2006 DRZ400S - Rebuild Attempt

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Figured I'd copy my progress on my DRZ400 parts bike over from ThumperTalk. Just in case you all were wondering why the GS wasn't getting any camera time. Here's the reason:

Original Post 4/06/12

This is my first attempt at rebuilding/repairing any engine. Should be a fun ride!

The patient- '06 drz400s, with a bad top end ~12,500 miles on the clock

My goal- rebuild and ride!

The bike:


Got her home, and took some photos of its current state. There is some pretty bad scouring on the exhaust cam journal. There's also some fragments on the top of the piston head. I haven't pulled the jugs off to inspect further, but that's my next step. Here's some photos;

Cylinder walls look OK


but there's definitely some chewed up bit in there


Head:


Damaged Cam Journal:



Valves:


Update 4/12/12

I've gone over this thread more than a handful of times, pretty informative, and even has some almighty Eddie posts;
http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/174658-blown-drz-motor/

Finally found a decently priced head. $165 shipped for a 2003 drzE head with a valve not seating properly. Might have been a mistake(bad valve), but I pulled the trigger. I'm willing to try everything just short of paying someone to rebuild it!

Here's some of the photos of the head i bought;




Update 4/13/12

Got some more time on it today. Drained the oil(or lack thereof) from the frame, engine, and filter. Just a bit from the frame and engine, more from the filter. I'm assuming they drained the oil before beginning to work on it. Good new is - all was free of any debris!

Pulled the cylinder jug off- piston, rings, walls, cam chain, and tensors all appear to be OK. Doesn't look like there was any valve to piston contact. There was a small spot on piston that looked rough(see photo.) Minimal side play in the rod, and was able to smoothly turn the engine over by hand. I feel pretty comfortable that the bottom end is still in good shape.

Will be inspecting the idler pump gear, and cleaning all parts this weekend.

The head i bought just shipped today, and I'll be getting a set of stock S cams from local member. Guess I should go ahead and get new gaskets all around.

New Questions:

- Should I go with the E gasket upgrade? Have heard of it but haven't researched it much
- Should I replace the piston and rings? Or could i get away with just new rings?
- Is there anything else I should replace other than just gaskets?

Photos:

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Update 4/17/12

After successfully rejetting my SuMo, I am gaining more confidence working on the DRZ's!!

My moto mechanic friend stopped in last night and looked it over. Went pretty well, learn a few things and am feeling pretty confident i'll get this thing up and running. He said since there was still horizontal machine marks on the piston skirt, I'd be good to reuse it. Rings definitely need to be replaced as they are gapped pretty bad. The scoured cam journal toasted the original head, not worth fixing. He's going to do a minor hone on the cylinder just to be sure. Also said we could fix up the bad valve in my new head no problem!!

Got the new head in the mail today, going to look them over a bit tonight. Then setup a time to go over the my friends and get all the parts 100%

Will be ordering gaskets and fluids here in the next few days.

Update later 4/17/12

Not much to see in the new head, so I dropped it off with my friend. Cylinder will get honed up, and valve will be replaced. Going to attempt to use the valve out of the original head, but will get a new one if needed

Ordering my gaskets, piston rings, TT oil change, coolant, loctite, and maybe a few other clicks and whistles while I'm at it.

Anything random I should replace/check while I'm at it?

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Update 4/19/12

Turns out the new head had a bent valve and damaged valve guide... My friend was able to get the guide seated, just have to add guide seals to the list. Its in pretty well, but now i have an 'unkown' hahah. New guides and all the machine work to go with it is steep. I still have some budget left, but not enough for a $500+ head.

Going start ordering all the gaskets, seals, and fuilds this weekend. But going to keep an eye out for another fair priced head as well.

Looks like I'll be keeping this for a few hundred miles at least. I don't feel comfortable selling the bike unless the buyer knows the exact history of the engine.

Edit, here's a random photo of how she's sitting now:

[Kijona]

Bummer...at least it sounds like you're getting there. Hope it goes well for ya man. 

[steezin_and_wheezin]

'Preciate it Kijona!!

Update 4/23/12

I bought all my gaskets yesterday, but wasn't able to find guide seals alone. Only could find parts numbers for the complete guide.

Anyone have any experience buying just a pair of guide seals?

