banner's beast...

Here's a chance to show off your zxr400, so get them digital cameras out and show us some piccies.Rebuilding your bike or modding it then let everyone in on it.

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banner001
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My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

replacement swingarm has been sourced, ive started angle grinding the old one to bits :smt010 but it appears to be the only way to remove it...everything thats going for powdercoating has been cleaned and dissasembled im struggling to decide on the aluminium parts (headstock, chain rail, handlebars, footguards etc...) was gonna get them silver powdercoat (to match the frame) but now im gonna get them blasted to smooth flat metal and then a clear hard annodising will be applied.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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banner001
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Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

ive also got a H1 linkage to strip thats a fully linear linkage, gonna use it to replace the progressive L that came with mine, also the H models have grease nipple points, so should lead to fewer seizures in the future, will get all new bolts, internals, seals etc...
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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banner001
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Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

John 1 - 0 Swingarm
Image

Image

this explains a lot...
Image

Cant get to the internal circlip thats holding this all together, so ive borrowed a reciprocal saw from work...it wont see another sunrise!
Image
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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banner001
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My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

it is done :D

few bits left to dissassemble and decide on, and gotta see if the rear end of my subframe is salveagable (i think not), then its off for blasting and coating, and i can start to reassemble it :D
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Leey
Posts: 138
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 11:23 am
My Bike: Zxr400L8
Location: gloucestershire

Re: banner's beast...

Post by Leey »

Love the work Banner no messing around with the swing arm. :pmsl

I've been running the h linkage for the last year should check over the bearings to see if the grease ports did the job.
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banner001
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My Bike: ZXR400 L4
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Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

this bike never ceases to amaze me with my lack of knowledge...

never knew that there were copper guides in the brake lever 92028A (http://www.cmsnl.com/kawasaki-zx400l4-z ... ml#results) - i think there is one in the shift pedal too...definitely looks like copper but nothing is listed in the parts fiche...might give kawasaki a ring unless someone on here knows?? :smt006

and i never knew that the rear brake holder has a bearing in it...? (http://www.cmsnl.com/kawasaki-zx400l4-z ... ml#results) - helps to explain another reason for why the rear was soo bad :D

ive tapped out the headstock races, and the lower headstock bearing, ive dissassembled my footpegs for the front...so im left with dissassembling this H1 linkage, ive got to clean a few bits, and ive got to smooth out some dents on my top yoke and on my swingarm...then it can go to the blasters/powdercoaters and my bank ballance can weep :smt010
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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banner001
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Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

Bearings have been removed from the linkage, dents have been removed and smoothed on the top yoke, it's all been cleaned, just need to see if it is a coper bushing in the shift lever then it's all ready to go.

I've started to make my engine mount, it will hold the engine upright for easier cleaning and to allow me to remove all the top of the engine for cleaning purposes. Am gonna do a top end refurbish, when the engine was running it's compression was about 120psi cold no oil, I want to get that figure up towards 140-150psi...I've never seen the bores so hopefully a valve job is all that's required...If the compression is still low after it's built I'll consider looking at the bores/rings...But.hoping it doesn't come to that...It has however done 49k miles...So it might just be best to do it and get it over with.

I'm gonna drop the oil and the sump as well, refresh the oil pump, coolant pump, coolant passageways, thermostat and the oil strainer as well as removing any gummed up oil residue from the bottom of the engine...Hence needing a mount.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Leey
Posts: 138
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 11:23 am
My Bike: Zxr400L8
Location: gloucestershire

Re: banner's beast...

Post by Leey »

I will be dropping my engine out in 2-3 weeks time I may have worn rings/bores or stem valve seal issues,

so be interested in what you will find. Not sure i'am confident in doing the work myself but got to start learning some time.
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banner001
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Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

Leey wrote:I will be dropping my engine out in 2-3 weeks time I may have worn rings/bores or stem valve seal issues,

so be interested in what you will find. Not sure i'am confident in doing the work myself but got to start learning some time.
you will need a valve spring compressor - looks like a big g clamp - to do the valves, some lapping compound and a valve lapping tool. if you think the rings have gone then you need to get your barrels honed and buy 2 ring compressors, these bikes have a small stroke length so you are gonna need another 1-2 people to assist you.

use a new head gasket (kawasaki OEM), and if you remove the barrels use a new base gasket, im ~2 hours away if it all goes tits up :D
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Leey
Posts: 138
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 11:23 am
My Bike: Zxr400L8
Location: gloucestershire

Re: banner's beast...

Post by Leey »

Thanks for the offer Banner.
If the rings and pistons are to far gone I will probably go down 412cc route.
There was a set of +0.5mm for sale from oz a couple of weeks ago on ebay but they have gone now.
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banner001
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Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

ive got the beginnings of a rebore on my hands, got a slight score in #2 cylinder, im guessing a piston ring, looks to much for carbon...however for the minimal amount of time the bike will be on the road for in 2017...and given that my costs are currently (using cradley prices) £1100 (including my discount), plus money to vapour blast the head, plus blasting and powdercoating...and given that this does not include a shock (which i need), no work on the brakes or on the forks (TBH though i did these recently)...then im basically spent of the year on getting it mint...so im gonna leave it a year as its easy enough to drop the engine in 2017/2018 and rebore either with oversize rings, or oversize pistons and that would be all it needs that year...

tomorrow ill remove all the valves and check them all over as well as the valve guides/springs etc. and ill remove the clutch and inspect that for wear to the 2 baskets...might need to get it ground flat as i seem to remember both being a bit on the notchy side, if so its a day on a bridgeport to get them flush again...but that can only be done once before they get too weak, so ill see.

water pump and all the cooling system is in mint condition, no need for anything other than gaskets...ive now got a big box for powdercoating with everything ready to go, might give my guy a ring and see if he is back in this week, maybe thursday/friday...im expecting that to be £300-400 for all the work and im gonna go through every individual piece with him so its all exactly as i want it...cant afford any mistakes :smt003
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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banner001
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Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

the last few bearings have been removed - the small bearings and oil seal in the clutch cover took some novel thinking to remove - im left with the oil level cover that needs removing (did i say im making it mint :D) then that can go for prepping too, im hoping my guy has some dark grey powdercoat as im hoping to do my clutch/rocker/thermostat/cylinder head coolant/water pump front covers in the same dark grey - like the alternator cover dark grey...
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
User avatar
banner001
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Posts: 2585
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

the clutch frictions were all in spec, sizes between 2.8 - 2.9mm worn more at the rear of the clutch (nearest to the primary gear), all the steels are flat but some have some localised burning spots (again, more towards the primary gear) so ive spaced them all about a bit and will do a full friction+steels swap next time it needs it.

clutch baskets both looked really good, i can feel a slight bit of wear with my finger on the outer basket, and none on the inner basket, though both are slightly "polished" where the plates/steels rub on them...so thats really good for almost 50k miles.

clutch bearings are all good as is the oil pump, i need to do the oil pan tomorrow and check the strainer then i can start buying parts...
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
User avatar
banner001
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Posts: 2585
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: banner's beast...

Post by banner001 »

my swingarm bearings are out of the donor arm, it all lookspretty good internally, just got to clean up some of the exterior metal andthen its off for blasting/powdercoat...cant wait to start putting it all back together now :D
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
bikemonkey
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 12:39 pm
My Bike: Honda NC30

Re: banner's beast...

Post by bikemonkey »

Loving the work on this, you're really going to town on that engine!
Nc30 track hack
Zxr400 L4 project road bike
Xj900 motorway muncher
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