box]

1.. 2... 3... Uh?? Where's number 4?!

Oh here it is--jammed between the timing chain gear and cylinder head

I was able to get the cam out and remove the cylinder head. I normally make sure the engine is spotless before I do surgery, but I'm pulling this one down as far as it will go anyway.


Looks like a high compression forged piston. Not sure what it is yet I'll have to search around a bit. The bore and piston look fairly new makes me wonder. I did notice the crank gear nut was finger tight ugh.

 

[Rot Box]

The transmission spins freely though all the gears, and everything on the clutch side looks to be in great shape. I was happy to see the head, valve cover, cam and most of the valve train appear to be in good shape. The crank has me worried though. If I turn it with a wrench there are a few spots where it binds up. Going to start working on pulling that out when I get some time.

 

[Gravy]

That single bearing on the cam puts a lot of torque on the one side I'll bet.

Valve finger followers on the cam cover is kinda weird too.

Also that color letter combo tells me it was raced in the Novice over 30 class.

Also that giant single radiator is weird and cool too.

 

[Greg]

Andrew.....

That said, I'm a bit jealous! Looks like you have your work cut out for you, but it does seem to be a neat bike!

Sorry to hear about the back, hopefully it improves once you get the engine sorted on the 'Berg!

 

[B2-Bomber]

Valve finger followers on the cam cover is kinda weird too.

Not too mechanically familiar with euro bikes are you? That's extremely common practice for KTM, Husaberg, and other brands for decades

 

[Rot Box]

That single bearing on the cam puts a lot of torque on the one side I'll bet.

Valve finger followers on the cam cover is kinda weird too.

Also that color letter combo tells me it was raced in the Novice over 30 class.

Also that giant single radiator is weird and cool too.

There's another roller bearing on the other side of the cam sprocket that's not shown in the pic which I'm happy about. Some bikes just used journals with no bearings.. not a fan of those.

Head covers like this are both good and bad imo. They're easy to remove and adjusting valves is simple. That said some bikes have problems with the bolts pulling out of the aluminum as the engine expands and contracts over time so proper torque is critical. Stripped threads are common on XR's and it's not fun to fix. Also there's no gasket just sealant. Not enough = oil leaks and too much = plugged oil ports :-\

Good to know on the colors. The guy was pretty cool and raced it a lot from the sounds of it.

Andrew.....

That said, I'm a bit jealous! Looks like you have your work cut out for you, but it does seem to be a neat bike!

Sorry to hear about the back, hopefully it improves once you get the engine sorted on the 'Berg!

Yeah yeah I know lol

So far I'm having a lot of fun going through it. Definitely a cool bike so far. There's a lot of unique/interesting features that I haven't seen on other makes. Should be a rocket once it's back together.

 

[Rot Box]

Every component I've pulled off has been a work of art.. well except for the broken stuff Check out this clutch basket! Fancy-fancy. These bikes were very expensive I want to say it was around $8k new back in 02 but I could be wrong.

I got the cases split and found the problem. I'll be honest I have no idea why there is a bearing here.. This gear drives the water pump impeller gear but I'm not sure why there is a bearing It's attached to a counter weight of sorts as well. I'll try to get a better pic of it.

Yep that'll do it. Ball bearings in the crank case and gasket material jammed in the bearings. At this point I think it was rebuilt, too much case sealant was used and something happened to make it go kaboom shortly after.

Removable sleeve... weird I'm thinking this might be difficult to put back together---everything will have to line up just right.

 

[Rot Box]

The upper rod bushing/wrist pin is showing a little wear. Crank main bearings are full of debris and need changed. Lower rod bearing feels good. Piston is usable I guess but I might replace it just because.

I can have the rod rebuilt but I'm thinking I might replace it.

I think I'll hit up Cooksey and see if he'd be willing to rebuild it if I supply the rod and bearings. I have some figuring to do I guess..


