High temperature, fan not helping?

Moderator: Moderators

Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Hello guys, reviving an old thread here to ask a few things instead of making a new one and cluttering the forum.

I get paid Monday and I have the end of the week off. I've decided wedding suits and rings can bugger off and wait till next month as the weather is too amazing to not be on the bike.

Head gasket needs doing. I plan on ordering:
Head gasket
4x exhaust gasket (1 per header iirc?)
Cam chain (new CCT already bought)
Oil (can anyone recommend? I keep hearing good things about rock oil?)
Coolant.

I have the guides for timing and replacing chain. I'm confident. As for head it's easy as engine out etc which I'm also confident with.

Is there anything I have overlooked or anything I should look out for? I will be doing a write up etc that hopefully will be of use to somebody.

Cheers.

EDIT: Even any tools that are likely to catch me out that I don't have or anything that will break or need replacing etc? Any tricks to make my life easier?
He who dares, Wins.
User avatar
Miles
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:00 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L3
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Miles »

Suggest checking the shims while your at it and if your taking the "sparkplug funnels"
out (not sure of their exact name) then ordering some new o-rings wouldn't be a bad idea. Stop any oil leaking past

PS 1 gasket per exhaust downpipe is correct
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Thanks for the advice.

Not sure I'd feel confident doing the shims. I was always useless at doing valve clearances when they were just turny bolts. Could never get them right and would tap worse than before! I also find it confusing where I need each valve. I suppose I'll have a look once I have the engine out and see how I'm feeling.

Nice shout on the spark plug guide things. My engine does look oily on the side by the exhaust manifold. It looks like it's more breather leak than an actual leak if that makes sense so could well be the culprit.

I can't wait to get back on the road! Engine should be out Thursday. And fingers crossed back in Friday.
He who dares, Wins.
JulianWerner
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:05 am
My Bike: Kawasaki ZX4R 1991 (L)
Location: Bergen, Norway
Contact:

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by JulianWerner »

Hi guys, how do i bleed the coolant system for air ?
I have to change one leaking hose.
* Aprilia RS 125 (2000 modell / 2 Stroke)
* Kawasaki ZXR 400 (1991 / 4 Stroke)
User avatar
banner001
Track day God
Track day God
Posts: 2584
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by banner001 »

Fill the system with fresh coolant, give all the hoses a squeeze until no more air bubbles appear at the radiator cap, then fine the engine up for about 5seconds to get the water pump moving and pushing coolant around the cylinder block, top up the coolant if necessary and go for a 10 minute ride. Once the bike has fully cooled down check the coolant again and topup if necessary, check the coolant level after a few rides out to make sure the head gasket has sealed.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

banner001 wrote:Fill the system with fresh coolant, give all the hoses a squeeze until no more air bubbles appear at the radiator cap, then fine the engine up for about 5seconds to get the water pump moving and pushing coolant around the cylinder block, top up the coolant if necessary and go for a 10 minute ride. Once the bike has fully cooled down check the coolant again and topup if necessary, check the coolant level after a few rides out to make sure the head gasket has sealed.
I think that was a thread hijack you replied to lol.

But good advice none the less. Hopefully my bubbles in the rad vanish :pmsl
He who dares, Wins.
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Evening guys!

Started work in the head gasket today!

Ran into a couple of problems so far.

1. The last engine mount bolt closest to the swingarm at the bottom is seized solid! Tried everything. Moving the lump round on jacks to take the weight of the bolt and punch it through. Blowtorch to get some heat in. It would not budge for toad! So anyway worked out I could pivot the engine down enough to get head off etc so onwards I went.

2. Head bolts came out fine. Replaced gasket, sat the head on and started the first bolt and got the torque wrench on it set at 27nm.... SNAP! The fucker snapped!!!!

So now I'm left with the tiniest amount of a head bolt thread stuck right down in the bolt hole!

I immediately order new ones from my local dealer they will be there Monday. In the mean time I need to figure out how to get the end of this bolt out. The smallest bit of my easy out kit that would be suitable is to short to go down the hole and the drill extension I have is too big to fit also.

