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I saw a few 400's pop their engine this weekend at Brands, then mine threw a rod on the back straight Sunday morning, first race

Not with a spectacular cloud of smoke...but a nice hole punched in the left back wall of the crankcase, good job the fairing appeared to catch most of the oil.
Will strip over the next day or two....then probably(!!!!) be seeking some spares, can't see a rod going and no damage to the head etc....
Has anyone tried the .5mm pistons that we being made yet?

you head could well bo ok but barrels might be damaged depend on exactly where the hole has been punched through............................ahem I have a set of crankcases that I''d be happy to sell..................for the right price........... bear in mind new ones are something like £800

The hole is below the barrels, about an inch big....may well be touch in touch about your crankcases once I have assesed the damage..thanks for posting

Did that a couple of times last year - barrels will be u/s as piston will be in bits if rod has managed to go through the crankcase. I would be asking who set the squish on the engine - and how?

Davw wrote:Did that a couple of times last year - barrels will be u/s as piston will be in bits if rod has managed to go through the crankcase. I would be asking who set the squish on the engine - and how?

what he said ..

+ what revs were you running to ? and what oil was in it ?

At the very least the bottom of the liners will be damaged rod out the front might leave the barrels intact but out the back it's likely to be toast time

If it blew just before Hawthorn then I was right behind you. There was plenty of smoke and enough oil to coat the front of my bike, visor and leathers. Nearly shat myself thinking I was about to hit an oil slick. Thankfully, there wasn't any drama. There was a cement dusted patch on the apex of Hawthorn for the rest of the weekend. Didn't seem to affect anything though.

I think the one your thinking of went on Saturday, mine popped about on the crest whilst going to 6th, and I coasted to the left before the apex.

Got the engine out last night, and the rod has blown 3 holes in the cases, 2 in the upper and the rod now wedged in the lower. It also pierced the starter motor casing at some stage. The piston is at the bottom, and looks in one piece, and the spark plug looks fine...though a little leaner than the others. The valves and rockers looked ok at the top, but not head the head off yet. Will take the top off tonight with another zxr rider I share the workshop with, and see what other damage lays in store.

I think Ray Stringer originally tuned the engine, and I got the bike from Sean Thomas IIRC, up in West Bromwich last Sept. I was using Silkolene Semi-Synthetic. It has a small kidney shaped ram air box, but I also have a new bigger style, so I might look to fit that out during the rebuild. Both the crank and the rods had been polished.

I've got 2 engines, ready to go

£300 each. Both from well maintained race bikes. Unsure of exact spec but one made 76bhp and the other 72bhp. I'm in Wakefield west yorks.

Cheers will, pm sent

looking for a race zxr400 engine,if anyone has any please email me on alipaton1@yahoo.co.uk.

cheers

alipaton wrote:looking for a race zxr400 engine,if anyone has any please email me on alipaton1@yahoo.co.uk.

cheers

You'd be better starting a new thread with your request.