Weak Midrange RPMs. Loss of "Pull".....goes flat...

Evenmore think about it. While it may do and be everything the ad says.
You could say the same in an ad to sell yours.
It ran when it came out. There are no compression numbers, no leak down numbers,
and no guarantees.
Add to those facts the shipping costs and the costs savings aren't of any benefit.
You aren't even sure what you have or need yet.
 
I know. Im torn. I just assume order my parts and rebuild the top, but would I rather have a verified low mileage engine. Yea, for similar cost. Yea.

I just want to ride asap and as cheaply as possible. I could have parts for the rebuild on thursday.

Hard to verify anything for another engine.
 
EvenmoreXS,

I would have to agree with weekendrider, even though I am an advocate of buying complete engines. The shipping cost from NJ to FL will probably be $200 and the seller isn't saying he will crate it for you as my seller offered at no additional charge. The engine I got from Illinois cost a total of $375 so I could have parted it out to get my money back if it was a dud as the engine included everything except the carbs.

The same with the '81/H. I got the whole bike for $900 delivered to my door with extra forks. Could have parted it out as well for more than I paid for it. I had already checked the title out when I went to see the bike, so just the titled frame would be worth more than a few dollars. I also bought the '81/H in January up in Northern North Carolina with snow on the ground. If the seller could have waited for spring he probably would have gotten another $300 for it.
 
I emailed about the ebay engine. Here is the reply:

Hello,The engine has been out for about two years. I don't have a video of it running, and I can't run it in the shape it's in now. I can turn it over with the kick lever. Ill try to take a video of it tonight when I get home. Thanks,Corey



I think Im going to plan for a rebuild. I only want to do the top end. Im going to go over my parts list again. I will probably tear the engine down tonight and prepare the parts for boring and honing. If I decided to blast my top end before reassembly, what media would you recommend? Soda or glass bead maybe?
 
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EvenmoreXS,

Well, if you are going to pursue this, ask him if he will crate it for you, not just a box, but a small pallet, otherwise it will get damaged in transit. See if he will do a leak down test as well, which can be done in situ. Then, get the weight of the engine and check into the cost of shipping, and the time to deliver. I had to wait two weeks for my engine from Illinois but the seller had done a great job of packing it on a small pallet.

Tell your guy to plug up all the orifices as well and drain the oil. And tell the milkman...no more cheese...:wtf:
 
You are getting stuck on one idea(this motor for a swap) again.
A> the auction isn't over it could go for $400 plus shipping.
B> even if it kicks over without compression numbers. . . . it comes down to personal opinion of what compression is.

Have you considered contacting Hugh about a matched set of jugs and pistons?
He may have a good set around from a 750 upgrade.
 
I'm working on a motor right now that read a nice 150 lbs compression on both sides. It's a mess inside, lol.
 
EvenmoreXS,

Additional thoughts:

1. The engine looks like it has had some work done on it. Kinda strange for a low mileage engine. I should have added the caveat that when buying a used engine, get a low mileage factory engine that has not been screwed with.
2. There is at least one exhaust stud missing. That could mean removing the head to get it fixed if the threads are stripped.
3. The dry side cover looks like it was just slapped on, with bolts missing and one incorrect bolt holding it on. Probably just slapped together for the picture.
4. Why would the dry side cover be off with missing bolts in the first place?
5. Why is the wet side cover painted but the dry side isn't?
6. Definitely get a firm cost for crating and shipping before you do anything else. Could be the engine costs you $400 but the "shipping and handling" is another $400. In my case with the Illinois engine, I had the seller send me a firm quote he got from a trucking company and had him send it via my EBay message service so that EBay would also have a record of the complete transaction so I could back out of the deal if there were any post sale surprises. Same with the crating. The seller sent me an EBay message saying he would crate the engine for no additional charge. I did something similar on another EBay deal and there were some post sale surprises but the seller did not protest when I said I was not going to pay for the surprises. The deal was terminated by mutual consent.
7. No more Emails. Use the EBay message service so EBay has a record of the complete transaction. Same with the seller. If he sends you an Email, ask him to resend it via EBay.
8. The $400 we keep talking about is the buy now price. If you can get the packing and shipping sorted out to $200 and let the auction run it's course, you might get the engine for a total of less than $400, delivered. No point in rushing this as it will take 2 or 3 weeks to get to you anyway, so what's another 3 days?
9. You will have to get the packing and shipping details sorted out in EBay messages prior to closing. Other wise, they will not be part of the deal.
 
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5twins haven't you mentioned a couple of motors that just needed re-ringing. No new pistons involved?

Pete he can only go on what the ad says. All stock nothing tampered with.
But I doubt the owner has had it since day one. So only as far as the current owner knows it hasn't been tampered with
 
Good Idea conatacting Hugh about it. That could work. I'll shoot him an email.

