ZXR DOWN ZXR DOWN!!!! broken down that is...

[greenman43]

I take it there are no significant oil leaks ? My own ZXR threw a rod once at very high revs (and speed), and it's sounding very familiar to your own symptoms. Alternatively, you may have just dropped a valve and/or holed a piston.

FWIW, I'm over a Thornleigh, so if you need a hand stripping it to have a look, let me know.

Cheers,
Brian

[I-K]

I take it there are no significant oil leaks ? My own ZXR threw a rod once at very high revs (and speed), and it's sounding very familiar to your own symptoms. Alternatively, you may have just dropped a valve and/or holed a piston.

*Just* dropped a valve or holed a piston?

[greenman43]

Point taken. Although, there's potential for a lot more damage if something lets go in the bottom-end ; when my rod made the bold bid for freedom, as well as the barrel it trashed a piston, bent some valves, destroyed a factory crank, broke a chunk off the clutch housing, and smashed a huge hole in the cases. Understandably, there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth

Cheers,
Brian

[JamesLaugesen]

Thanks heaps for the offer greenman! I'll probably take you up on that since I'm pretty new to this and busy-as-freekin-hell for another few months, so anything that'll make the job quicker would be really good.

Thanks for scaring me too, haha.

There's no oil leaks anywhere.

I still had time to go through I-K's list of things to test; so once I've done that I'll post the results and see what you think.

Thanks
James

[greenman43]

No worries mate, do you have a lighted garage to work in ? Otherwise, I guess we're limited to weekends. Let me know what works for you, and I'll try to fit in.

Cheers,
Brian

[JamesLaugesen]

No worries mate, do you have a lighted garage to work in ? Otherwise, I guess we're limited to weekends. Let me know what works for you, and I'll try to fit in.

Cheers,
Brian

I just put some new lights up which I need to finish wiring, but yep, will be a VERY lighted garage

Thanks heaps, I'll let you know.
It would be great to have to bike ready for the "MOURNING THE TOLLS" protest through Sydney, haha.

[Quin_Daddy]

Hiya m8

Any news on your engine?

[JamesLaugesen]

UPDATE

Finaly have a free weekend and QuinDaddy came round to help me look at the bike; for the first time since breaking down; haray.

So I'll write as much detail as I can of what happened for ya'll to analyse.

1. Put on a rear-wheel stand and spun the wheel in neutral fine.
Flicked into first (gearbox is fine) and gently spun the wheel trying to feel the compression, was definitely less movement than normal.

2. Took ignition timer cover off and felt tension in chain on either side, seems fine.
Tried turning the crank from the rotor with mild force; would not rotate "foward".
Tried rotating "backwards" which worked quite easily (Don't have a torque wrench but applied less torque than undoing the timing cover bolts).
After rotating backwards were able to rotate the crank normaly in both directions... haray.

3. Bit-the-bullet and tried to start the engine; after a bit of chuggnig (not much more than usual considering the bike hasn't been touched in a few weeks) it fired to life and idled smoothly!!!!

We only let it idle for a few seconds; enough to take note of everything.

No smoke; but we didn't increase the revs at all, only let it idle.
Fairly loud not-good-sounding clunk sound (haha ) - Sounded like it was happening once per revolution.
Held revs and idled consistantly.
QD said it sounded similar to a deisel engine, haha.
No strange smells, no oil leaking.

My plan now is to dump the oil and look for pieces of metal and/or petrol (smell) in it.

QD thinks that the piston ring(s) have gone; which explains the lack of power but throttle still having an affect when it broke down on the freeway since there was lack of compression.
Also explains how we could turn the crank "backwards" easily even though we didn't remove the spark plugs.
The crank initially not rotating "foward" could be explained by a ring jamming against the piston? Which would have been released in backing off the crank.

Any other theories?

I'll try to contact my dad's mate Kelvin (HART performance engines) to see what he thinks and if he has time to help me out... I'm assuming if I have lost ring(s) my bore(s) will need a fair bit of machining, which I'm sure labor would be 'effin' expensive for.


Thanks everyone... I'm much happier today since I at least got to hear my baby speak again... though she's still very groggy .

James

[Aussie Ninja]

If your bores need refinishing why not chuck some of these in while you are there.

http://www.tts-performance.com/catalog/ ... 238946b27a

[JamesLaugesen]

Yeah that's the idea... would be nice to get something out of the situation, haha.

[JamesLaugesen]

Some more stuff from QD:

Aye when I fired her up there was a definite clatter sound to it.

This lead me to think that the sound was piston rings or bearings as the sound was too deep to be a valve which would have made a tinkleing sound.

The sound was also not deep enough to indicate a crank problem.

Considering the bike hadnt been run recently it started quite easily.

Also when I cranked the engine over on the crankshaft (using a wrench) it moved very easily (maybe too easily, which may also indicate loss of compression (rings again?)).

James, dump the oil and check for a petrol smell in the oil m8, if there is signs of petrol in the oil then its probably a ring problem. Also filter the oil through some kitchen paper and look for any bits of metal, if you find any needles then its bearings that have gone, if you find flat pieces of metal then its likely to be rings.

I dont think its the cam chain tensioner because i looked at your chain and it seemed fairly tight.

Oh and while your at it, get a new oil filter because your current one will be full of crap i expect (saw it open and see whats inside wink.gif ).

Sorry I couldnt help more today but I had my little clone in tow biggrin.gif

Ps. The not being able to start the bike thing is a starter motor problem, probably a sticky cog, just pull the motor and grease the shaft (LOL that sounds rude).

[Neka79]

good luck with it mate, let us kno how it turns out..interesting thread to read...at least it happened at this time of yr, and not in the middle of summer....

[up2nogood]

I'm going to put $5 on a dropped valve.

Should we start running a book on this?

[JamesLaugesen]

Thanks guys
Is pretty interesting ay... unfortunatly looking expensive for me, but oh well.

Booking is a good idea, how about I run the booking pool? .

Dropped valve ay up2nogood; care to explain why you think that?

I'm learning so much, tis cool

[JamesLaugesen]

Just got phone call from dad and his mate is happy to do any machinnig/specialist work on my engine at cost.
So I've gotta pull it down, give him the pieces.
He'll check it out and see what he can machine up himself, source from a cheap/custom parts and what I'll need to source myself.

Exciting... DAMN EXCITING!!!!!!!!

He even said he's semi-confident that he could machine me up custom oversized pistons and machine the compression "bell" out to a perfect fit... which would save me at least $800 worth of "ZXR" over-sized pistons.
And... get this... He can do titanium nitride coating and everything!!!!
YAAY!!!
What else, oh, he'll shave, cut and polish the crank, port and polish the top end, re-seat the valves, etc.
Might I be the lucky owner of a 150hp ZXR800 L2? May-be!!

WOOT!!!!


I need to know if the crank if "press fit" though?
Because if it is apparently it can't be machined and reseated for new bearings?

Also will be doing some of my own hunting for oversize piston options so will post another topic for that later.