Small End/Wrist Pin bearings

[Quicklimegirl]

   Finally, 2 years after the $2000+ plus RD400 rebuild debacle, I decided we'd go ahead and rebuild the top end of my '76.  I only got to ride it 15 miles before it seized and the entire ordeal made me too depressed to think about rebuilding again until now.  Continued health issues also made it difficult to ride at all, but I miss that bike.  My FZ07, while a nice, light bike, just isn't the same as my beloved RD400!

  Going through what I could find on the current forum, I saw a note from SoCal250 about using TZ750 bearings, part no. 93110-216E1-00, which appear to be available.  I saw that the old Kawi bearings some used were NLA.  I also saw in Supertune's "Tip of the Day" in the Vendor section a post about Crank rebuilding in which he talked about a ProX bearing replacing the OEM ones, but didn't specify a part number.

   We have old notes about WiseCo bearings, I think the part no. was B1021 (something like that).  Another note was a vague reference to some using an available ATV bearing (model unknown) although that might be the same as SoCal referenced in his post with a Kawi Watercraft one NLA.

   I need to know what the best one available is and what to use.  What have you all been using lately, since some are NLA?

       Thanks in advance for your assistance!

[Brad-Man]

I don't have an answer for you, but am glad to see you back 'girl!

[soonerbillz]

I don't have a answer either.. but as a dedicated BÖC fan.. I just gotta say..
I love your username.❤🤘

[m in sc]

https://jessbikes.com/product_info.php?products_id=273

im sure he'd sell only 2. good dude, just reach out.

[Jspooner]

you can still get the genuine yamaha bearings for the TZs. Partzilla has them and I'm sure the other online parts houses will as well.

[DesmoDrew]

  True story.  Used to laugh when I would go to the Kawasaki shop in Daytona and ask for 'two' H1 wrist pin bearings.  The parts guy would always say "you need to replace all three" and I would say they were for an RD.  Then he would tell me they would not work. 
  FWIW, even in the race bike, I have never had a small end bearing fail.  Big end bearings are usually the issue.  If you can get factory Yamaha, go with those. 

[SoCal250]

Part # 93110-216E1-00 is the stock RD350/400 bearing. Supertune has a source for upgraded bearings that he buys in bulk.
The other previous go-to upgrade parts are no longer available.

From the Tech Library:
Substitute (upgrade) bearings:
Wrist pin bearings
     Kawasaki JS440/550 jetski, BEARING-NEEDLE KBK16X20X22.8X6, part # 13033-3005  NLA
     Kawasaki H1 wrist pin bearing, part # 92046-1038  NLA

[Quicklimegirl]

I don't have a answer either.. but as a dedicated BÖC fan.. I just gotta say..
I love your username.❤🤘

   Thanks.  Have you ever seen the RD/RZ based BOC Cafe bike I built some 20+ years ago?  It too is awaiting a partial resurrection, and not fully together, but this was taken some years ago when it still was whole. The first pic is of it's initial stages w/o the RZ wheels/forks. I was visiting the "Stormbirds" project where they were building 5 brand new exact replicas of the Me262, with the except of using modern engines. An original Jumo004 engine of the 1 of six remaining in the world they were restoring is on the stand in back of the bike.  Everyone else has seen it I'm sure, but since you're likely nearly as big of a fan as I, here goes:   

[Quicklimegirl]

  Now, back to the subject at hand.  Belated thanks to everyone for their replies.  I hope to have the bike going within the next couple months.  Complicating things is Kevin finally got called back
  to work.  I really want to do some of the wrenching myself, it's been too long, but with the arthritis in my hands, I can't do more than 15-20 minutes at a stretch.  Still, if there's a will, there has to be a way.  Damn, I miss my shop..............sigh.

[Inov8]

I only got to ride it 15 miles before it seized

Just curious if you were able to identify the cause/source of the seizure; and, if so, what was the resolution?

[SoCal250]

I'm going to see BOC live in July with Cheap Trick (postponed show from 2020)

[85RZwade]

Saw Cheap Trick 2? 3? years ago at the Clark County Ampitheater (maybe Judy was there?) with Foreigner and the Jason Bonham Band. Great show!

[Quicklimegirl]

Inov8, we suspect timing due to some conflicts with the "builder" who ended being somewhat noncompliant with certain aspects in the end. We also had discussed a resolution, in which I offered a compromise in which I'd actually accept LESS than his offer.....upon which he ghosted me. That's what made the entire affair want me to push it out of my mind for awhile. That's ancient history now. Another possibility might be clearance issues: as I understand it, when @ a larger bore size, in this case 65.25mm, there may be a need for slightly different than standard clearance. When I bring the cylinders in for rebore we'll find out if that was a contributing factor. I actually have a recently acquired other set of cylinders which, if they have less gone, I may use instead.

85RZWade, right venue, wrong other bands. I saw Cheap Trick there, opening for Heart and Arnel Pineda version of Journey.  In 1977 or '78 I went to see Kansas in Germany during their Leftoverture tour. Opening for them were an unknown band called Cheap Trick!

[85RZwade]

  the Leftoverture tour? Germany? I am truly not worthy! Never saw Kansas, but my lovely wife and I saw some of Germany a few years ago and spent a wonderful day in a town on the Mosel river eating and listening to music and enjoying wonderful Reislings. I'd love to go back on a bike!

Oh, and 

[Inov8]

Thanks for the reply, Quicklimegirl. I now realize that by asking for details I inadvertently poked you in a sore spot so I apologize for that. So, thanks again for sharing. After I, myself, holed or seized a few pistons, I became hypersensitive to the words. Now I feel compelled to fully understand the various reasons and even combinations of reason that it happens. I initially thought that your wrist pin bearings were somehow a cause or contributor to the seizure. I misunderstood. After many hours of reading and hearing enough first hand personal experience, I've concluded that the OEM or comparable OEM replacement wrist pin bearings, are well suited for all but the most extreme, sustained high RPM, max effort builds. Basically, anything that wears a license plate should be good-to-go with stock stuff and provide a long and reliable service life. One thing to note is that the wrist pin bearing experiences a relatively low speed, acceleration-deceleration, rocking motion as opposed to a continuous roller motion. Even with exposure to elevated temperatures, they lead relatively easy lives given proper lubrication.

But I digress; as Mark could have explained this with about 3 or 4 words and an emoji. 

I had the pleasure of seeing Cheap Trick for the fist time October of 2019 when they open for ZZ Top at the St. Augastine Amphitheater; a relatively small venue with great acoustics. Stan Lynch sat in on drums. Great show.