seeing red!!!

[Barrie2777]

I tackled that 500 cahincase again first attempting the lower sprocket. WOW! The heating from a week ago must have done the trick as it moved when hit and eventually came out without much effort. I had heated and cooled and pounded on the jackshaft last night for an hour without success and had vowed that it was going to a better place very soon. Today being sunny and warm, I went against those thoughtful words and tried again. With the lower sprocket and chain removed it was easy to remove the jackshaft and secondary from the chaincase housing. Low and behold (maybe because it was sunday) the jackshaft moved 1/32" after more heating, cooling and pounding. I had won!!!! All this pounding I refer to was done very delicately as to not peen over the end of the shaft so as to make it impossible to push through the secondary clutch. More pounding and the shaft fell on the floor. The jackshaft for the 500 (at least this one) is 3/8" shorter than those which were removed from the 502 and 503 chaincases. The front axel is 1/4" shorter. HHHMMMMMMMM!!!!!

[catman]

Yes I love the fact I was towed back by a Husski. I think they all took pitty on me and thats why there were no pic's of the toe across the lake.
Feeling sorry for my self I was able to drown my sorrow's.
I think its a crank seal as the was no control on the carb settings.
I think it would be in my best intrest to bring a Yellow one for next year...Sorry Roy your on your own.
Chris

[Go Go Diablo]

Jeez Chris and Roy, don't jump off the red bridge just yet. With enough notice and vacation from work, maybe we can bring up a couple of Diablos and join you on that Chalk River Run.

That would be great!

[Roy Teske]

No jumpers here Bruce. If you saw the grin on Chris's face when he's on his 500 you'd know he will be back. As for me , I wouldn't miss it for the world. Hope you can make it some year. I'm sure Barrie would ride one of those diablos he's putting to-gether just to honor the ocassion. Actually' one of the hus-skis he brought this year had an orangy-red paint job.(The Road-runner) Perhaps he's making a slow transition????? Not!!!!! Rode my diablo one last time on Saturday and put it up on blocks on Sunday. I know I won't last to long before I have to fire it up to hear the crack of that old hirth again.

[Barrie2777]

For those of you who are faint of heart to open that Diablo chaincase, I have attached a photo to show the thirty something parts which make it up. They are also photoed in the relative position on each shaft. Here's hoping that the assembly "hammer" is smaller than the disassembly "hammer".

[Barrie2777]

After logging some 20 hours on these chaincases they are now back together. The assembly hammer was smaller but still necessary to put the bearings on the shafts. Now, with a little reflection and comparison....what were the Diablo engineers thinking!!!!!!!! A HUS-SKI chain case (ooops there is none) has a chain continuously bathed in snow which lasts for about thirty years and can be completely rebuilt in 1/2 an hour if you stop to make coffee during the rebuild. Up here in Canada we do it between the first and second period so we don't have to listen to Don Cherry. These Diablo chaincases have probably fifty parts if you count all the bolts and c-clips and E-clips and short spacers and medium spacers and long spacers and axel spacers and ..oh yea... an in between short and medium spacer if you are doing a 500 chaincase. Not to mention brake caliper parts and drive cogs and breaking the bank buying bearings. It was a learning experience with the new dismantling techniques learned and oil up to my elbows. Onward we march!!!!

[devil dog]

Hi Barrie, Wow, nice job on those chaincases! I think one drawback to the Hus-Ski chain drive is when the lower sprocket gets worn from people running a dry,rusty chain you would have to cut it off and the sprocket hub (both welded) and weld on new one. I guess back in the day, you could just go to the local Bolens dealer and buy a new front axle tube for like ten bucks!

[Barrie2777]

Making the ends of the tracks meet looked like an impossible task until this tie down ratchet was used. The key to using the ratchet was to hook it far enough apart as to not turn the first cleats downward while drawing the ends together. In case you are wondering...the third cleat was bent, I didn't bend it pulling the tracks together. I was seeing red again when I discovered that I could not install the long bolt which holds the farthest end of the bumper brackets without removing the tracks I had just installed. This time I completely installed the nose piece and bumper brackets. With the tracks on, next was to tighten that damn nut,,oops...I mean jam nut. Within the confines of the front brackets, between the tracks and boggies there was not enough room to put a wrench on the jam nut affter the tightener was tightened. Of coarse a chisel and hammer can do the job if you can get both arms and a light in there!!! These tracks were tight with the tightener backed off completely . I tightened them so that the front cogs clear the crosspiece by only 3/32" Any less and I fear the cogs may come in contact with that crosspiece and shred them.

track installation.jpg (141.8KiB)Viewed 5007 times

[vmaxx4]

Nice job on the chaincases and thanks for the tips on disassembly. As for the track splices, I use a fancy pair of vise grips I bought years ago and never found a whole lot of uses for until now . Did you replace the splice plates on those tracks? If so where did you get them?

Thanks...Mark.

[Barrie2777]

The track splices are original but I would bet that any belting supplier would have replacements.