Rattly Deja Vu - lots of questions inside

[MillaMeter]

Is it possible to take the head off and check the rockers, cams etc... whilst the engine is still in the frame? I know you can do this on a lot of bikes as my bro had no probs with his 6r but I'm not too sure about the zxr400.

Regards

Richard

[deviant]

I'm told you can swap heads in the frame, but I'm not planning on taking the head off unless I really have to - which will prob only be if I'm replacing it. It's going to be fiddly to do in the frame anyway.

I reckon I can take the frame off the top without disturbing the head gasket, exhaust, or cooling system. Which is a lot less hassle.

[carsounds_dan]

Well if you want any help let me know, study the engine lubrication section of the manual and check all the above mentioned parts for cracks, also check where the camcaps join as the little dowles can crack the cam caps.
cheers
dan

[deviant]

well I got the engine out last night - I was right that you can lift the frame off the top without disturbing the exhaust, carbs or cooling system. However it's worth having an assistant to help with untangling the wiring loom as you lift the frame off (and unplugging the bit's you've forgotten ). I didn't as the wife wasn't home yet and I got into a bit of an awkward situation!

Anyway, I'm now in a position where I can take a proper look at the head and the lubrication system without the frame getting in the way, and decide what bits I need to buy.

18 days to the forum rideout...place your bets now whether I'll be turning up on the GPZ...

[RedexRobB]

place your bets now whether I'll be turning up on the GPZ...

[youtube]nMNfyqDEtLM&feature=related[/youtube]

[deviant]

Time for an update.

Basically, I've cheated and bought a working engine (out of an H model) from a certain Leeds based breaker of ZXR's. As of last weekend, that's now in my bike and as of last night the bike is completely back together (having found the connector that came undone when I put the airbox back on and stopped the lights working). Inspected the top end before I put it in the bike (measuring valve clearances is *soo* much easier with the engine out) and all seems well.

Long term plan is to do a proper diagnosis of the top end of my original engine to try and figure out if there's a lubrication issue or if I'm just unlucky to have it happen twice in one quarter of the engine. Then replace the necessary bits and put it back in, before selling the H engine on (it's got about 5000 miles more on it than the original and I can't plumb in the carb heating, so I'd rather have the original).

But in the short term, I've got a bike that works for Sunday (subject to a shakedown test this afternoon), and I can do the two trackdays I've got booked in May.

[masterofinsanity]

thats cheating! but glad you're sorted!

[deviant]

I know it's cheating/throwing money at the problem. But the engine probably cost about what I paid a garage in labour alone last time it happened.


plus while I had the engine out I had the opportunity to, erm, try something else for size in the frame. . But that's a very long term project.

[RedexRobB]

Glad to hear ya sorted it, hopefully you have just been unlucky with the engines. See ya sunday!

[Jackson]

Hi guys,

I had similar problems a while ago on my L5, the hardening went on one of the inlet cam lobes and chewed up the rocker arm, resulting a nice and loud ticking noise (you could hear it above the note of the micron exhaust). New cam and rocker sorted the problem!

If you still plan on doing some work at your engine I have a few spares knocking around (not got any good cams unfortunately though) but I have about 12 rockers, the two rocker shafts and all rocker springs. Let me know if you need any (from what i re-call cradely wanted about 17 plus vat per rocker arm!)

Hope you get it sorted.

Si