20 years, non runner.

[Tommy36]

Hello!

Its time again, got my hands on a 84 RD500 last used in 1996. Planning to bring it back to life.
What do you recomend should i tear engine down and change oilseals, gaskets etc, or go ahead
and start it up and hope it works? It worked fine when stored.

Regards //Tommy

[Speed Freak]

Change ALL oil seals, air filter, brake pads, tires, clean the carbs and polish the needle seats.
Don`t start it until you have checked the air filter!

I made the mistake on my RD350, it was just stored 5 years.
1) The air filter was sucked into the engine, the material fell apart between my fingers
2) After 200km the water pump seal failed
3) After 2000km the 2-stroke oil pump seal failed

Regarding brake pads i heard the friction material can get loose from the brake pad when you heat it up after such a long time.
I dont`want to know the outcome when if happens.

[rd84]

Good advice above ! - also consider new fork oil and brake lines. If you find a lot of fuel varnish in the carbs remember to check / clean the fuel lines, fuel tap and fuel tank. You might need to renew the rubber fuel tap components with modern Viton items as well. Clean the disc surfaces and make sure the brake master cylinders are working properly with no wear in the bores - you can still get OEM service kits for these if the bores aren't worn too much. Service the brake calipers - clean up the slave pistons and fit new seals - grease swingarm bearings, rear suspension bearings and steering head bearings. Bleeding the brakes can be a challenge sometimes but there is lots of advice on this forum.

Cheers
Paul

[Tommy36]

Thanks for the advice, will do!!

[vdrive]

Hi was wondering if you had a chance to pressure test crankcase to see if seals are good , I am going to do the test as well as I have a non runner for 21 years also (parked in garage with cotton sheet over RZ500) however I am still putting in new seals etc.

[Speed Freak]

Crank seals will probably not fail due to storage.
They have PTFE seal lips which are anyway a bit harder than the standard rubber seals.

But pressure testing it is maybe a better idea than to rely on that they work.

[vdrive]

Hey Speed Freak , many thanks for the knowledge , guess I may be running sooner after I give it a full inspection , have a great weekend , kind regards Andrew

[silverstrom]

Speed Freak is wrong. I can show you photos of seals that have failed after just a couple of years in storage. I've repaired plenty.

You need crank seals, at a minimum. Period. There is no way around it. In spite of what others may say I can tell you from experience that it only takes a couple of years in storage for crank seals to fail. You have 2 choices. Strip the engine and do it the right way now, or fire it up and strip it after it eats itself and spend even more on repairs. It is also very likely that you have corrosion in the crank bearings and maybe the cylinders as well. It is very common with 2 stokes in storage. I've seen plenty and the damage after only a couple of years is scary.

If you park a 2 stroke for an extended period, even with proper storage, which includes plugging the exhaust and plugging the airbox you still run a high risk of crank seal failure. If you don't plug the exhaust and airbox you likely have crank bearing corrosion also and as soon as your start the engine the bearings will eat themselves. Do you want to risk the whole engine rather than strip it and do the job properly?

Your decision should be made by how deep your pockets are. If you have loads of money and feel lucky go ahead and fire it up now. You'll have the $$ to repair the mess that will occur. If you don't have bags of money and want to save yourself from damage and headaches strip the motor and do the job properly.

And for what it's worth, pressure testing is helpful, but it is only a small part of the big picture. You also need to vacuum test because the crank seals actually seal on both sides, both positive and negative pressure. And all the pressure testing in the world won't show you bearing corrosion or cylinder corrosion. Pay now, or pay more later.

[vdrive]

who can you take the bike to in California and get the engine checked and back in in the bike ready to run ? I would bring every bike to Garys Cycle in Rowland Heights California . however Gary closed up shop long ago , best guy in California in workmanship and fair pricing . its got to be many hours to take engine out change seals etc. back in bike ready to run , any guess in hours time ?

[Speed Freak]

On my 350 the crank seals didn`t fail.
Original seals from 1985 and the bike was stored for 5 years before I bought it.
Every other seal failed, but not the crank seals.
Changed them 2 years ago because i had to split the engine, but they were in good condition.
I don`t say they can not fail but I don`t think that the age is the biggest problem here.

Anyway... every bike should be used instead of being stored.
My 500 had ~10 owners, it was never stored for a long time.
40000km, engine never opened and it was running great at the test drive except the missing power due to the stuck power valves at the front cylinders.

[silverstrom]

It gets expensive fast when you choose to ignore sound advice and common sense. I'll end with that.

[vdrive]

It gets expensive fast when you choose to ignore sound advice and common sense. I'll end with that.

I will take apart and post photos of crank seals , my 2nd RZ500 that I have sat for 7 years and when I took it all apart guess what crank seals still looked factory fresh , same thing in a California garage with just a cotton sheet over bike .

[Questo vecchio rz]

It certainlly not the kiss of death, it totally depends upon many variables and conditions, but your always left w some degree of uncertainy.
California seems is a good spot for preservation likley due to our wonderful climate, I think we dont see alot of what others are subjected to. Ive seen 2 strokes started and ridden well after a decade or more, especially dirtbikes some are 40 years old!
But that being said, Id recommend it obviouslly its a good idea to take preventative maitenance and a RZ can be stupid expensive to work on, its not a simple single cylinder its a major undertaking with 4 cylinders.
If your in California, I'd recommend you consider contacting Brian Turfrey hes a 5 hr drive, hes well versed w the 500, efficient, reasonable and straight to the point.
Call him you might like what he has to say. Its no quick turnaround, but better than dropping it off in some unkown mechanics garage and have it languish there for a year or more like most 2 stroke mechanics these days, theres so many flakes out there. There are be others but none have stepped foreward & none I've researched that I can recomnend, other than Brian. (IN CALIFORNIA)Although there are a couple members (whom are enthusiasts not 9-5 mechanics) here that are local that may reach out to you with advice and or help, I dont want to put their names out without their permission.

[vdrive]

Hey silverstrom , yes I know their is no way to see the bearings , I can put a scope on bores , been fogging the bores every year . however not good enough to run without seeing the bearings , so yes strip is the way to go . many thanks for the advice , kind regards Andrew

[vdrive]

It certainlly not the kiss of death, it totally depends upon many variables and conditions, but your always left w some degree of uncertainy.
California seems is a good spot for preservation likley due to our wonderful climate, I think we dont see alot of what others are subjected to. Ive seen 2 strokes started and ridden well after a decade or more, especially dirtbikes some are 40 years old!
But that being said, Id recommend it obviouslly its a good idea to take preventative maitenance and a RZ can be stupid expensive to work on, its not a simple single cylinder its a major undertaking with 4 cylinders.
If your in California, I'd recommend you consider contacting Brian Turfrey hes a 5 hr drive, hes well versed w the 500, efficient, reasonable and straight to the point.
Call him you might like what he has to say. Its no quick turnaround, but better than dropping it off in some unkown mechanics garage and have it languish there for a year or more like most 2 stroke mechanics these days, theres so many flakes out there. There are be others but none have stepped foreward & none I've researched that I can recomnend, other than Brian. Although there are a couple members (whom are enthusiasts not 9-5 mechanics) here that are local that may reach out to you with advice and or help, I dont want to put their names out without their permission.

Hey Questo vecchio rz yes many variables climate etc . I really like the information you have posted , many thanks for that ........... well have a great week / weekend , kind regards Andrew