I will take my pistons and jugs to the machine shop tomorrow am to have it mic'd and see if I need new pistons or just rings.

I agree Pete. I saw that too. Gonna let that one slide. IF a good opportunity falls into my lap I'll jump, but for now my confidence is with new parts and my own hands.....and you guys. :thumbsup:
 
Yes, I've done it several times. I did it to mine although after nearly 7 years of service, I think it's rebore time. Now that I have a bore gauge, I may be doing more bores than ring jobs. Also, with these low cost piston sets, it makes a bore job easier to take money-wise.

That beat engine is just getting ringed. Surprisingly, the bores and pistons weren't that worn. The valves leaked, rings were worn out, valve guide seals shot, one rod bad, and terrible carbon build-up, oh and oil leaks out the wazoo, lol. But I'm sure it will be fine for the guy with just new rings and a valve job. He's just going to putt putt around the neighborhood on it. I know he doesn't want to spend the extra money to have it bored. He's one of those nimrods who makes them pretty before making them run.
 
5twins said:
You're at almost $55 for gaskets. Another $10 will get you the complete engine kit. It has other things you'll need that you didn't list like the cylinder base gasket and the various o-rings. Adding them to your individual list would put it above the cost of the kit. Buy the kit.

You really don't need the copper washer kit. You can reuse the old ones. You can save nearly $100 by getting one of those cheap piston kits off eBay.

Yep, pretty hard to tune a bike and get it running well when the motor's shot.
Click to expand...




Will those pistons work for my 79 engine?


Engine Oil Seal - Starter motor to Crankcase Part #01-9022 $9.00
Do i need this oil seal when I remove the starter and block it off with the mikes kit?.
 
Yes, the pistons will work. They are the 447 type and all motors from '74 are 447's. What won't work are the earlier 256 type pistons used in the '70-'73 motors. They had different diameter wrist pins.

There's already a seal in there. If it's not leaking and you don't make it do so by damaging it during the starter removal, you won't need a new one. But yes, you need a seal in there. The block-off kit plug fits into it.
 
5twins said:
Yes, the pistons will work. They are the 447 type and all motors from '74 are 447's. What won't work are the earlier 256 type pistons used in the '70-'73 motors. They had different diameter wrist pins.

There's already a seal in there. If it's not leaking and you don't make it do so by damaging it during the starter removal, you won't need a new one. But yes, you need a seal in there. The block-off kit plug fits into it.
Click to expand...

10-4 on the seal. Thanks. I'll decide when I get in there.

My concern with ordering those pistons is how long I have to wait before I can take em to the machine shop. Be next weekend before I could reassemble. But save some dough.

Decisions......
 
How about this. When I did the leak down, I could feel air from both exhaust pipes. That leak was obvious. The intake leak was a guess based on sound, couldnt feel any air really, maybe just a small amount from the right side. Im not certain air was getting past the rings, just hearing sounds. This was my first leakdown test.

What if ..... I go inside and do a valve job, lapping and cleaning, and put in new valve stem seals and put it back together and check the compression?

I've already ordered my valve stem seals, Viton from ebay. I will order a new head gasket if you guys think this is reasonable. Id like to run the athena gasket and no base gasket.

I know its half ass, but money became an obstacle this afternoon, and I can be certain my biggest issue was the exhaust leak.

Seals were $17. Head Gasket will be 35.00. Id need valve compound and a lapping stick, but I could do the valves and be back together for under $100 in a couple days.

What do you guys think. Wasting my time?


Ever reuse a recent head gasket?


Thanks for you help and expertise everyone.

Man I wish I had more control over things I have no control over.......


:doh::yikes::wtf::shrug::confused::(:banghead: and eventually :bike:
 
You really won't know what you can get away with until you tear it down and have a look. If the cylinders are all scored with vertical scratch marks that you can feel with your finger, a bore will probably be needed.

As far as valves go, the exhausts are usually the 1st to go. They run hotter and take more abuse. You'll want to test the valves for leaks once you get the head off to see just what you've got. If you've been running rich for some time, that can badly carbon up the exhaust valve seats and they can start leaking like crazy.
 
I'll take that as good news. Im certain my biggest problem the leak down found was the leaking exhaust. They were obvious. The others took LISTENING....Last I saw the pistons and cylinders they looked good. No scoring at all. Thats why I didnt replace them then. Things looked better than I had expected when I got in there. Hope they still look good.

Gonna try to make my own valve spring compressor. Got some ideas and a new 6 in C clamp. Any special advice as far as that goes.
 
A welder would help, lol. If you look at the c-clamp one on Mikes, you'll see the fittings are like pieces of pipe with the sides cut out. That allows you to compress the spring and reach in through the cut-outs to remove/install the collets.
 

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