KLR650 Engine Rebuild Photos and Questions!

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by rectangular

I'm really wondering if this could be salvaged with a new cam cap, and smoothing out some of the gouging on the cam and the head journal.

Nope, it's junk.


Make sure to pull the cylinder and check out the ring lands on the piston. At the very least put new rings on the piston, tight budgets suck. Might be worth a call to EagleMike to price out a 685 kit, damn shame to put it back together without it.

Just a note for putting it back together, take out the top bolts on the subframe and loosen the bottom ones...makes slipping the carb back in super easy.

[Beezer]

make double sure you note where the screws & bolts go on the radiator. the 3 that hold the fan are SHORT... if a longer one is installed it will drill a hole in the radiator that can not be fixed. looks to me like the rad may have had a problem? the glue spot suggests that. also the cap looks like it has sealer residue of some kind.

there are no rings for the stock Gen I piston (unless you get really lucky)

call Eagle Mike... he may have a head, rings, etc

ps... you can let the cam chain drop into the hole & pick it up later with a magnet. it can not jump off it's gear on the bottom

[RLK]

[rectangular]

If I can find a good head on ebay for a decent price, I might just spring for the 685 kit. Everyone here is slowly convincing me of it! It would be a huge bummer to reassemble the bike and find out it's burning a ton of oil from trashed rings. If I can't find a likely culprit of the oil consumption, I'll probably have to get the 685 kit to more assuredly cover some of my bases.

Beezer, good point on the radiator bolts. I noticed that the wrong length bolt could damage the radiator and fins if reassembled correctly. Always good to remember!

It seems like the general consensus seems to be that calling Eagle Mike is a good idea. I'll try to get ahold of him tomorrow and explain my situation.

Here's the head I'm currently looking at. Price seems reasonable. I asked the seller if it includes the cam caps, and they said it does indeed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140892508777...S:1123&vxp=mtr

Thoughts?

If I snag the head, I'll still need to get some cams. Some people have mentioned going with hotter cams. I think if I got the 685 kit and the hot cams, I'd definitely need to rejet. I'm trying to keep the variables to a minimum on this rebuild, and to be honest, I'm pretty inexperienced at jetting. I'm used to laptops, ECUs, and wideband O2 sensors…

Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions from everyone.

[kellymac530]

Here is a great resource:

http://www.jdjetting.com/xcart/produ...ge=&featured=Y

These guys are really helpful. If you call and talk to them in person they will set up the kit and modify the recommendations just for your set up. It will be spot on usually.

I called them on my 530 and they adjusted a couple of settings based on my favorite riding spots and it was incredible. I ride from sea level to 10k feet and never re-jetted. Just a fine adjustment of the fuel screw and tear it up.

No affiliation at all, just great success with it.

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Beezer

there are no rings for the stock Gen I piston (unless you get really lucky)

Do you mean that they have been superceded by the '08 and up rings that have been blamed for oil use on the newer bikes or that they don't make rings for the 2007 and older bikes?

Originally Posted by rectangular

Here's the head I'm currently looking at. Price seems reasonable. I asked the seller if it includes the cam caps, and they said it does indeed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140892508777...S:1123&vxp=mtr

Thoughts?

Grab it, quick...doesn't get much better than that. Worry about cams later.

[brailman133]

Sub


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rectangular]

Originally Posted by kellymac530

Here is a great resource:

http://www.jdjetting.com/xcart/produ...ge=&featured=Y

Awesome! Bookmarking.

I had to take last night off from working on the bike. I have had a little bit of a cold. Tomorrow I'm going to work on getting the jug off for inspection. There might be evidence of blow-by, which would be a big clue. I also hope to check the status of the doohickey and the oil screen. Now I just need to load up on vitamins and take it easy so I can get over this cold!

[Beezer]

Larryboy... yes.... the Gen I rings are no longer made unless Kawi changed their minds lately. the last Gen I rings I bought was a NOS set about 3 years ago.... they were shelf stock at my local dealer & I got the last ones in AK. in 08 the piston was changed slightly and the rings are different. like I said... ping Eagle Mike, he may have located some old style NOS rings but last I heard he was out.

edit: as for jetting.... be aware that Dynojet, Mikuni, and Kehin jets all have different sizes for any given number.