Transmission and clutch side look very very good. A few bearings that don't spin great so I'll replace them but the really expensive stuff all looks good


So far I'm finding everything I need new or aftermarket which makes me happy. I was worried nothing would be available for such a rare older bike.

 

[rholbrook]

I had a friend with one of these he bought brand new. I loved it

 

[Rot Box]

So it was the counterbalancer bearing that exploded. Look at this goofy thing! Attaches to the side of the crank and swings around I guess.. Never seen one like this before.

The big question is do I rebuild this connecting rod or do I replace it with a new one? It looks fine.. Looking at it doesn't say much I guess. If I replace it I add about $300 to the repair bill. I didn't expect this project to be cheap but I could easily blow my budget if I'm not careful.

I need to slow down a bit. I promised my wife this would be the 'ultimate winter project'

 

[rholbrook]

You are this far into it. $300 is nothing at this point if ever have to split the case again. If you can get the bearings clean then use it, if not, replace it.

 

[anderson750]

With as much fine metal fragments there are in the filter, I think you are dealing with a ticking time bomb. Sure the crank feels good, but the tolerances you are dealing with are not felt. It could be .001 out of spec and sure it may not fail right away but every ride will cause that number to increase until it fails.

 

[Rot Box]

You are this far into it. $300 is nothing at this point if ever have to split the case again. If you can get the bearings clean then use it, if not, replace it.

With as much fine metal fragments there are in the filter, I think you are dealing with a ticking time bomb. Sure the crank feels good, but the tolerances you are dealing with are not felt. It could be .001 out of spec and sure it may not fail right away but every ride will cause that number to increase until it fails.

I agree I'm definitely going to send the crank out for an overhaul and have it balanced as well. As for the connecting rod I can rebuild this rod with a new upper bushing and new lower bearing and pin or I can get a new rod that comes with the bushing, bearing and pin.

Does the rod itself ever get weak? I guess it could fatigue over time. Hours and milage are unknown..

 

[Gravy]

Not too mechanically familiar with euro bikes are you? That's extremely common practice for KTM, Husaberg, and other brands for decades

Nope, I guess not.

Wouldn't the fact that it uses sealant and not a uniformly thick rubber gasket change the valve lash every time you have the valve cover off?
I assume you lash the valves from the rocker follower from above like a VW right?

 

[Rot Box]

Wouldn't the fact that it uses sealant and not a uniformly thick rubber gasket change the valve lash every time you have the valve cover off?
I assume you lash the valves from the rocker follower from above like a VW right?

The two surfaces are machined very flat. But yes the valve should be re-checked anytime the head covers are removed for safe measure. Very simple tappet style valve adjustments (like an old VW but you put the feeler gauge between the tappet and the valve stem). The only time the cover needs to come off is if there is a problem or if it needs re-sealed---the need to remove the head cover is rare. There are individual valve covers for valve adjustments which makes things super easy.

 

[Rot Box]

Been tinkering with the Berg and cramming my brain with knowledge as I learn more about the weirdest bike I've ever worked on. I've hand cleaned and sorted nearly every part on the chassis and it is looking much better than I expected as the desert abuse comes off

Also it turns out I got pretty lucky because this bike is new enough (just barely) to accept all the latest bearing and balancer updates used on the 04-08 models (08 was the last year of this generation Berg).

This means I can swap out the troublesome ball bearing mains for much more reliable roller bearings. I can also fit the later dual row ball bearing balancer in the engine along with a few other odds and ends.

On the other hand I knew full well it would not be a cheap fix and I'm happy to see everything I need is still available. As I'm getting a list together I'm finding the cost is adding up to the point I'm wondering if it's worth it. I really think it would be a fan-freaking-tastic bike for me when it's done and all the quirks of this model are sorted out. I'm optimistic but at what point do I draw the line--I guess that's a question only I can answer :-\

 

[rholbrook]

The motor is the expensive part and once the motor is done you will have a nice reliable fun bike. The cosmetics and suspension are things you can do over time and with your back, you won't be pounding the trails too hard anyway so maybe some seals and verify you have the right amount of oil in them.