Edit: I'm an idiot. 09289-05011 is the part i was after. I was looking at the cylinder head microfiche and didn't look up in the cam/valve fiche. Noob mistake haha but luckily i found an oem set of 4 for $12 shipped!

[Kijona]

'Preciate it Kijona!!

Update 4/23/12

I bought all my gaskets yesterday, but wasn't able to find guide seals alone. Only could find parts numbers for the complete guide.

Anyone have any experience buying just a pair of guide seals?

Edit: I'm an idiot. 09289-05011 is the part i was after. I was looking at the cylinder head microfiche and didn't look up in the cam/valve fiche. Noob mistake haha but luckily i found an oem set of 4 for $12 shipped!

No problem.

It's times like these where you get nickeled and dimed to death. Experience is priceless but sometimes you wonder if it would have been cheaper just to buy a used engine. Either way, you gain something, so it just matters how deep your pockets are! 

[steezin_and_wheezin]

that's for sure! I've been watching Tomb's enginge rebuilds and know the little bits add up quick!

"cheaper just to buy a used engine.." - If it were a GS, i wouldn't have even considered an engine rebuild. just replace and ride! But the deezers engine goes for a more hefty price tag.. Cheapest one I've been able to find went for ~900 shipped!! Even a good working head is no less than $400!

i've practically given some gs5 cylinder heads away haha

Waiting for gaskets and seals, then I'll pick up fluids locally(unless i can find it cheaper shipped from the net) Should have this beast put back together in a couple weeks

[Kijona]

that's for sure! I've been watching Tomb's enginge rebuilds and know the little bits add up quick!

"cheaper just to buy a used engine.." - If it were a GS, i wouldn't have even considered an engine rebuild. just replace and ride! But the deezers engine goes for a more hefty price tag.. Cheapest one I've been able to find went for ~900 shipped!! Even a good working head is no less than $400!

i've practically given some gs5 cylinder heads away haha

Waiting for gaskets and seals, then I'll pick up fluids locally(unless i can find it cheaper shipped from the net) Should have this beast put back together in a couple weeks

OUCH! 900?? Good LORD!

[Tombstones81]

that's for sure! I've been watching Tomb's enginge rebuilds and know the little bits add up quick!

"cheaper just to buy a used engine.." - If it were a GS, i wouldn't have even considered an engine rebuild. just replace and ride! But the deezers engine goes for a more hefty price tag.. Cheapest one I've been able to find went for ~900 shipped!! Even a good working head is no less than $400!

i've practically given some gs5 cylinder heads away haha

Waiting for gaskets and seals, then I'll pick up fluids locally(unless i can find it cheaper shipped from the net) Should have this beast put back together in a couple weeks

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! yes they add up VERY quick!!

But in total honesty, and I've been VERY hesitant to admit it before.
but pretty much EVERYTHING with my original motor has been my own fault.
thats why it added up to ALOT more then it should have been.

if I didnt mix up those head bolts (that made it leak oil so bad), I would probably be riding around with my original engine with the parts cbr sent me right now.

same with the head cover oil leaks in both, taken off and on too much and probably overtorqued.

89s bent exhaust valve wasnt my fault tho.

Just try not to make mistakes like I've made.

Also hope the current parts all work out or you come across a good deal!

[ohgood]

that's for sure! I've been watching Tomb's enginge rebuilds and know the little bits add up quick!

"cheaper just to buy a used engine.." - If it were a GS, i wouldn't have even considered an engine rebuild. just replace and ride! But the deezers engine goes for a more hefty price tag.. Cheapest one I've been able to find went for ~900 shipped!! Even a good working head is no less than $400!

i've practically given some gs5 cylinder heads away haha

Waiting for gaskets and seals, then I'll pick up fluids locally(unless i can find it cheaper shipped from the net) Should have this beast put back together in a couple weeks

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! yes they add up VERY quick!!

But in total honesty, and I've been VERY hesitant to admit it before.
but pretty much EVERYTHING with my original motor has been my own fault.
thats why it added up to ALOT more then it should have been.

if I didnt mix up those head bolts (that made it leak oil so bad), I would probably be riding around with my original engine with the parts cbr sent me right now.

same with the head cover oil leaks in both, taken off and on too much and probably overtorqued.

