Boxer-Morini issues

GoldenMotor.com

ocho ninja

Member
Jan 14, 2012
564
2
16
San Jose, CA
Went for a nice long ride out to alviso, ca with another forum member fatdaddy.
My boxer was running like a beast and that full suspension was soaking up the bumbs.

But I did notice that occasionally i heard a strange groaning noise when I came to stop... Still can't find out what it is :-||

Anyways I rode it again today to work... After I got done with the morning rush I went to check on my bike since I know that the spokes like to get loose.

When I started to run my fingers trough my spokes I noticed one broken... Then another... And another. For a grand total of 3 spokes in less than 24hrs =/
After I found that out, I no longer felt comfortable riding it, so I called for a ride.

I knew it was gonna leak gas, so I emptied most of the tank so that I can lay it on it's side.
After laying it on it's side for a while I saw clutch oil leaking.... When I stood it up I couldn't find where it was coming from.

Can someone tell me about this mystery leak?
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
The oil is coming from the breather hole under the intake manifold. Oil always comes out if you lean it on its side. Also be careful with the grinding noise. it sounds like your clutch nut is coming loose. Just take off the kick starter cover and tighten the bolt. If you go too long with it like that, the kick starter will fling forward and lock up the motor.
As for your spoke issue, I always check my rear wheel spokes. After the Grange race, I had to tigten 6 spokes. They usually snap when they become too loose and you don't tighten them.
I hope that helps.
Ken
 
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Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
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My latest first ever ''me built it'' rear wheel I did on my BoXer has not had a loose spoke yet. The cold tension when I put it together and the Holms Hobbies brand Sapian spokes kick Butt! I ride ''every'' single day too! It has been about 3000 miles now. I can play music on them when thumping them. They feel exactly like the the day they were last twisted no kidding! Now something will happen lol.
 

Old Reliable

New Member
Feb 21, 2012
37
0
0
Santa Ana
I have a morini s6c mounted on a giant mountainbike, running a 44 tooth sprocket on the rear hub. The engine has so much torque the tire keeps slipping on the rim, pulling the stem of the inner tube at an angle. Eventually the tube pulls so much that the stem rips out of the tube. Can anyone provide me with any ideas on how to prevent this from continuing to happen? Ive boughten 10 inner tubes in the last three months...
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
I have a morini s6c mounted on a giant mountainbike, running a 44 tooth sprocket on the rear hub. The engine has so much torque the tire keeps slipping on the rim, pulling the stem of the inner tube at an angle. Eventually the tube pulls so much that the stem rips out of the tube. Can anyone provide me with any ideas on how to prevent this from continuing to happen? Ive boughten 10 inner tubes in the last three months...
This hasn't happened to me but if I were to guess, I think it's either your rim or too small inner tubes. I use Surley Rims and 24x3 inner tubes on a 2.5 tire.
 

ocho ninja

Member
Jan 14, 2012
564
2
16
San Jose, CA
Thanks for the reply easy rider.
No special tool for the clutch nut?

Yea I traced the oil trail to small hole right under my intake.

You think I can recycle my clutch oil? It's belray and it has less than 5hrs
It's kinda pricey for me to get.
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
Thanks for the reply easy rider.
No special tool for the clutch nut?

Yea I traced the oil trail to small hole right under my intake.

You think I can recycle my clutch oil? It's belray and it has less than 5hrs
It's kinda pricey for me to get.
All you need is a cresent wrench and loctite for your clutch nut.
If your oil is dirty, I would change it but you can get away with reusing it.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
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Different brands grades loctite have more or less strength.. I have been using General Motors brand ''Red'' on on my crank shaft nut and the rest of my clutch, and if I disassemble while the parts are a bit hot it comes apart easy... Had my crank shaft nut come loose once and grab the kick start just like Easy Rider described on deceleration!! Got lucky too.. Was able to rescue the threads on the crank shaft and the kick start was fine. The crank nut got toasted it was scrap! Loctite is my friend..
 

ocho ninja

Member
Jan 14, 2012
564
2
16
San Jose, CA
Thanks goat!

I will check that as soon I as I get my rear rim from the LBS... Could of fixed and trued my self, but the spokes were only $3 and a truing job was $15 so I was like what h$$l

The oil looked a little dirty when it spilled, so I guess I'm replacing it.

I have a hunch that this motor is still braking in the clutch looks pretty new and the bike itself doesn't look like it has to many miles.

Looks like I'm going to borrow a bigger torque wrench and some red loctite... Mines only goes up to 200inch/lb... Wait is that enough for the crank bolt?
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
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12 inch pounds to ever foot pound.. Your torque wrench would be maxed out at that.. I don't thing you will need it. Most times myself use a small cheepy pair of chinese brand channel locks with the rubber insulators gone from the handles. Cheating with them I simply insert the handles between the shoes '' @ the metal castings'' Darn careful here! Do not get anywhere near the stones as you can chip or break then clean off! I would place a wrench between the plier handles and hold the clutch still whilst tightening or loosing my nut..

Been using ones like these can prolly find at Harbor Freight.
The second to the right from the left looks like them or the third one? Hard for me to tell from the picture? Edit: More thought the third one looks like the one !!

I have yet to actually use a torque wrench on my clutch. I have a fair feel of things from turning wrenches for a living. A typical spark plug would be like 15 foot pounds to give you an idea. . My worry is those three tiny clutch bolts some guy will snap them from trying to tighten them too much. Your wrench will be fine for that in lu of loctite.. .

