1978 500 crankcases dowels.

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Cactus
Posts: 9
Joined: 02 Sep 2021 04:04
Location: Australia

1978 500 crankcases dowels.

Post by Cactus »

Bear with me if this has been asked before! I have a 1978 500 motor that was assembled without the dowels that go in the front and rear engine mounts. I have dis-assembled the motor and managed to secure ,not one, but two sets of these dowels from 2 different continents.
Confusingly for me, they are different sizes. One set are 65mm and 25mm. The other set are 65mm and 20mm. Sooo, I’ve had a couple of people tell me that the 65mm ones are the ones to use in both engine mounts , but the combined length of both crankcase engine mounts are (front) 95mm and (rear) 104 mm which means that the 65’s will be 30-40mm too short. And where do the short ones go?
I hope someone on here can tell me definitively if I’ve got the correct ones and which ones to use.
Steve Brown
Posts: 1566
Joined: 12 Nov 2007 23:44
Location: Leicestershire

Re: 1978 500 crankcases dowels.

Post by Steve Brown »

Hi Cactus, use the 65mm dowels in both locations. They aren't meant to fill the complete mounting point, just centralise the two points on each case. If you look in the hole you'll see the dowels will only be a snug fit across the joint face, and the outer end of the holes are slightly larger. So as long as you drive the dowels in, across the crankcase joint face the job is done. The smaller dowels I haven't seen on any 350 or 500 yet but it may be somebody cut those down, to make two after losing a 65 mm dowel!
All donations to the rest home for old Camels, Leicestershire.
Cactus
Posts: 9
Joined: 02 Sep 2021 04:04
Location: Australia

Re: 1978 500 crankcases dowels.

Post by Cactus »

Thanks very much Steve. That explanation is the clearest I’ve had. All systems go now. 👍
3potjohn
Posts: 1362
Joined: 02 Jun 2007 13:58
Location: Devon

Re: 1978 500 crankcases dowels.

Post by 3potjohn »

I have a picture of a crankcase albeit a 350 showing the dowels
Attachments
Crankcase half with dowels in situ
Crankcase half with dowels in situ
image.png (173.97 KiB) Viewed 2111 times
Cactus
Posts: 9
Joined: 02 Sep 2021 04:04
Location: Australia

Re: 1978 500 crankcases dowels.

Post by Cactus »

Thanks 3potjohn,
I knew where the dowels go, it was all the measurements that were doing me in! Trying to make sense of not enough information. Steve Brown has set me on the correct path.
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