netguz Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hello all Yamaha owners I´ve got a MZ Skorpion which uses the Yam 660 engine and the rear suspension off of the FZR 600 (3HE). It´s wonderful but has one very annoying problem - the bottom spherical bearing on the suspension strut. If you don´t use your bike regularly it fills up with water and seizes, if you do use it regularly it fills up with water and wears out. A replacement with seals is £65, and I´m sorry, but that´s obscene. At 26mm, 12mm, 15mm it´s a custom size and seemingly impossible to source elsewhere. I´ve done a search of your forum and found nothing - is it not a problem on the 600? Any help/suggestions gratefully received. TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hello all Yamaha owners I´ve got a MZ Skorpion which uses the Yam 660 engine and the rear suspension off of the FZR 600 (3HE). It´s wonderful but has one very annoying problem - the bottom spherical bearing on the suspension strut. If you don´t use your bike regularly it fills up with water and seizes, if you do use it regularly it fills up with water and wears out. A replacement with seals is £65, and I´m sorry, but that´s obscene. At 26mm, 12mm, 15mm it´s a custom size and seemingly impossible to source elsewhere. I´ve done a search of your forum and found nothing - is it not a problem on the 600? Any help/suggestions gratefully received. TIA Hi NetGuz, thats odd how does it fill with water when stored ? Do you have a leak from the expansion tank or perhaps the breather tube pointing at the shock ? and with the cooling down period after use some fluid from the expansion tank is expelled thro the breather. I would guess the lower bush seizing may not be down to water ingress but down to bad service .... with the Skorpion I have worked on the major problem was the bobins on the front disc (well ruff) & I had no rear end problems but perhaps check the hose routes to ensure that coolant is not expanding thro the breathers onto the shock & if so reroute the tubes so it vents on the floor ! Regards Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netguz Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hi NetGuz, thats odd how does it fill with water when stored ? Do you have a leak from the expansion tank or perhaps the breather tube pointing at the shock ? and with the cooling down period after use some fluid from the expansion tank is expelled thro the breather. I would guess the lower bush seizing may not be down to water ingress but down to bad service .... with the Skorpion I have worked on the major problem was the bobins on the front disc (well ruff) & I had no rear end problems but perhaps check the hose routes to ensure that coolant is not expanding thro the breathers onto the shock & if so reroute the tubes so it vents on the floor ! Regards Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netguz Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hi Jim and thanks I was being a bit facetious, many of we Skorp owners have had problems with this bearing and there doesn´t really seem to be any rhyme or reason. Except strip it down every 3 or 4 months and regrease, and I guess we´re all just a bit to lazy to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Airhead Posted June 27, 2009 Moderator Share Posted June 27, 2009 I dunno the bike, but if its a well documented fault why not drill and tap for a grease nipple, thats what I do on troublesome bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hi Jim and thanks I was being a bit facetious, many of we Skorp owners have had problems with this bearing and there doesn´t really seem to be any rhyme or reason. Except strip it down every 3 or 4 months and regrease, and I guess we´re all just a bit to lazy to do that. Well I guess that's service !!!! you must also take into account the MZ lower link to the shock is not on par of the Yamaha unit but in saying that I do have some aversion to ex eastern european bikes ... they are cool... & tbh I was a big MZ dealer back in the day when ETZ & TS modals ruled the roost ! Regards Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netguz Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Thanks guys. The drill/nipple route has been thought of but would mean drilling thru the outer bearing race, and none of us seem to fancy that! It´s not a case of MZ quality, the swing arm, crescent and dog-bones are pure Yamaha. The problem seems to be that the crescent bolts onto the bottom of the engine, leaving it, and that pesky bearing, right out in the open. Anything coming off the front wheel will hit it; any water running down the strut makes straight for the bearing. I´m currently looking for sealed bearings and/or a little rubber boot. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shed hermit Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 is there a number stamped on the bearing that you can source that way? or are you trying to trace one through a part number? i know that bearings can be a balls to locate, i rebuilt a gearbox in a suzuki baleno and could source all the bearings except 2, these two i had to get on order from suzuki and they were dearer than all the rest put together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkwindjammer Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 yep like OG says, Grease your balls, simples Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netguz Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Hi Shed - if I may be so familiar! yep, that´s the exact problem. No id, so, inc seals, £65, for what should be £20. It´s not really the money, it´s the principal. We´ve found Rota Precision in Bristol, who seem to make the right type, Igus, who make plastic bearings, and Pivotworks, who make replacement bearings. The 660 Raptor appears to be the same. emails have been sent, replies awaited. I was chatting to my usual bearing supplier on Saturday and he quite ´got on his high horse´, about the car/bike industry cuz they use any number of b%st&!d size bearings, and they all cost us a fortune and rob him of business. Thanks net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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