Checking an engine. Now with pictures

[evoboy]

Obvious boat anchor.
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- ZX7R------GPZ500S

[trevor machine]

Holy crap, I really want to destroy that seller's mind. What an utter twunt.
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king of fling

A watched carb never weeps.

[unitynotsocri...]

the engine seller could be right,although not a populist or troll,just thought i'd say its highly probable that the engine was running a year go,just left out in the yard with the rain pissing in the ports.

its not been in the sea,the salt would have rotted it.

you get the different rust/corrosion patterns on the cyclinders due to open inlet/exhaust ports.

work with what you have,clean it all polish it all,measure it and relap the valves and you should have a good engine,just corrosion damage.
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[andym]

[StormCrow]

[unitynotsocri...]

dont get too down andym,you ve got a basic good grank and gubbins,water pumps do that.keep positve..
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[andym]

drunken comments aside, I am still quite positive...

Only problem now is the mother in law is at the wifes for the rest of the week, so I either need to sneak into the garage, or wait until they bugger off.

So I'm not going to get it all sorted up in the next couple of days.... but 1 engine will run again (and I actually prefer using the old engine parts anyway, at least I don't need to change anything through the DVLA)
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"It's only after we've lost everything we're free to do anything"
"..the most identifying trait of humanity is our ability to be inhumane to one another."

[DivvyDumbarse]

I feel pretty shitty now tbh, i sold the zxr after being told by many people its a cam chain issue only to find it wasn't and all this has unfolded, been reading this thread but not knowing if i should comment on it and possibly make things worse, if i knew this would have happened i wouldn't have botherd selling the thing.

I genuinely am sorry for any trouble this causes you, if i lived closer i would definately help out with this project and help you get it running.

Gearbox, water pump, fuel pump and all other main bottom end on the zxr definately worked/still work so you may only need to swap a couple of things to get one good engine keep it up.

I have a few friends with zxr's so if you desperately need parts ill see what i can do.
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current ride: divvy 600 (again)
20:53:22 TheSmiler: needs to be some kind of benefit to change
20:54:21 Rob Fzs: always after the fkin benifits arn't you sammy

[andym]

[0l0dom0l0]

I guess you've just got to put it down as a lesson learnt. No photos on the listing immediately would have raised my suspicions and bank transfer fucked any chances of getting a refund. Remember that for next time. Ebay do mean it when they say 'If this person requests you complete the sale outside ebay, this is against ebay rules and as such you are not covered by our buyer protection' which is in place to stop issues exactly like this.

£225 is a rip off for an engine that old as well.

But, let's face it. You aren't getting your money back and 'smashing up stuff' isn't exactly the best way forward. Don't forget, he knows your address too, so maybe save the smashing up stuff for when you've moved.

I'd personally just strip both engines down to parts, select the best parts out of both engines and re-assemble. There's enough there to make a decent engine with a bit of effort.
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CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), Current: 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600.

[EazyDuz]

did a drunk puke up and then shit in that thing?
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss
Bazza's sock puppet account HERE

[andym]

[Walloper]

[stevo as b4]

I hope that the crank looks decent in your spares engine Andy. As if so then I would be tempted to take it and anything else that looks worth keeping and as you say use the bits to re-build your old engine with.

I think you could get away with new shells for the big end and mains, a pattern gasket set, and a set of new piston rings and have the old block honed. You said the head was not too bad, so maybe re lap the valves in and check the stem seals and that would do, once you've cleaned everything up. If you can use the ex's dishwasher for that even better!

If your old oil pump, water pump and cam chain tensioner are all ok then that's good news, but id put a new cam chain in if your re-building while you've got the motor apart.

I'd still be tempted to put the rest of the spares engine (minus crank) back together, and do one of two things with it.

1, My preferred option would still be to follow Hetzer's advice and pop it through the sellers window, or through his car windscreen. I've been fucked over before with buying stuff to find I've been ripped off, and it's true that never doing anything nasty about it really gets to you even years later sometimes!

2, You could take whats left of the spares engine (most of it I would think) and weigh it in for scrap. You might get a few quid for it then that would pay for the new shells or a gasket set etc?

One way or another I'm sure you'll get it sorted and running again soon!

[Walloper]

[andym]

I've decided to try sorting the head from the new engine as I'm not sure why the valves were hitting the pistons the way they were in the old one (it may have been because I had set the timing wrong), the rust seems to be just surface crap, and the valves have actually come up better than the ones in the old engine (well the one that is done anyway).... that and I snapped 1 of the water pipe bolts and it's a pain to remove the rest as it's too far into the head.

