CRUNCH TIME: Motor re-assembly has begun!!!!

[Greasey Fingers]

So here we go with the reassembly, again wish me luck guys!

For anyone who is interested the tear down thread can be seen here: http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6775


Me and my brother started the reassembly today and got a good session in.

STAGE 1
2nd gear replaced on both main shaft and lay shaft. Gearbox internals installed, gearbox sealed with threebond and bolts torqed up as per manual instructions. Gearbox is together and everything is shifting and moving smoothly, fingers crossed its all GOOD Here come the photos.

The old broken gears and the replacements...

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Replacing a gear, making sure to put everthing back EXACTLY the way it came off...

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Cases cleaned and ready to reassemble. Drewpy i would have put them in the dishwasher but my girlfriend would have been really really angry so i decided not do that

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Back in the box! Just took our time here and were really methodical and double checked everything.

 

[Greasey Fingers]

ready for some mating action...

 

[Greasey Fingers]

True love...

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Now with the top end, i am thinking to take it to a proper rebore place to get them to dip it in acid wash to clean and decarbon it all. They do this stuff all the time and can also give me theyre opinion of the pistons and bores. Although im pretty sure the bores are fine because the cross hatching is visible and they look good. The pistons also look pretty good.

So do what do you guys think about the acid dipping to clean it all up? And if i do that should i be taking out the valves first? And anything else i may need to be thinking of in regards to cleaning the top end and general things too, any help here is appreciated!!

Im a little more nervous about the top end than i am about the gearbox.

In fact i would actually say the gearbox was pretty straight forward, i am suprised how easy it was and im reasonably confident we got it all right. I was at first thinking the gearbox will be REALLY complicated and technical but it really wasnt that hard at all. We'll see anyway when i go to fire it up how well we put it together, lol.

 

[Pork Chop]

congratulations on successful mating.

 

[Greasey Fingers]

thank you

 

[drewpy]

not sure about acid dipping the head as it carries the cam and has no bearing surface.
I would get them all vapour blasted

lightly grind out the lumps in the inlet and exhaust tracts before that, makes the engine run smoother. Dremel attachment is the best for that

 

[Greasey Fingers]

not sure about acid dipping the head as it carries the cam and has no bearing surface.
I would get them all vapour blasted

Cool thanks again for your help drewpy! Just rang around then and found one near me. Gonna take the stuff to him tomorow. He also gave me an easy way on how to test the valves, to see if they need lapping:

'Put the spark plugs in then tip upside down. Now fill up with kero then come back in 1 hour. If the level has gone down the valves are leaking'

Sounds good to me, is that what you guys would do to test the valves?

 

[drewpy]

I'd lap them anyway.

you have to strip the head down and the lapping kit is cheap.

spin the valves in a drill to clean them up with carborundum paper then wire wool.

 

[Greasey Fingers]

I'd lap them anyway.

you have to strip the head down and the lapping kit is cheap.

spin the valves in a drill to clean them up with carborundum paper then wire wool.

sent the bits of to the vapour guy today, gonna lap the valves when i get the bits back, getting closer to finishing this...

 

[lhaolpa]

Yeah,lapping the valves makes sure there are no inconsistencies in the valves and their seats.Make sure that your valve guides are good and tight. The sealing test for the valves is an old trick,and works well,and works with water as well.Good luck. lha

 

[xschris]

Progress is a good thing

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Progress is a good thing

It is indeed!

Got my bits back from the vapour guy today.
here how they looked:

 

[Greasey Fingers]

and now...

 

[Greasey Fingers]

a couple more pics...inever knew those bits between the fins were rubber?

 

[226dark]

Fantastic looking! Wish i'd- a - done that. . Gleaming

I would get them all vapour blasted

lightly grind out the lumps in the inlet and exhaust tracts before that, makes the engine run smoother. Dremel attachment is the best for that

Wish i woulda done that too.
Next time

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Fantastic looking! Wish i'd- a - done that. . Gleaming



Wish i woulda done that too.
Next time

Yeah i was pretty happy with the results, bit on the pricy side but i guess you may as well do it good while its apart. If i knew it was that good i probably would have done the gearbox casings there too instead of cleaning them up myself. Thanks again drewpy for the great vapour guy tip

They look like new again, these 2 photos really illustrate the dramatic difference: