With reed block/center main bearing assembled to crank shaft and jacks in place time to press assembly inot crank case.
Check that intake passage and thread hole in reed block will align with
respective openings in crank case…if not reed block is on upside down
Fit the assembly into crank case and use 1/16″ drill bit to clock the
reed block if the drill is 90 drees to face of crank case, thread in reed block and hole in crank case will line up,
Remove drill bit!
Press carefully until indicatorn hole in reed block just begins to show
Then check how thread and hole,
At this point very slight pressing to arrive at SPOT ON!
If you get it right the bolt can be screwed into the reed block thread
without contacting side of hole in crank case.
A bit of lube on all points of friction and care in aligning with drill bit
will get it right the first time every time.
When all is checked and satisfactory remove jacks.
Sharp eyes will notice this is a KE4 not a KD4…same techniques
apply for both.
90 degrees can be eye ball close enough or a simple gauge can be made to clock the reed block.
I use a 12 ton HF press and some odds and ends made or adapted to
press crank shafts out or in, for a one off job a couple stron boards and
a pair of nut washer and threaded rods would work,
Until I understood the reason for the small hole in reed block I did a lot
of trial and error installing crank shafts. Sometimes I could get it right
the first time and at other times 2 or more attempts were needed,
The hole is present on 1940 K4 and all twin reed block/center main bearing… (1940 twins use external reeds while 1941 and later have
reeds untegrated into center main bearing.
