955cc into a '99 with bad 885cc?

[blume]

Sorry to mislead you on the 'early engines' what I refer to are the engine series before yours commonly known as Steamers, these had the troublesome sprags on the really early ones.

Mileage is not excessive for one of these so give it a compresson check, it is common to see daylight under the chain as it is of the Hyvo type which sits differently to a single row. The chain does look kinda shiny but nothing out of the ordinary that would cause a fatal stop. Did you notice if the oil lamp came on just before it stopped?

Also great information^^  

no oil light prior to the engine out, bulb does light though. I'm off to the parts house to get a leak-down tester, ditching work early to prioritize my motorcycle/work/life balance.

[metalguru]

Great to see priorities are the correct way round....Well done.

[blume]

leak-down test complete; valves seal and hold pressure, on TDC compression using 45psi all 3 cylinders hold 40psi- the rings (dry) are leaking by according to my calibrated ear, but the valves are not pranged!

So, to build or not to build? At this point I'm wanting to just ride the thing, I'm tempted to just push the tensioner in another click per my dealer's recommendation and sync the throttles, button her up and ride. I'll order the chain and tensioner and slippers and gaskets and clutch friction plates and do all that this winter when I'm not so distracted by good weather and open roads, my baby just needs a good romp...

[metalguru]

As long as you are covinced it was the tensioner at fault and not something else that has rattled loose and caused a stop, then fair play just ride, I know the feeling.
I would rather be convinced that I had diagnosed the fault to completion and rectified offending part, for at least your own peace of mind and safety, let alone cutting short your roadporn.

[blume]

I was able to run it last night but the rattle on engine deceleration has me worried; need a second opinion of the sound.

Chain slap? starter gear/idler fragged? can't pinpoint the source of the sound and it was around midnight, so I was less than sharp- opted for the "sleep on it" and tackle again when fresh option.

 :?

[metalguru]

Wouldn't happen to be the chain guide worn out on the swing arm would it?
Supposed to be changed on service but it is normal practice to leave them till they wear out and make a rattling noise on decel as the tiger chain has a lot of slack due to the long suspension travel.

Just a thought, as it does make a racket and can be felt through the footrests which can make you think the engine just decomposed.

[blume]

not moving deceleration, engine decel. Took it by the shop, both the service man and manager think it's highly strange, suggest further investigation as the noise does not follow any rev profile, and comes and goes as if there were loose parts inside- it does not sound like chain slap, rod knock, or anything they have experienced- I'll be pulling the sump and looking inside for loose parts next; removing the engine is next on the list I think....

to be continued; I need a ride break though so I'm off for a couple days on the KLR to sort my brain again.

here's a shot of the last ride I took on the Girly for inspiration; three years ago mid May

[Chris Canning]

See the pipe guard has dropped off,mine did in the South of France,I got a new set on a recall,all many years ago.

[blume]

pan/sump access is off and I find large bronze shavings, also the engine will not roll over on a wrench (plugs out, cam chain timed correctly..)



 :(

looks like the girl is a bit frigid, I'll be pulling the engine so I can further investigate tonight, new lights put up in the garage last night and organized and built a second work bench.

took a holiday with my KLR- 633 miles and 6 days on the road, camping, couch surfing, drinking and smoking with good mates; nice way to start a summer.

to be continued....

[blume]

engine out, found a motorcycle work stand I may need to buy; roll on, hydraulic and air, wheel clamp etc. better than the balancing act I have now with my jack-stands and luck.

next item on the agenda is a proper engine stand- I'll use my welding table for starters.

[blume]

no visual indications of valve/piston interference, backing up the leak-down test from a couple weeks ago; onward and inward to the bearings and rings.


to be continued....

[CoolHandLuke]

Do you have parkinsons or a really bad camera?

 :lol:

[Mustang]

pull the clutch hub and then see if the engine will turn over ...........bronze debris in the oil could well be a sign that something in the gearbox is amiss

[blume]

Do you have parkinsons or a really bad camera?

 :lol:

blackberry :roll:

Thanks Mustang, I'll check that; the trans will shift through the gears and neutral, but the engine would not roll in neutral or otherwise. Is there a constant mesh that neutral or clutch disengaged would not allow the engine to turn if the trans were frag'd?

I'm looking at around $850USD for the needed parts just to rebuild for best case scenario: bearings, gaskets, rings, and cam drive components.  955 liners and pistons doubles that, and I'd guess a good used 955 head and other ancillary bits would triple it fairly quickly, so I think I should re-name this post "rebuilding on a shoestring" or "Money no object re-power!"  

I'll decide that when I see the bearings and pistons out- if the liners and pistons are badly scored and need replaced it only makes sense (not cents) to go bigger- if I have case damage from a spun bearing and shell or chewed reciprocating parts I may need to extend my budget and go full tilt,  turning the crank and honing the existing liners is easy and fairly inexpensive, so if I can get away with doing a stock rebuild I think that makes the best cents (and dollars)

now a damaged transmission on the other hand....  :? had not thought of that as a possibility.

to be continued.

[blume]

#2 had a spun bearing, the rest looks good but I have a couple bolts that need replaced from the bottom side case/main bearing half, and 3 T40 bits- those suckers are in there with a bunch of red lock-tite and also sealant, took a bit of brute strength and persistence and expletives and I had to drill the head off one...

the sleeves slid out on their own and look dry, I had no issues prior with cross contamination so I think a re-seal and rings, con-rod bearings and some bolts and a #2 piston/rod I'm back in biz.

stay tuned for the bargain build, I think it's back to stock for the price/fun equation: I need to ride the girl or go bonkers and buy a new/used roadie for my long mile rides.

so here's a picture- sorry for the crap mobile quality and size; I like wrenches more than gadgets.