400 restoration project

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:36 pm

Here is the ten step process to a successful electrical and timing rebuild.

1- Get a tall glass and a cold one and set them on your work bench.
2-Push the cam spring onto the crankshaft then push on the timing cam and place the woodruff key in the "L" position.
3-Place the stator plate in position with the securing screws about center in their slots. Do not tighten the screws.
4-Position the cam follower in the center of the cam lobe and set the point gap at 18.
5-Determine the TDC of the piston then turn it backwards 3mm.
6-Rotate the stator plate so that the cam follower is just starting to climb the cam lobe and opening the points. Best to test this position with audible multitester.
7-Tighten the three stator plate securing screws.
8-Push the flywheel onto the woodruff key , this time using the "R" position on the flywheel.
9-Secure the flywheel with the lock washer and nut.
10-Open that cold one, toast a job well done and pray you don't have to open that Pandora's box commonly known as a JLO recoil!!

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:38 pm

I'd love to find a NOS recoil housing for this engine.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:33 pm

I really didn't want to go here but the recoil casing I chose to polish was wound for a L252L.That means everything out!! This recoil will be as good as new with NOS spring, rope drum, recoil cable and inner plates.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 6:49 am

This machine was missing its motor, support and cross bars so I have gone confidently along with the presumption that 444 crossbars will work. Not the case. The 444 crossbars position the engine too far to the right. The clutch for the 400 is much larger and the secondary clutch has a more central location. I should have done this long ago, but I opened the hood of my other 400 and find the crossbars do move the engine the max amount to the left. On top of this they also bend downwards to give the engine more top clearance. The muffler is another problem. My other 400 has a throttle cross linkage like a 444 but this 400 has the lower mounted cross linkage like a 200-A. This leaves no room for a 444 style muffler unless some modifications are made to the exhaust pipe. Since a 400 is supposed to have a cone shaped muffler, I will be making one. Photos to follow.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 7:56 pm

here are some photos

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 8:04 pm

here are some photos. The engine compartment of the 444 is over two inches wider than that of the 400.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Fri Jul 08, 2016 7:41 pm

Another area I never thought I'd venture into was the shaping and heat treating of the two support springs which go under the 400 engine. Starting with 3/16" x 1-1/2" x 16" flat bar, the shape is done. I did the shape first because the bending will happen where I want it to. I wont have to struggle from keeping the bend from happening at the weakest spot...through the slotted hole. These springs have a lowered midsection to give the engine fan shroud extra clearance within the engine compartment. The amount of relief is 3\4" or equal to the height of the engine support side rails. With a 1/4" rubber spacer under each end there is clearance above the floor of the engine compartment.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Sat Jul 09, 2016 9:09 pm

Today I picked up some sheet metal to form the cone part of the muffler. My muffler will be slightly larger than the one on a 148 cc engine. The interior baffeling will have the same amount of perforations as in the "can" style muffler found on a 444 engine. I am hoping that this will keep it quieter than what I hear is a very noisy machine when an original cone muffler is on a 252 engine.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:30 pm

The cross supports are ready for heat treating. This photo also shows the unique engine alignment adjusting bolts found on a 400.

Barrie2777 · Post by **Barrie2777** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 7:58 pm

First I made a cone out of paper because it was easy to bend into the proper shape then the sheet metal was cut to the correct shape of the paper pattern. Bending the metal was more difficult but a little hammering over a pipe eased the sheet metal into shape. The inner baffle has 32 - 7/32" holes in it and the tailpipe has 27 - 1/4" holes. I had an exhaust pipe from an old 148cc muffler and a engine flange from an old 252cc muffler. Since the pipe diameters are the same, removing the 148 flange and welding these elements together should be perfect. The large diameter 3/16" plate was made then welded to the old 148cc exhaust pipe.