Carb Jet Size Cross Reference:Keihin/DynoJet/Mikuni

---

Width------Keihin # -- DynoJets # -- Mikuni #
0.0350---- 92.5--------- 92-----------86.3
0.0360---- 95----------- 94-----------88.1
0.0370---- 97.5--------- 96-----------90.0
0.0380---- 100---------- 98-----------91.9
0.0390---- 102.5------- 100---------- 93.8
0.0400---- 105--------- 102---------- 95.6
0.0410---- 107.5------- 104---------- 97.5
0.0420---- 110--------- 106---------- 99.4
0.0430---- 112.5------- 108--------- 101.3
0.0440---- 115--------- 110--------- 103.1
0.0450---- 117.5------- 112--------- 105.0
0.0460---- 120--------- 114--------- 106.9
0.0470---- 122.5------- 116--------- 108.8
0.0480---- 125--------- 118--------- 110.6
0.0490---- 127.5------- 120--------- 112.5
0.0500---- 130--------- 122--------- 114.4
0.0510---- 132.5------- 124--------- 116.3
0.0520---- 135--------- 126--------- 118.1
0.0530---- 137.5------- 128--------- 120.0
0.0540---- 140--------- 130--------- 121.9
0.0550---- 142.5------- 132--------- 123.8
0.0560---- 145--------- 134--------- 125.6
0.0570---- 147.5------- 136--------- 127.5
0.0580---- 150--------- 138--------- 129.4
0.0590---- 152.5------- 140--------- 131.3
0.0600---- 155--------- 142--------- 133.1
0.0610---- 157.5------- 144--------- 135.0
0.0620---- 160--------- 146--------- 136.9
0.0630---- 162.5------- 148--------- 138.8
0.0640---- 165--------- 150--------- 140.6
0.0650---- 167.5------- 152--------- 142.5
0.0660---- 170--------- 154--------- 144.4
0.0670---- 172.5------- 156--------- 146.3
0.0680---- 175--------- 158--------- 148.1
0.0690---- 177.5------- 160--------- 150.0
0.0700---- 180--------- 162--------- 151.9
0.0710---- 182.5------- 164--------- 153.8
0.0720---- 185--------- 166--------- 155.6
0.0730---- 187.5------- 168--------- 157.5
0.0740---- 190--------- 170--------- 159.4
0.0750---- 192.5------- 172--------- 161.3
0.0760---- 195--------- 174--------- 163.1
0.0770---- 197.5------- 176--------- 165.0
0.0780---- 200--------- 178--------- 166.9
0.0790---- 202.5------- 180--------- 168.8
0.0800---- 205--------- 182--------- 170.6
0.0810---- 207.5------- 184--------- 172.5
0.0820---- 210--------- 186--------- 174.4
0.0830---- 212.5------- 188--------- 176.3
0.0840---- 215--------- 190--------- 178.1
0.0850---- 217.5------- 192--------- 180.0
0.0860---- 220--------- 194--------- 181.9
0.0870---- 222.5------- 196--------- 183.7
0.0880---- 225--------- 198--------- 185.6
0.0890---- 227.5------- 200--------- 187.5

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Beezer

Larryboy... yes.... the Gen I rings are no longer made unless Kawi changed their minds lately. the last Gen I rings I bought was a NOS set about 3 years ago.... they were shelf stock at my local dealer & I got the last ones in AK. in 08 the piston was changed slightly and the rings are different. like I said... ping Eagle Mike, he may have located some old style NOS rings but last I heard he was out.

I find that hard to believe, but I'm not really in the market for a set of std KLR rings to test out what you're saying. They show as available from where I buy oem parts, std and oversize including the liner and piston.

[Beezer]

mebby they actually have some... mebby Kawi started making them again, mebby the parts guys think they are the same (but they aren't). my local dealer thought they were the same with updated material. all I can say is anybody buying rings for a Gen I piston needs to look close at what they buy. ask EM... he'll know the story

because of the land failures whenever I have one off I just go to the 685/688 to be done with it

if you were desperate & can find old style rings in 1st oversize you can trim the ends to meet the ring gap

edit: check post #7 in this thread from 2010...

http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthr...on+ring+change

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Beezer

because of the land failures whenever I have one off I just go to the 685/688 to be done with it

I fully agree.

I'm actually thinking of another KLR(they don't all blow up at 26,000 miles, right?) and the first order of business is a 685, brand new bike.

[rectangular]

Quick question for everyone, do people generally prefer the 685 kit from Eagle Mike or Schnitz Racing? Anyone with first hand experience with either?

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by rectangular

Quick question for everyone, do people generally prefer the 685 kit from Eagle Mike or Schnitz Racing? Anyone with first hand experience with either?

I bought one of the early 685 kits from Schnitz and Mike is a personal friend of mine...you can't go wrong either way on this one.

[rectangular]

Originally Posted by larryboy

I bought one of the early 685 kits from Schnitz and Mike is a personal friend of mine...you can't go wrong either way on this one.

Awesome! Sounds like Eagle Mike is a good community supporter. I'm leaning that way right now.