Motogoon wrote:So I reckon I'm just gonna replace both head gaskets while the bike is stripped down, the rear has a slightly leaking base gasket anyway so I'll do base and head gaskets.
I'll have to order everything I need in one go because ktm New Zealand won't have anything in stock if I'm halfway through and forgotten something!
Let me know if I've missed anything obvious
2 x base gaskets
2 x head gaskets
8 x stronger studs (is there a little one that needs upgrading also?)
2 x copper washers for cam chain tensioners
2 x piston circlips
Do I need new head bolts/washers?
Colonel_Klinck wrote:Just glanced through that walk through. Damn I wouldn't fancy doing that again. Especially as the bloody thing dropped a valve 350 miles later and destroyed the rear cylinder, piston and headStill lesson learned, at 52k miles the valves were probably due to be changed and I was cheap and didn't change them.
RichUK wrote:Just a thought but will the engine start/run with just 1 spark plug in?
If so pull one plug out and run the engine with the rad cap off, if you don't get bubbles it's likely is that one.
Colonel_Klinck wrote:It won't run on one cylinder. Without a compression tester you are going to struggle to find out with cylinder it is. Even with one it might not be down by a large amount. You will probably need to remove the thermostat as well as I'm guessing it opens somewhere around 80c. It won't take long for the coolant temp to drop back down and the thermostat to close. As you'll be turning the engine over coolant will continue to circulate through the rad cooling it.
If I was you I'd just bite the bullet, whip the engine out and change both. You have to change the base gaskets as well as the cylinder is held in place by the same bolts that hold the head on. It isn't that difficult. That walkthrough was way more complicated as I was changing the timing chains as well. Just make sure you have the engine in TDC for each cylinder when you remove the cams and put them back. Oh and either buy or make yourself a locking bolt. I can't remember what the bolt size is now, just needs grinding to a point on the end you insert into the engine.
Motogoon wrote:Colonel_Klinck wrote:It won't run on one cylinder. Without a compression tester you are going to struggle to find out with cylinder it is. Even with one it might not be down by a large amount. You will probably need to remove the thermostat as well as I'm guessing it opens somewhere around 80c. It won't take long for the coolant temp to drop back down and the thermostat to close. As you'll be turning the engine over coolant will continue to circulate through the rad cooling it.
If I was you I'd just bite the bullet, whip the engine out and change both. You have to change the base gaskets as well as the cylinder is held in place by the same bolts that hold the head on. It isn't that difficult. That walkthrough was way more complicated as I was changing the timing chains as well. Just make sure you have the engine in TDC for each cylinder when you remove the cams and put them back. Oh and either buy or make yourself a locking bolt. I can't remember what the bolt size is now, just needs grinding to a point on the end you insert into the engine.
Yep you're right, I will just do both instead of trying trying to find ways to weasel out of a full strip down!
Ah yes the lock bolt, I forgot about that. On single cylinder bikes I just used to take the power bar that was on the flywheel nut and zip-tie it to the footpeg so the engine couldn't move.
Suppose I need exhaust gaskets too
Motogoon wrote:So I reckon I'm just gonna replace both head gaskets while the bike is stripped down, the rear has a slightly leaking base gasket anyway so I'll do base and head gaskets.
I'll have to order everything I need in one go because ktm New Zealand won't have anything in stock if I'm halfway through and forgotten something!
Let me know if I've missed anything obvious
2 x base gaskets
2 x head gaskets
8 x stronger studs (is there a little one that needs upgrading also?)
2 x copper washers for cam chain tensioners
2 x piston circlips
Do I need new head bolts/washers?
Sarasota_Steve wrote:Good on you man! Oddly satisfying and frustrating working on our beloved beasts. I think the sense of satisfaction once you are done fixing it has to tickle or primal instincts and make us feel like manly man. And its typically a learning experience and saves us money at the same time.
And in my case I'm thinking "I'd like to get something new, shiny, different. But I've done so much work on this bike already, bought the special tools, I know exactly how it's been maintained and repaired that might as well keep it"
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