89s bent exhaust valve wasnt my fault tho.

Just try not to make mistakes like I've made.

Also hope the current parts all work out or you come across a good deal!

There is a steep drop in the price of learning after the initial impact. You're on the downslope now, making connections and contacts, learning what is neccesary and what is not, etc

I expect you'll be very pleased the first time it starts. Just like I was.

Yep, same ohgood as on ttalk, adv, all of them.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Can't wait to try and start her, even if she doesn't cooperate i think i'll keep digging. I have a few hundred left in the projects budget, hoping it'll run though, then i can use the extra to get a set of dot approved knobbies

Tomb - I feel like i need to pay for some of your gaskets, copper washers, etc.. just because i was learning so much from yer journey! it truly was the 1 thread that gave me the confidence to start this build.  Internals, timing, vavles not seating, etc scared the shaZam! out of me before, cause i had 0 experience. Just reading your thread and seeing the final product(she's amazing by the way!!) gave me more than enough of a push to dig into the drz

Ohgood- I thought that was you over there!! haha then i saw yer post on here the other day mentioning yer drz. knew it had to be you haha

[Tombstones81]

well, im glad my inexperience and torture could help 
hahaha seriously tho, thats cool it helped.

OT tho
now im onto electronics !! ><

no spark ><

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Cylinder's done, just dropped off the guide seals yesterday. Should have all the parts back in ~week. Then final inspection and rebuild!

[ohgood]

Cylinder's done, just dropped off the guide seals yesterday. Should have all the parts back in ~week. Then final inspection and rebuild!

Coolio. Were you going with the 440 , right ? (I'm stuck on the phone with only EDGE)

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Nah staying stock since i'll be selling this one. Just had my friend do a quick flex hone on the jug to get the carbon build up off.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Got all the parts back, my friend dropped them off at the house this morning. From a couple quick photos everything looks AWESOME. Definitely going to have to get him a little more extra than he asked for!

I'll get some good photos on lunch. The short- cylinder's spotless, head's together, valves look great, and i'm ready to rebuild!

[Tombstones81]

awesome!!!

[craigs449]

Why swap out the E-cams?  The E-cams give a much improved low and mid range torque over the stock s and sm cams.  If you are leaving the E-cams out, you can get a quick $100 for them on SMJ or possibly TT.  I bought mie for $100, and sold them for $100 when I converted my old DRZ SM back to stock before selling.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

I was going to buy the E cams with the cylinder head, but the seller $150 for 'em..

Tried to take some photos of the new parts, but the t2i was taking unfocused shots. I'll get some sooner or later.

Hoping to find time this weekend to wrench

[yamahonkawazuki]

that's for sure! I've been watching Tomb's enginge rebuilds and know the little bits add up quick!

"cheaper just to buy a used engine.." - If it were a GS, i wouldn't have even considered an engine rebuild. just replace and ride! But the deezers engine goes for a more hefty price tag.. Cheapest one I've been able to find went for ~900 shipped!! Even a good working head is no less than $400!

i've practically given some gs5 cylinder heads away haha

Waiting for gaskets and seals, then I'll pick up fluids locally(unless i can find it cheaper shipped from the net) Should have this beast put back together in a couple weeks

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! yes they add up VERY quick!!

But in total honesty, and I've been VERY hesitant to admit it before.
but pretty much EVERYTHING with my original motor has been my own fault.
thats why it added up to ALOT more then it should have been.

if I didnt mix up those head bolts (that made it leak oil so bad), I would probably be riding around with my original engine with the parts cbr sent me right now.

same with the head cover oil leaks in both, taken off and on too much and probably overtorqued.

89s bent exhaust valve wasnt my fault tho.

Just try not to make mistakes like I've made.

Also hope the current parts all work out or you come across a good deal!

There is a steep drop in the price of learning after the initial impact. You're on the downslope now, making connections and contacts, learning what is neccesary and what is not, etc

I expect you'll be very pleased the first time it starts. Just like I was.

Yep, same ohgood as on ttalk, adv, all of them.

yep you'll do the happy dance for sure. she shall be fine. im servicing an xr650l for a friend of mine. ( oil change battery install etc. and getting her road ready. ) but dammit, i cannot testride her. it is far too tall for someone with a 30" inseam