Engine removal LD AAV

[AAVlover]

Hi, my AAV has passed all the road tests and is now stripped to just the engine and frame. Having researched the removal, it seems i must release the torsion exerted by the bar, remove the bush, and then unbolt the engine supports underneath?
Has anyone done this, and how did you release the torsion?
Would anyone know whether a 57 AAV would have roller bearings, or a plain bush for the torsion link?
Thanks

[Jazzy b]

Hi, my AAV has passed all the road tests and is now stripped to just the engine and frame. Having researched the removal, it seems i must release the torsion exerted by the bar, remove the bush, and then unbolt the engine supports underneath?
Has anyone done this, and how did you release the torsion?
Would anyone know whether a 57 AAV would have roller bearings, or a plain bush for the torsion link?
Thanks

Give waddo a shout on here shafty guru and top chap

[jbcollier]

AFAIK they all originally had roller bearings. The brass bush is the modern replacement.

To release the torsion bar, remove the grease fitting, circlip and washer, use a brass punch to partially knock-out the pin, use the special torsion arm pin tool to release tension and remove the pin. You can just use a big screwdriver but you are going to need the tool to reattach the link so why not get it now?

[AAVlover]

Hi JB, I've checked every post/article on this and am still not clear. I have the tool. When you say the nipple, washer etc, I assume this is the link that attaches the engine lugs to the 'figure of eight'? This means you remove the alloy ring around the flywheel for access? Once you have moved the pin a few mm, I assume you drift it out further with the tool, with the hole/pin of the tool towards the front of the scooter, and then once the tool is in, you gradually turn it so the front bit of the tool moves back with the 'figure of eight', releasing the tension.

Once done, you just release the pivotting engine bolt under the engine???

[Steve J]

You don't need to remove the alloy ring around the flywheel - just undo the bolt, and the alloy ring can be rotated to a position where you will have access to the torsion bar link pivot pin. It's only a problem on the later LD engines - earlier engines used a flywheel without the extra 'dust seal' on the outer rim.
Your description of using the tool sounds about right - with any luck you may even be able to use the needle roller bearing again, but they usually leave an imprint of the rollers on the pivot pin, so you might need to replace that as well. The replacement brass bushes are probably better, as long as you remember to grease them from time to time.
The engine pivot bolt comes out once the tab washer is bent out of the way and the nut is undone. The bolts are known to rust/seize in the frame cones, probably due the amount of water spray that part of the frame gets from the front tyre.