Trx300FW - Kick Start Rear Washer Recovery Method (No Engine Splitting)

[Orvis25 108]

Welp, made a rookie mistake, but I'm a share the experience and how I fixed it. 

While replacing my timing chain and both primary and secondary clutch pads, I make the mistake (that I was warned about) of not holding the kick starter shaft firmly enough in there when pulling the right side crank case cover off, and dropped the rear washer into the center part of the engine. 

After a chat with @shadetree, he told me I would have to pull the engine and split the case (as fishing it out from above  through the gears is nil impossible), but I proposed the idea of fishing it through an oil flow hole / inspection port, before going to the pull the engine step. 

On the engine there is a hole on the bottom left of the right crank case (next to the reverse shifter) that lets you see into the center part of the engine.

If you take a file (or a hack saw blade, idea from shade) and cut/file a gap the size of a quarter into it, you can then fish the washer out with a piece of wire (or one of those magnets on a retractable rod). 

!!! BE SURE TO ONLY CUT / FILE GOING OUTWARD (toward you) SO THAT YOU DRAG THE ALUMINIUM SHAVINGS OUT OF THE ENGNE !!!  

 

Here is a quick video I made explaining how I did it for those visual learners:

Hope it help! 

 

Pic of the engine after mod, and where my washer was:

 

PS: Tip for reinstallation:
Put some geese (I used lithium geese, great idea from shade) to hold the washer on. Then, to Install the shaft, put the bike standing on its 4 wheels. "pre-load" the spring by slotting the spring into the engine housing, but not insirting the back of the kick start shaft into the retaining hole. Then, start turning the shaft with the kick start lever (put it back on, does not need to be bolted) with the punch mark from about 10oclock to 3 o'clock or more, you are trying to get the "thumb" of the kick start shaft to where it fits between that metal bracket (with the 2 bolts). Once there, then press the shaft into the retaining hole. You will know it's correct if the 2 teeth parts of the shaft are apart. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Orvis25
Clarifications, Spelling & Elaborations

[Fishfiles 20,147]

Way to go !!!    Next time apply some thick grease to the shaft on the kick starter and it won't fall off as easy  -------    You can fish it out thru the top hole , you use a flexible shaft magnet thru the top hole where it fell in at and a clothes hanger with a hole bent into a hook  thew the bottom hole to pull it to you , ask me how I know  ---- even thou you only pulled the hack saw blade one one , I give it 10-15  percent of the shaving made it into the engine , no biggie , a vacuum cleaner might have gotten some out   -----

[Orvis25 108]

9 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

Way to go !!!    Next time apply some thick grease to the shaft on the kick starter and it won't fall off as easy  -------    You can fish it out thru the top hole , you use a flexible shaft magnet thru the top hole where it fell in at and a clothes hanger with a hole bent into a hook  thew the bottom hole to pull it to you , ask me how I know  ---- even thou you only pulled the hack saw blade one one , I give it 10-15  percent of the shaving made it into the engine , no biggie , a vacuum cleaner might have gotten some out   -----

Forgot to mention the reinstallation thing, thanks (put in the OP)

I didn't think fishing it out through the top hole (where it fell through) was really possible due to the clearance of the gears and the casing. I know it IS, but that its one h3ll of a process. 

I am pretty confidant I got 95%+ of the savings out with the cut toward me method, but ya, nothing is perfect. The filter/screen should get it eventually, I'm not worried, the point was to reduce it as much as possible. 
 

[shadetree 5,970]

On 7/27/2021 at 12:24 PM, Orvis25 said:

Welp, made a rookie mistake, but I'm a share the experience and how I fixed it. 

While replacing my timing chain and both primary and secondary clutch pads, I make the mistake (that I was warned about) of not holding the kick starter shaft firmly enough in there when pulling the right side crank case cover off, and dropped the rear washer into the center part of the engine. 

After a chat with @shadetree, he told me I would have to pull the engine and split the case (as fishing it out from above  through the gears is nil impossible), but then i proposed a different idea before going to that step. 

On the engine there is a hole on the bottom left of the right crank case (next to the reverse shifter) that lets you see into the center part of the engine.

If you take a file (or in my case hack saw blade) and cut a gap the size of a quarter into it, you can fish the washer out with a piece of wire (or one of them magnets on a retractable rod). 

!!! BE SURE TO ONLY CUT / FILE GOING OUTWARD (toward you) SO THAT YOU DRAG THE ALUMINIUM SHAVINGS OUT OF THE ENGNE !!!  

 

Here is a quick video I made explaining how I did it for those visual learners:

Hope it help! 

 

Pic of the engine after mod, and where my washer was:

 

PS: Tip for reinstallation:
Put some geese (I used lithium geese) to hold the washer on. Install the shaft with the bike standing on its 4 wheels, and make sure to "pre-load" the spring, and get the thumb between that metal bracket. 

but..but..you did not say where you got the grease idea ?, and where you got the hacksaw blade in visegrip idea from ?..sigh..but good job bro !.

[Orvis25 108]

1 hour ago, shadetree said:

but..but..you did not say where you got the grease idea ?, and where you got the hacksaw blade in visegrip idea from ?..sigh..but good job bro !.

Went back and edited the OP to clarify crediting you and elaborate on a few things, Including additional pictures. 

 

Thanks again for the help! 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Orvis25
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