Funny story I knew this big body builder guy one time and offered to help him fix his front brakes as he was in a financial bind. I gave him a torque wrench for his lugs nuts/wheels because the fellow was grateful and eager to help.. We quickly figured out he would have put every one of those lugs at about 160 foot pounds lol. They were rated for like 70 a piece..:D Plus unevenly freaky tight, tightened lug nuts would have left him with warped front rotors in a couple of weeks..

I have re-torqued jug and head gasket/heads at one time on many of these small engines..Yes I personally with love use a torque wrench for that every time!;)


Old Reliable mentioned his tire tube moving? Never have had that problem. Thinking like The Al said and E.R. said. A tube tire rim combo wrong? Every bike here that I have had has never had this issue. Currantly with the great wide Large Marge rims and motorcycle tubes. Putting the tires on those rims is a pain the the butt tho .

Could try something freaky lol? Use soda pop on the whole thing when assembling it? Keep it aired up to about 40 psi and bet that will fix it lol. I have never done this but read about it on the other forum. Somebody else tried this.. Yet it sounds good ATM.. Shrug laff

Also in lu of things a feller can slightly cock the tire valve in their favor as well during assembly. Have done this myself on the front tire as my disk brakes work really good. For me after it all settles in,, just never have had to fret over it.. as mine always stays put.
 
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ocho ninja

Member
Jan 14, 2012
564
2
16
San Jose, CA
Cool beans didn't see this reply until today, been to busy with the 4 stroke build...
I still haven't got to my clutch yet, the noise got progressively worst the other day coming back from work... Haven't rode it for 2 days.
EDIT: it makes the groaning noise when coming to a complete stop, while it's doing that it feels like the motor is slightly pushing the bike forward
Another reason I haven't rode it,is because it broke three more spokes after getting fixed at the shop.

I'm gonna call this bike the Spoke assassin.

I gotta find a good alternative to bel ray oil for the mean time.
 
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Goat Herder

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Apr 28, 2008
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Could be something else going on? But..Sounds?
Wanna check your thrust washers? http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=40246 First Morini I ever had would make a noise when letting of the throttle this fixed them all..First one when i installed a after market three shoe clutch the second one did it too. This fixed all of mine..


When there is enough slack here the out put gear will graze against that inside thrust washer behind the bell every so often until that washer finally breaks. Very simple fix and IMO from my first two motors every one of these clutches need to be set up with the right thickness of these washers behinds the bell. You will never get this again when you do.

In the Morini clutch video that fellow of course is talking about a completely different model motor. Yet he explains what those little washers are about. I do not ever do where near the maintenance on my clutches that they do and I ride everyday lol.
 
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ocho ninja

Member
Jan 14, 2012
564
2
16
San Jose, CA
Finally got to checking my clutch today. I don't think it's my boot coming loose because I used the method that goat described using the Chanel lock wrenches grip ends and a large crescent wrench and I could not loosen or tighten the nut. I treid to loosen both to right and left( forgot which way was loosey) and it didn't budge no matter how force I put.

And I know I can put out more than 20 foot pounds lol

Is their any major repercussions if I leave this noise to persist?

I'm also getting the rear rim rebuilt with a different rim and I'm gonna enlarge the holes on the hubs to install larger spokes =)
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
Finally got to checking my clutch today. I don't think it's my boot coming loose because I used the method that goat described using the Chanel lock wrenches grip ends and a large crescent wrench and I could not loosen or tighten the nut. I treid to loosen both to right and left( forgot which way was loosey) and it didn't budge no matter how force I put.

And I know I can put out more than 20 foot pounds lol

Is their any major repercussions if I leave this noise to persist?

I'm also getting the rear rim rebuilt with a different rim and I'm gonna enlarge the holes on the hubs to install larger spokes =)
They may have used really good lock tight? Preheat the motor or just that area and the lock tight will be more manageable. To the right loosens it to left left will tighten it. My red lock tight has always been manageable.

What could eventually happen is the thrust washer behind the bell may get caught up in the rear gear drive sprocket and tear it off? Premature wobble wear on the bell bushing as well if it needs corrected with the appropriate thickness thrust washers behind the bell?

Also upon any reassembly let the new lock tight set up.

Another quot from somewhere else..

Weird thing in the beginning with this clutch I had always used blue lock tight with no incident.. Mebbe one day dunno? I did not get that nut on mine tight enough?


When I put my crank nut on now.. Have come up with my own voodoo lately from my cleaned up crank.. I tack up the lock tight so to speak... I will put red lock tight on then take the nut off put more put it on repeat. till it looks pretty through and uniform like by hand/fingers..

When I wanted to get that nut off doing it with the motor prewarmed a bit and has never been a battle..

When I was at my most impatient for waiting. I tried to get the lock tight to flash a tad sooner? Would start the bike up with no oil in the clutch and let the clutch get a little warm from briefly, gently power braking the clutch. Does not take very much time at all for that to happen! Then would let the clutch set for about 3 or four hours with no oil... Last put oil in and would ride the bike briefly to see if the clutch was right. Finally let that second heat soak sit for a couple more hours then road it like I stole it..

My currant crank is holding up beautifully despite what happened to it. So there is hope for you!
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
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That thread I linked you has some part numbers and a link a couple of pages back that I posted.... Might read what the other fellow and I were talking about as I think it is pretty well covered?