This Forum is now CLOSED use the link to get more details viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13924#p102587
User avatar
By Allanfox
#87991
I have the top end off the 2006 Electra X as did have a horrible noise develop, turned out to be piston slap and one wrecked piston and slightly less wrecked liner, so job to do there and considering options, big bore, high comp etc. Big end seems ok but the little end seems to have a problem. Piston off and gudgeon pin out I can rotate the bush, no play as such but can rotate it, my worry is the oil hole will move out of alignment, is this ok or is the bush supposed to be a tight fit in the con rod? I can also push the bush left and right, it won’t come out but will stick out about 10mm from the conrod, pushes back in with ease. There is no play but just a very smooth fit?
User avatar
By Rushour
#87998
You can get small end bushes for the older iron barrel models but they are imperial size - the Electra X went to a metric size and I do not know of a small end available - it would be a relatively easy task to make one for a small engineering firm to do I would imagine - hopefully Adrian who contributes regularly and who knows pretty much all on these models might be able to offer a solution as well ?
User avatar
By Adrian
#88019
You need that little end bush to be a good tight fit in the con-rod. Assuming your big-end is OK, Rushour's suggestion of getting a slightly oversized new bronze bush made up is how I'd do it. Once you've pressed it into the rod (you can use some studding/allthread, a couple of nuts and a couple of fairly chunky washers to fit over it), it will then need reaming to fit the pin, after its oil holes have been drilled. I wouldn't recommend Locitite bearing fit, I suspect the working temperature of that part of the engine will be way too high, unless someone knows differently.

For what its worth the later UCE/EFI con-rods no longer have the bronze bush, the gudgeon pin runs directly in the steel little end eye. I had one of these fitted when my old Electra-X crank was rebuilt, the rods and big-ends are a direct replacement for the Electra-X items.

A.
User avatar
By Wheaters
#88028
It might be possible to replace like with like; i.e. if the wear is in the o.d. of the bush itself, rather than the eye of the rod, a new standard bush might be tight enough.
User avatar
By Allanfox
#88029
Thanks guys, a few options to consider there, big end seems ok but if I need a new conrod if the little end bush is buggered then will have to be done anyway I guess. If the later UCE conrods fit do the pistons?
User avatar
By Adrian
#88030
You don't need to replace the con-rod if the little end eye itself is still within tolerance, i.e. only the outer surface of the bronze bush has fretted under-size, and even then an over-size bush would probably be enough to reclaim it, just make sure the bearing surface for the gudgeon pin is reamed parallel to the crankcase mouth flange.

UCE 500 pistons are the same bore and crown height around the outside AFAIK, though the centre of the crowns are dished rather than flat, so the compression ratio will be a little lower.

A.

Shop for accessories at Hitchcocks Motorcycles