I'm just having some trouble with the valve grinder though, I've never used one and it keeps slipping off.

Anyway, after a bit of advice with the valves... if I try to remove the valve completely it seems a little stiff towards the end, but feels fine the distance I guess it has to travel. Are the supposed to be a bit stiff or does that mean the guides could be fucked too?

stevo, as much as I would love to replace every single consumable on both engines, that isn't really a financial option at the moment, if I throw an engine together and it has problems that will require new parts then I will deal with that when I know at least 1 of them is up and running (of sorts), for now, I refuse to buy anything else for either of the engines when technically they could both just be scrap metal... speaking of which, I would probably get about £10-15 weighing them in which does't really make it worth the hassle to be honest.

Anyway this is subject to change, but from the 2 engines, I'm going to try using the following parts

1 = old engine, 2 = new

Crankcase 2
gearbox 1
starter 1
clutch assembly 1
oil pump 2 depending on condition
water pump 1
pistons 2
cylinders 1
head 2
alternator 2 depending on condition (may require a full strip and rebuild from both)
sump and various other bits required internally and externally 2
parts that are missing from 2 will be salvaged from 1... or a scrapyard.

If anyone has some usuable exhaust nuts they are willing to sell, also usuable rear engine mounting nuts and bolts I will pay a reasonable price plus postage
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"It's only after we've lost everything we're free to do anything"
"..the most identifying trait of humanity is our ability to be inhumane to one another."

[Walloper]

The valyes will be sticky due to carbon or rust on the stem. When the springs are removed you can try to scrape any hit off the stems before knocking out the guide. The stem is hard nickel steel the guide is softer cast steel.
The grinder you have is a lapping tool. They don't stick well to small engine valves an slip off. I don't know where you'll find. Small engine lapping tool though.
As you seem to have n idea wot you need or want to do then the engine should be near enough when fixed up. Just double check if in doubt.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[andym]

The inlet valves all came out easily enough, I must have done a good job when I cleaned them, can't understand why 1 would have been a little stiff though (mind you it was one of the open valves).

As for the valve grinder, I've bought 2 now, 2 lots of paste (course and fine), there is some pitting on the top of the valves and the only suction cup that will stick is the 22mm (inlet), but it's to big to put any pressure on the valve, so I can't grind it in properly.

I've tried oil, scraping, sand paper, water, and still can't get the smaller cup to stick, even though it should.
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"It's only after we've lost everything we're free to do anything"
"..the most identifying trait of humanity is our ability to be inhumane to one another."

[trisers]

I've seen mechanics attach a cordless screwdriver set on slow speed to the valve stem and gently pull the valve onto the seat to grind it in....

[Walloper]

[Vincent]

I'd forget about both these engines, eBay anything on them that might sell, chalk it down to experience then get on the ZXR forum and enquire about a replacement lump. If you stick with these engines, they could/will cost a lot more to put right and take a long time. As someone says above - better to buy a whole bike and use the engine. I've done this with bikes and managed to get my money back by selling off parts I didn't need - free engine

I reckon you may have been a little too keen and bought the first engine you found, (we've all done it), obviously, paying cash was a massive mistake, as was buying an engine without even seeing photos.... if you'd have stuck to Paypal, there's a good chance that you would have got a refund as he described it as "very good condition" and the bloke is obviously a liar, ("kept in a shed" my arse). Having said that, it can be a struggle receiving a refund off a seller with 100% FB.

Nah..........I'd get rid and move on, just make sure you learn by your mistakes.
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Shop as usual..........and avoid panic buying.

[trevor machine]

[Walloper]

[Alpha-9]

Have you even raised a dispute through ebay?

It's pretty clear..regardless of how you paid for it
Item sold as very condition
Item wasn't in very good condition, or even good condition

You should have done that before working on it, there's not much you can do now I imagine

So good luck!
Always get a receipt, you have to cover yourself because noone else will
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CBT - 14/01/12 Theory - 21/7/12 Mod 1 = 18/2/13 Mod 2 = 17/4/13 Fucking done for speeding already and possibly lost my license mate!
Bike: Yamaha XJ600-N

[Vincent]

One more thing................if ever a seller uses the excuse of not wanting to be paid by Paypal because of the charges - which I thought was more like 5% than the 15% this a'hole reckons - just offer to cover the charges yourself then see what other bullshit excuse they use. IIRC, it's against ebay rules not to accept PP as a payment method anyhow.
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Shop as usual..........and avoid panic buying.