1972 450CR

Here is where I got the number of steering bearings from.

It's under the ISDT tips

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/vintage-husqvarna-service-bulletins.1312/

There seems to be a market for tanks in any condition so if you do pick up another one you could unload the old one to offset the cost of the newer one.

I've read on Café Husky that some have had luck pressurizing the tank then heating the dent area. Never tried it and haven't ever seen any pictures of it done so who knows how well it works.

that should work just like a 2t pipe some guy like nitrogen instede there's 2t pipe howto vids on youtube

Well I finally sent the crank to vintage husky. John knocked that puppy out fast! All NOS too!
He replaced the stub shafts and flywheels. Hard lesson learned here to. The machinist I used thought the stubs were fine. John felt the engine might have run an hour before destroying the seals.

Also got some valuable input from John on the 5 speed gearboxes. Great guy to talk with.

John will get all my buisness in the future.

Great work, I like following your thread. I too restored a 450. I am not very mechanically inclined so John did the engine rebuild, he is a great guy!
I also used the Akront Morad wheels from the UK and had Woody's lace them. They had to be sent to Buchannons first to be drilled! Additionally my rear brake was thrashed like yours. Seems typical of these bikes. The brake backing plate/brake 'stay'..(sorry not sure of correct 'term') gets ovaled out/elongated and causes the backing plate to flex & rub against the brake hub

Keep up the good work

here's my rebuild link;

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/round-ii-72-450-restoration.18247/

I sure wished mine had started out as complete as yours Mike.

I have the crank back from John and have yet to set it in. Just to busy here at work. Maybe in two weeks I can get that done.

I have questionable 2nd and 4th gear cogs to look at to, John felt the 5 speeds were not the greatest and advised replacing them. So I'll probably stick with his tutelage.

Your 450 looks great and I sure hope I can get mine looking as nice.

Still looking for a tank that's not beat to hell. I found one from a 74 husky but it's not the right shape.

Once I get the right tank and have it painted I want to have Walt Axthelm sign it and see if he can get Malcom Smith to sign it as well.
I thought that would be cool as Walt is in his 80's now and maybe he would get a kick out of it.

I wonder what John meant by that? I raced at least thirty 80 mile desert Hare and Hounds over an 18 month period on a 73 450 Desert Master (came with the CR trans for some unknown reason) and the trans still looks okay (motor is currently in pieces). Its obvious that motocross has far more shifting involved than Cross Country but in the case of Johns remark I think that's beside the point. Maybe what John should have said was bikes that aren't maintained and/or taken care of aren't the greatest.

I might mess this up but John said the shifting drum and fork set up didn't do the best job of locking up the gear cogs/dogs and that this was remedied on the later 6 speed shifting drum.

I think he also referenced that shift drum detent spring arrangement.

Nonetheless my gear cogs look like they were hammered with each engagement.

I'll post a picture when I can.

Here is a couple of pictures.

yep dats not good it'll start slippin soon been there done that took letko 3 months to get the parts 3rd gear in a 79 250WR

Okay I see what he's referring to.

Letko! I needed a 87 430 3rd gear and was in same boat.
It took Letko 6 months to get the gears.
They got a heck of a Ktm shop now in KC.

Those gears are in bad shape.

Well crap. I decided to send the tranny off to Vintage Husky. I'll have John look at it and replace what he thinks needs replaced.
Last thing I want is to button up the engine and find it jumping out of gear.

Still on the hunt for a tank that's not beat to hell. I found a late 70's tank but it's not the right shape. It seems more wedged than the 72 tank.

Rear wheel drum is still in Denver waiting on the Morad rim.

Once I see some progress I'll post pics. For now I am in an apartment and there really isn't much I can do.

Found a little time to assemble the kick start. Not to bad a job.

Clean stuff sure looks nice.

By the looks of the gap between the gear wheel and the drive wheel you may be able to move the kick-lever another tooth on the spline.

I set mine up so that the gear and drive wheels engage as soon as possible when the lever is used. This allows a longer kick-lever throw to spin the crank as fast as possible and on the 450 every little bit helps.

My thoughts to, thanks for confirming I can do this.

I was following the book with the ref. 20-30 mm gap between the rubber bumper and the kick start stop.

I'll make that change tonight.

Mike

Just be careful that the gear wheel isn't too close. If the kick lever rubber bumper compresses over time the gears could start to contact. I check mine once in a while after starting the engine by pushing the kick lever very slowly and listening for contact. If contact is immediate then I'll move the kick lever one tooth on the spline. Even though its nice to have as much kick lever travel as possible on these 450's its obviously not worth grinding the kick start mechanism to pieces.

As I was adjusting I noticed that myself. I have it set about right but time will tell.


The bolt that secures the kick start to the shaft appears to be an 8mm. the one that was on there was not metric but just something the previous owner put in.

Is it an 8mm and I am guessing about 35 mm long with a thin nut and lock washer?

Many of the original bolts on this 450 have been replaced with various metric and std. bolts and nuts. Finding replacement is tough and the parts manual does not list bolt size,,,,just a part number.