Checking an engine. Now with pictures

[andym]

OK so the replacement engine turned up for the zxr today, it looks grubby as hell and probably hasn't been run for quite a while. Before I actually fit it in the bike, is there anything I should/can check before going to the hassle?

Also how easy would it be to get replacement mounting nuts and bolts? (just the rear engine ones as they were destroyed removing the old engine)

[P.addy]

Small bit of 2 stroke oil down the bores, turn it over by hand.

or

Cover in petrol and set on fire.

[andym]

[P.addy]

Keep option B in reserve, just in case

[Timmeh]

Oh, Paddy, I r dissapoint.

1st rule of 2nd hand engines you buy... check the serial number is there.

If not, set fire.

2nd step is to do lube bores and see if it's not seized. 2smoke oil is good, virgin kitten blood is better.

Then you can attack it with the jetwasher.

There is also some old wives tale about smelling the oil... burnt toast is good, anything else is bad, apparently.
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GSXR400 x2 | '94 RVF400 | '93 TZR125 4DL (again)
20:22:30 BLUEX5: i would love to be forced to undergo a**l plugging with different sizes
20:48:18 Temeluchus: comp you hunk of smouldering homos3x you

[P.addy]

[Timmeh]

haha
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GSXR400 x2 | '94 RVF400 | '93 TZR125 4DL (again)
20:22:30 BLUEX5: i would love to be forced to undergo a**l plugging with different sizes
20:48:18 Temeluchus: comp you hunk of smouldering homos3x you

[andym]

I never even thought of the engine number to be honest..... or the oil for that matter... but then it was transported by pallet so the oil had to be drained anyway.

Will post some pics of the grubbyness in a few though

OK I hammers some of the crud off the engine number and would like to check if it is legal or not....

From what I can read:

ZXR00570131/1

[Timmeh]

[P.addy]

Shure tingz fam

[andym]

[P.addy]

Well played sir.

[Timmeh]

gah
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GSXR400 x2 | '94 RVF400 | '93 TZR125 4DL (again)
20:22:30 BLUEX5: i would love to be forced to undergo a**l plugging with different sizes
20:48:18 Temeluchus: comp you hunk of smouldering homos3x you

[andym]

OK I decided to get the pictures uploaded.... it ain't pretty:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/nEngine04_zps0f330384.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/nEngine03_zps6a0a2e42.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/nEngine02_zpsd396b16a.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/nEngine01_zpsb5d18a93.jpg

OK bit of a scrub up I thought.... I went to replace the carrier bags stuffed in the intake ports and found this (if it shows up well enough):
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/Engine-in02_zps2b4327de.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/Engine-in01_zpsec25b35d.jpg

All 4 are the same, and it feels wet and slimey in there.

But I figured I would take the spark plugs out and see how they looked and:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/andy36586/Sparkplugs_zps92144b0c.jpg

On the plus side I took the valve cover off and it was proper smelling/looking oil that started dripping.

So is there any suggestions for cleaning the top end of the engine without stripping it down?

[Irn-Bru]

Guessing you got that at a bargain price?
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[andym]

Not really... got it from Liverpool though, better than I expected to be honest

[stevo as b4]

It's a grubby old thing that's definitely been standing outside for some time, looking at the sparkplug body's. It will probably clean up and paint quite nicely with some furious scrubbing and a few litres of de-greaser etc.

TBH it's always a big gamble with buying an unseen never heard running secondhand lump, especially a more expensive and complicated 4stroke multi. But there's always the chance it could look far worse than it runs, and that when you get it installed it could run much better than the old lump ever did. You have no real way of telling until it's in the bike though.

If you could rig up a battery to operate the starter motor with it standing on the floor, then at least you could do a compression test, which is the best way to give you some indication of if it's worth trying to clean up, and get running, without a partial strip down.

If not, then you have got to get it into the bike, and then do a compression test. But if your fitting an engine you probably only mean to do it once, so you'd be probably wanting to clean it up and paint it first. It's a good idea to check the valve clearances while you've got great access, and then at least you can inspect the cams for wear as well.

Once it's in the bike, id say bung in some new plugs, fit a new oil filter, and fill it with the cheapest fresh bike oil you can find. If it does start and seem to run well without smoke, funny noises etc, then id do a 100-150mile shake down run (a tank full of fuel), and then drop the oil have a look at what drains out, and change the filter again and fill it with some reasonable oil and see how you go.

There could be some common problems and things to look at with the new lump, and these might be, sticking or contaminated clutch plates, a corroded or silted up water pump, best to check that now, and oil leaks, water leaks, and gear selection problems etc. If none of these issues are present when you fire it up and run it up the road, then you have been savvy and bagged a sound motor. If your very unlucky with it, then id look at it as a potential organ donor for you original engine as a positive outlook.

Good luck with it, and don't forget to keep all your fingers crossed before you hit the button!

[Timmeh]

Christ, what a mess.

That's gonna need some serious scrubbing. Personally I'd hire a steam-cleaner for a day and do it with that.

If it's full of oil and turns, then that's promising, although the state of the plugs and the inlet ports is, frankly, scary.

I'd be tempted to try to start it off the bike before anything else.
____________________
GSXR400 x2 | '94 RVF400 | '93 TZR125 4DL (again)
20:22:30 BLUEX5: i would love to be forced to undergo a**l plugging with different sizes
20:48:18 Temeluchus: comp you hunk of smouldering homos3x you

[andym]

Thanks for the advice stevo (and Timmeh), not sure about the steam cleaner. With the valve cover off I could see that the camshafts look to be in very good condition, there was no oil on the outside of the engine and the stuff that was inside looked black enough.

My main concern is how to clean out the intakes and spark plug holes, part of me wants to hang the engine upside down and clean it out that way then leave it for a few days (or get into it with the heat gun to dry it out a bit).

As for the cleaning of the outside... I'll see how well the ol' white spirit does on that first, then give it a coat of paint and polish up etc.

At least I have the means to turn it over off the bike... and I'm sure with a bit of tinkering I can have it running off the bike too (although stopping it would be an issue.... that and the noise if there's no exhaust connected).

I'm just hoping it warms up a bit... or at least doesn't rain anyway.

[stonesie]

My biggest problem with that is the inlet ports shine a torch down the plug holes, if the piston crowns look like that then I would be having the head off.

[andym]

[Walloper]

[2 litre]

Needs the head off at the least.

[stonesie]

Looking down those ports is painful, those valves are very crusty and the seats are probably as bad, its literally screaming "money pit" to get that lump singing like it ought to is not going to be cheap.

Can you get a refund on it? or is it too late...

[mysterious_rider]

Another reason why it's just better off buying a whole written off bike or something as a donor. At least you know it's running etc.

I hope you didn't spend much more than £100 for that lump. Just chuck some oil there and run the sod, see what happens. No point ripping it apart and finding out you gotta spend hundreds putting it right.

You never know, it might clear up.
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KAWASAKIIIII