Author Topic: 1980 Drifter 340 Center Crank Seal  (Read 4096 times)

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DanMcK

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1980 Drifter 340 Center Crank Seal
« on: January 10, 2016, 06:04:44 PM »
Hey everyone!
I'm new to the forum and new to Kawasaki sleds.  Rescued a Drifter from the dump.  Sled is in great shape except for a stuck motor, which is now scattered about my work bench.  From my limited research, I understand that I would be absolutely nuts not to change the crank seals.  Just wondering if there are still split center crank seals available so that I don't have to pull my crank apart?

Anyone have any that they'd like to part with?  Any other advice for a buffoon like me still trying to figure out how to spell "Kawasaki" ...  ?   :D

Thanks guys.
Dan 

mswyka

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Re: 1980 Drifter 340 Center Crank Seal
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2016, 08:26:57 PM »
The center seal is a compression seal.  There are no rubber pieces to replace - unless one were to consider the rubber "o" rings around the outside a seal.  The center seal does not seal pressure and a static pressure test will leak from one side of the engine to the other.  Rather, because the impulses from the running engine are so fast, a series of grooves in the seal trap the compression wave and prevent massive leakage from one side to the other while the engine is running.  Attached are two photos of the center seal - one showing the grooves on the inside of the outer piece of the seal and the other showing the inside and outside pieces of the seal.

Back to the "o" rings.  Generally on the "o" rings, if they are missing, we just use a little gasket maker to replace what is not there.
Intruders:  1978, 1979, 1981 Custom (Pink)
Invaders:   1980 440
Projects:    1981 Invader 440

dr1979-340

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Re: 1980 Drifter 340 Center Crank Seal
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2016, 08:53:23 AM »
I restored a pair of '79 340 Drifters that had probably sat for 30 years.  When I took one of the engines apart the main crank pieces had some holes from rust.  I cleaned all the parts as good as I could and re-assembled it with new crank seals.  I have put about 50 miles on the sled this season with no issues. 



« Last Edit: January 18, 2016, 10:26:15 AM by dr1979-340 »
Two 1979 340 Drifters
1979 440 Drifter
1980 440 Drifter

Dandb7

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Re: 1980 Drifter 340 Center Crank Seal
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2016, 06:05:23 AM »
Those are two very nice Drifters !!

Well done....
1982 Kawasaki Interceptor 550 #558
1979 Kawasaki Drifter 440
1989 Arctic Cat Pantera 440
2012 Arctic Cat F1100 Turbo 50th Anniversary 2015 Arctic Cat Lynx 2000