piston play

I just pulled the reed cage off the 500xc this weekend and looked in at the piston. Piston looked good with the usual minor scuffing on the bottom. what concerned me though was that the piston had rotational play. When I grabbed the bridge between the ports on the piston and wiggled it, I noticed a lot of rotational play (as in clockwise or counterclockwise inside the barrel. I'm hoping that doesn't mean a bad lower rod bearing. I am waiting to get gaskets before I go any further

Not a lot I can really comment on.

I belive there was a time perhaps even now where that top needle bearing at the wristpin wasn't available quite as long the origional one.

The guy I bought my first Husky from and who had had a few over the years told me the 500 could wear out the lower end before the top end. I finally did wear out the lower rod bearing and it wasn't very long after I switched top ends because I had a fresher one.

I assume it is a water cooled version as you state gaskets, plural instead of base gasket. I don't have much problem getting gaskets in a timely manner and wouldn't let that stop me. Did you read the thread on here about how to get the cylinder off if stuck and avoiding getting crud in the crank cavity?

I suspect the last version of that 500 crank didn't hold up too well. Ther are lube holes in the prior ones and modern stuff seems to have a slit for lube cut out of the bottom of the big end of the rod. If you find that the crank doesn't have round holes to balance rather has sections trimmed making the thing sort of triangular with one side curved then you have that one.

Fran

That clearence should be .002 inch or less. The upper pin bearing clearence is .001 and the lower is the same. Play in both would add to .002 if starting from no clearence on one side to check total! I have lower pins and bearings for 500's.

Thanks for the info