Gonna order some long drill bits tomorrow. Also gonna grab s left hand drill bit see if that pulls it out. If that doesn't work I have no clue what to do. If I drill it out and increase the drill size step by step I'm gonna have thread stuck in the and the bolt won't go in.

I've taken lots of pictures etc ready for the write up. I just need to get over this hurdle.

Was all going so well too :(
He who dares, Wins.
User avatar
Tirpitz
zxr400 oc member
zxr400 oc member
Posts: 766
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:45 pm
My Bike: Kawasaki ZXR400L4
Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Tirpitz »

Unfortunately, this is where the amateur mechanic gets into trouble. The manual does not tell you everything, especially workshop techniques. To be fair to you you did ask for advice on here before starting and no-one said that head bolts are designed to stretch when torqued down, therefore they are a one-use item. Yes you can get away with using them again - if you're lucky. If you're not lucky, they snap.

My advice to you before you start diving in with heavy tools and completely wrecking the engine is just take a step back. Do you really have the skills to get that bolt out? You could end up with a drill bit snapped off in it too, especially using a hand drill. Do you not have a mechanic you can take it to?

I recently snapped off a stainless bolt in a wheel (long story). Rather than dive in with a drill and totally wreck it I called it a day and took it to the bike shop to drill out for me. Cost me £45 - I wasn't happy but it was my fault and cheaper than buying another (newly powdercoated) wheel.

Sometimes a man needs to know his limitations as Dirty Harry used to say.
ZXR400 L4, purple / black / pink
Hel braided hoses
Pirelli Diablos
Ohlins steering damper
A16 carbon fibre exhaust can
Nitron Sport shock
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

To be totally honest I was thinking the same thing just now whilst working out what to do next.

It might save me more time and hassle to call a mobile mechanic out.

I've always re used head bolts and I did research before hand and everywhere and everyone stated they were re usable. Just bad luck I guess.

This situation would be 100x easier if the engine was out. I could whack it in the car take it down to a garage and say get that out for me.

Hopefully a mobile mechanic isn't too over the top with pricing and is able to do it with it sat pivoted in the frame.

Cheers for the advice. I'll have a ring round tomorrow and see if anyone will take the job on of removing the bolt!
He who dares, Wins.
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Yeah, I thought head bolts were re usable on these. Measured them all up too they seemed fine. It was one of the two longer ones. Number 1 and 5 in the tightening order (number 1 snapped).

I don't think the bolt had anything to do with where the engine was. In fact it was surprisingly easy the way it was. I admit it would be nicer to have it on a bench but hey Ho there wasn't much I could do. I got it done. I just had a bolt snap on me :(

When you say removing the barrel, could you elaborate?
He who dares, Wins.
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Just to clarify. There's no issue with it being in the frame with regards to removing the head etc.

The bolt snapped at the bottom where the thread is.

I've pulled the top bit of the bolt out and taken the head back off. It's just the thread bit stuck in the block.
He who dares, Wins.
User avatar
banner001
Track day God
Track day God
Posts: 2584
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by banner001 »

Double check your torque wrench as well, 10nM is medium resistance on a small wrench, 27nM is by no means a lot of turning effort, the bolt must have been seriously weak to break if your torque wrench is ok.

Also for future reference, unless explicitly stated (like my fzr con rod lowers) I always tighten multiple pairs of bolts in a cross-cross series and with a stepped increase in torque, I.e. Do them criss-cross at finger tight, then 10nM, then final torque.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Rightt.

No mobile mechanic in the whole of the county is willing to do the job.

No drill bit is touching the bolt. Titanium, cobalt or diamond.

I'm out of options and i give up. Bike will either be scrapped or sold for spares.
He who dares, Wins.
Madderz
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 6:59 pm
My Bike: 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400
Location: Bournemouth

Re: High temperature, fan not helping?

Post by Madderz »

Been doing some research and looking around.

Helicoil kit on the way!!

This bitch will run again.

:smt017
He who dares, Wins.
Post Reply