The Great Engine Rebuild

[Steel]

What kind of solvent would y'all recommend to clean the bits, aluminum included, before seeing the machinist?

[BaltimoreGS]

Regular old brake and parts cleaner works fine.  Coat the cylinders with something (penetrating oil works) to prevent surface rust after cleaning.

-Jessie

[Smokebombb]

There's enough lead in to the cylinders that you don't need any tools to get the pistons in. Just carefully lower the cylinder block onto the crankcase, making sure the pistons are lined up.

[Steel]

The head will not separate from the cylinder. Bottom gasket came free, this must have been pretty funny to watch.... i tried to lift both at the same time and it took me a second to realize what was wrong. So i had to fish out the camchain, and stuff some piston rings back in the cylinder, from the bottom. Now, no matter how many time I whack it with my rubber mallet, the cylinder head will not separate from the cylinder.

I'm going to bed.

[Steel]

Also it probably would have made sense to clean the engine of road grit before pulling it apart like this. Much to my displeasure, when I was fiddling with the rings there i saw some gritty oil sitting around the mating surfaces, no doubt kicked up by my hand. I suppose those tiny rocks and pieces of rubber will be caught in the oil filter and wont destroy my engine. Right? Please say yes.

[BaltimoreGS]

Did you remove the one You win! that comes up from the bottom?

-Jessie

Edit: "You win" means _bolt

[Dizzledan]

Also it probably would have made sense to clean the engine of road grit before pulling it apart like this. Much to my displeasure, when I was fiddling with the rings there i saw some gritty oil sitting around the mating surfaces, no doubt kicked up by my hand. I suppose those tiny rocks and pieces of rubber will be caught in the oil filter and wont destroy my engine. Right? Please say yes.

Before you go any further, put some oil in a squirt bottle, open up your oil pan b.olt, and squirt the bottom end with the oil to flush out everything. Then put towels in any hole/passage where more contaminants could get into.

[Steel]

Jesse, the one litttle You win! in the front, yes. I have three hours before my friend gets here to take me to the machinist. I have to separate these pieces.

edit: what the hell is wrong with this forum? haha

[Steel]

Okay, I got it. A couple of tough whacks this morning and it came lose. Then after crying about the clutch cable and other wires in the way i finally got it out. I can turn off the alarm. Pictures soon.

[Steel]

Quick question, if I install a K&N lunchbox, what do I do with the 2nd Air System? It will no longer be fed by the stock airbox, but will still be sucking air trying to put it into the exhaust. Take it all off and plug  the holes or give it its own little filter (maybe just a rag and a zip tie)?

Also will this decision effect my jetting?

[flank]

Okay, I got it. A couple of tough whacks this morning and it came lose. Then after crying about the clutch cable and other wires in the way i finally got it out. I can turn off the alarm. Pictures soon.

HAHAHah Same situation at this moment too !! Tough whacks on the top ?! or the sides ?

I get oil sipping from the bottom of the cylinder when trying to pull the cylinder head out ....

[Steel]

Flank, sounds like you need to make sure you put new gaskets on during assembly and check for warpage beforehand.

This week I'm sitting at home twiddling my thumbs while I patiently wait for parts to arrive from Michigan. I've got an open engine, carbs refitted and ready to rock, and I'm thinking about flushing the bottom end before putting new oil in. My machinist told me to use aerosol brake parts cleaner liberally, like a hose, to wash out any pebbles that may have fallen into the piston holes during disassembly (I happen to know one or two did). It was his opinion that one or two wouldn't necessarily hurt but if I felt compelled to do something I can do this.

[SS Adrenaline]

I was under the impression that inorder to install a DJ kit you have to drill some things.  By doing this I dont think you can go back to stock so easily and also their numbering system is different from mikuni.  You might want to just get a differerant stage DJ kit.  I think a stage 3 will work for you but dont quote me on it.

Stage 1 is intended for motorcycles with a stock engine using the stock airbox, air filter and stock pipe. Stage 1 kits are fully adjustable to allow the use of a well designed aftermarket pipes and stock replacement air filters like K&N. Stage 1 kits are designed to improve throttle response and drivability and in most cases power increases of approximately 5% throughout the entire power range can be achieved.

Stage 3 is intended for motorcycles with stock or mildly tuned engines using a well designed aftermarket pipe and individual air filters. In most cases power increases of 10-15% can be achieved.

This way you can just replace the jets and needles for what ever you need them to be with your set up.  Just a thought, I might be wrong.

[Steel]

"...dont quote me on it."   "...I might be wrong."

Not a confidence inspiring speech there, boss.

I took Buddah's advice and looked into keeping the DJ needles, mostly because stock needles are on national backorder. To do this I called Dyno Jet. They were very helpful in directing me to the actual engineer who designed their current system; an independent consultant in another state. I gave him my specs and he told me with great confidence that I can and should use the stage one kit I already have if I switch the mains to 132 (a purchase option with the kit I have, but I can use anyone's part). He said a lot more about 10% ethanol and other modern gasolines, that they all burn so cleanly that spark plugs with almost always look white now unless you have a major problem with oil. He also said its stupid to call our size 60 choke jet a 'mid main'; that that's a made up term and is silly. He went on to say that an engine like ours running lean will not heat up to the point of damaging the engine unless it is so far out of spec that the engine will barely run. Lastly, that my 17,000 miles was "a lot" for this engine. Id like to try to get more than that out of this build.

Parts shipped from Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Alberta today. If I'm extremely lucky I'll be reassembling on Saturday. I need another GS cause this waiting is kicking my ass.