ZX4 head gasket change

[zimm]

largely a meaningless thread because my camera is fubar, and its crap at closeup stuff anyway ..

but just had to share ..

we've had the bike for 5 years, had done 8,000 miles when we got it, the head-gasket went pop somewhere in the 20k mile area (as normal) and its now on whats got to be over 50,000 miles (hard to say as it didnt have a working speedo for 18 months, and its had diff clocks fitted since) probably over 60,000..

ok, i've changed the oil and filter every now and then, dont pay much attention to mileage, but it gets fresh if its been stood for a while, or twice a year, and the topend was apart last year as it had eaten a couple of cam followers.. and fitted a new camchain and tensioner a few months ago, but this is the first time the heads been off in years,..

its MINT ! pistons look almost new, the rings are still plenty springy with no evidence of blow-by, the cams and cam journals are immaculate.. ok its a bit coked up, but all in all, im well impressed with how its held up to years of being twatted off the limiter.

its also the first 4-stroke engine i ever rebuilt (with manuals downloaded from this site no less) ..

happy bunny


currently see no reason why it wont make it to 100,000 miles

[RedexRobB]

was the head gasket you replaced it with a superceded part? Im sure i read ages ago it had been replaced with a new part number which means its newly designed.

[zimm]

no idea .. its a headgasket, looked the same to me.

they didnt ask which model it was for when i ordered it though, so maybe its a new one that fits all ..

whatever, its fitted now.

can give you the part number off the label if you really want.

[Mori Man]

no idea .. its a headgasket, looked the same to me.

they didnt ask which model it was for when i ordered it though, so maybe its a new one that fits all ..

whatever, its fitted now.

can give you the part number off the label if you really want.

Go on then - I'll check it with the on-line database.

[zimm]

11004-1182

[Mori Man]

11004-1182

No.部品番号 数量 単位 税込単価(税抜) 金額 代表機種
1 ガスケツト(ヘツド) 電卓 1 2,237(2,130) 2,237 ZX400-L4


So, a ZX400-L4 head gasket = 2,237 Yen or about £10.70

[zimm]

ahh ..

can you read/write japanese Drew? or do you rely on translators like us lot ?

[Mori Man]

ahh ..

can you read/write Japanese Drew? or do you rely on translators like us lot ?

I still see little men running to a house with bolts of lightning chasing them Can't get my head round "character" symbolic languages

I've got my wife to do that

I use two translators that between them both you get around 75% accuracy , you also get used to the "gobbledy gook" they churn out and actually know what they mean . but the other 25% is complete and utter bollox

Most of the above is Kanji - Chinese and there is something like 7,500 of them

[zimm]

thats good to hear .. i'd have been somewhat in awe if you were fluent in written japanese !

Emma works with a lad from tokyo and he reckons even the locals dont know 100% what each other are on about half the time, which is kind of the reason for the politeness and respect thing.