New engine cover preventing starter motor from working

[Travis Bickle]

Hoping someone can help here.

I bought my Fazer 600 as a category N writeoff. It had been dropped on the right hand side and sustained minimal damage to the front nose cone, broke the brake lever off and one of the side engine covers took quite a whack (pictured):

https://i.ibb.co/xYB73fC/20190416-221652.jpg

It's got drill holes in it as I was having trouble removing a bearing that sits set on the inside of the cover so drilled three holes in the front so I could prod it out with a screw driver (I made sure I removed all the swarf from the bearing before I fitted it back inside the new cover).

https://i.ibb.co/fSdh88j/20190416-210738.jpg

Not sure what it's technically known as but I've seen it referred to as the the crankcase cover / starter motor cover / pickup cover.

It had a hairline fracture in it and had been leaking but only very slightly, and only when the engine was running as the crack is above the level where the oil line is normally when it's resting. Would get a bit of a wet right foot and slippery footpeg after about a 30 minute ride. Nothing major a tissue couldn't wipe off.

Anyway after fitting the new one my engine wouldn't start. Just got the oil light come on while I was pressing the start button and all I could hear was a relay click from somewhere underneath the seat. I loosened the top bolts of the cover and it tried it again, it tried to start but sounded slow and whined like a flat battery. Loosened said bolts even further and it started up fine.

Have I cocked something up or is the new cover possibly not an exact match? It's not a genuine part!

I'm wondering if I bought a second gasket, and maybe a third, and fitted them on top of each other it would put a bit of distance between the inside of the case and whatever it's pinching to stop the starter motor working when the bolts are tight. Is that a definite NO NO to fit two or three gaskets on top of each other or can it be done?

I got a cardboard Athena gasket with the cover. The old one looked like solid plastic so maybe the cardboard Athena one is allowing the cover to be tightened more closely than it was designed for? Or maybe that's complete bollocks and the hard black plastic-looking gasket was once soft but just went brittle over the years.

Can someone please advise?
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[Sister Sledge]

Might be a bit late but the crucial measurement is between the gasket surface and the bottom of the bearing seat.
Did you know that there are non-destructive ways to remove bearings? They involve grease, rags etc. Youtube will show you.

Personally I've a feeling that it's something like the bearing not in far enough. Perhaps upside down (some are like that) or perhaps shim washers in the wrong order. My DRZ lump has an idler gear with shim washers and it's a pain if reassembled incorrectly.

Firstly - is the bearing seated fully?
Case off and get a thin piece of wire. Bend the end a little at 90 degrees and see if it'll fit below the bearing in the case where the bearing is supposed to be flush seated.
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CCM 404 DS

[Travis Bickle]

Thanks for your support!

The bearing did definitely seem seated properly but could very well be upside down. I mean it looked the same on both sides to me but I suppose it's possible there are subtle differences. I'll have a go swapping it round.

What are shim washers?
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[doggone]

Spacers I guess.
You're going to need take the cover off and see if it turns over without it.
You must have ruled out coincidental failing battery?

[Travis Bickle]

Definitely should be flush anyway as it's kinda loose in its seat. Well not loose exactly but it slides in and out easily. Not like when it was in the original case where it was jammed in solid.
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[Travis Bickle]

[Sister Sledge]

Shim washers are basically accurate washers of varying thickness. Spacers yes! They're machined flat and accurately.
My engine starter idler gear has several and it's very easy to put them on the wrong sides of the gear when reassembling. The difference in thickness is minute but makes a lot of difference.
Doesn't look like yours has an idler gear.

Triple check that bearing hole. Could even be machined badly and have a small radius at the side thus preventing the bearing fitting in fully flat.
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CCM 404 DS

[Robby]

Out of interest, how much did you save from buying a pattern cover instead of an OEM one?

Either the bearing isn't seated deep enough, or (more likely) the pattern part isn't a very good one.

New OEM cover, new bearing (because you shouldn't keep pressing them in and out of things) and it'll work.

Don't layer up gaskets, it'll leak.

[MCN]

TLDR.

What can you see when both covers are sat together on a the same flat surface?
Closely examine both parts one section at a time.
Look for nuances in casting thicknesses.
The cover may need fetling.
Contact the cunts who sold you the cover. Tell them your not happy. 😀
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Grubscrew]

Let’s play : How much cash in my wallet. (Pic 1.)
I recon there’s £345.00
The closest guess wins it!
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FJR1300/CBR1000F

[Sister Sledge]

£670.
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CCM 404 DS

[Fisty]

It's the cover.

Had the same on my brothers Fazer. Bought a good used OE one and it was fine.
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[autistboi]

The Infamous Travis Bickle here:

In case anyone is interested, which I doubt, I had to change the clutch plates the other day so ordered all the gaskets in and done the oil and filter at the same time.

New gasket on the clutch cover. No problem.

Took the starter motor cover off again because I had two new gaskets already ordered in for it to hopefully pad it out a bit and stop the problem of it not starting when the nuts are tight... Took the cover off to find one of the dowel rods had been pinched and crushed. Amazing it wasn't leaking as a result (especially as it was at the bottom of the cover) but I think it was this that was causing the cover to sit pissed and therefore pushing against the bearing at an angle to stop the starter motor from turning.

Removed the dowel, ordered a new one but put it back together without it for now. Put the extra two gaskets on it anyway as I had ordered them anyway and just in case it wasn't the dowel causing the problem. All good now and not leaking, even with three gaskets fitted and one dowel temporarily missing.

Happy boy.

[-]

[steve the grease]

Without blowing any trumpets I suppose you could call me an engineer, I served an apprenticeship in a diesel engine factory at least.
If the part doesn't fit because it makes the engine sieze, then it is not fit for purpose.
We spent a long (and god it was boring) time learning about limits and fits , about how tolerances work and how the biggest allowable shaft should fit in the smallest allowable hole , and it is still all within tolerance , and more to the point , it must still do it's job. It ' may ' be possible to modify this cover to make it work , but there are some Chinese parts that are so shitely ( is that a word?) made that they are better off chucked out and a replaced with good second hand part. An engineer could check out the old cover and the new one and probably find that a boss somewhere hasn't been machined properly and it needs another 10 thou or half a mil taking off. Is there a machine shop near you? Ask in a garage ' where do you get your cylinder heads done?' , all in a ll a 2nd hand part would be easier and cheaper.

[autistboi]

[Pete.]

Dowel crushed and tight stuff is probably a badly drilled dowel hole.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good