repairs question

[collind]

There is a chance i will need pistons because when i got the bike, the spak plugs had been out for who-knows-how-long...  sooo there is probably rust in there... but if there is only surface rust I suppose I could simply carefully wire-grind the rust away... but since the rings have already been broken in, if the cylinder bore was even slightly changed, it could cause problems, right?  and yes, that was alot of information :)

[collind]

OH HOLY HELL, just ignore my opinions and tell me wethere I will probably need pistons or something else :)... please

[Brian Moffet]

Well, personally I would get the bike running, without tearing into the cylinders, and change the oil after 100 miles or so, and the filter.  But I tend to go for the "don't rip into something just to find out whether you did or you didn't need it..." camp.

Brian

[collind]

It is my understanding that the haynes manual will tell you how to do everything... and since I am taking off the engine, carbs, etc... anyway to clean and tune...  Might as well right?

Also, is it your (or anyone else reading's) opinion that it has rust in it?  And, if I got it running without checking it out, couldnt it cause damage?

[collind]

GRRR why cant rust just go away!!!

[Cdnlouie]

Nice explanation on compression ratios, Jason.  I enjoyed that.  It stimulated an area of gray matter that had not been disturbed for some time.

Good advice Moffet about not worrying about pistons until there is some indication to do so and then you might as well just pick up another engine when someone parts one out on ebay (nearby) where you can run over and pick it up.  It will be a lot cheaper.

Collind: A few questions to ask yourself?

Does the engine turn over?  If its not seized then you got to fire it up and see what you really have.  You can't hurt anything.  Put some penetrant down the plug holes, let it sit then add some light engine oil, let it sit (a few days is good).  You might even want to put it in hot so that it penetrates down around the rings.

Hopefully you have some compression (at least enough to blow your finger off the plug hole), or you might as well put RIP over her and turn the pistons into ash trays.

Have  a well charged battery, take it easy on the starter, turn it over every few hours, few days.  Have clean oil in the crankcase and make sure the carbs are a good set ready to deliver proper fuel supply, you've got spark (right?).  Warm up a set of spark plugs with a blow torch and put them in (with gloves).

Yell: Fire in the hole! Let her rip!

Who knows it might even start.  Get that baby running and warmed up then check your compression and see what you managed to get.

If it does run and compression is not that bad then your compression rings are working.  If it burns a bit of oil (I.e you burn more gas than oil) but not too much, the oil rings are probably not bad.  If it smokes too much buy a set of RD350 side covers  :P.

P.S. It is possible if you have poor compression to tear the top end down, remove the rings, clean out the grooves, run a hone down the cylinders and put everything back (check for ring tolerances where they come together at various points in the cylinder) and the old gal might have a few miles left in her yet.

Hope this helps, if not, it was fun writing it anyway.  That is what we do best, here.  The Visions Writers Club.

Enjoy the Experience, Your Only Young Once.

Louie   ;D