My shopping list, by Jez: - 14mm helicoil kit - exhaust valves x 4 - piston ring compressor - grinding paste and sucker-on-stick - big end bearing kit x 1 - piston ring set x 1 - hylomar or similar to seal barrel bases - barrel base shims, maybe - copy of Asian Babes Volume 7 (optional)
My shopping list. Nothing, keep looking, spend nothing until you are confident that it won't be wasted. Not seen anything I wouldn't chuck yet and the case sounds goosed too. Just an alternative view...
If your up fo rebuilding good luck. Some sound advice and some outright brevado imho. Gonna be a steep learning curve. Bin it and get a new motor! Its a family bus for using. Not a hobby job! I meant to say ..... In my opinion. Personally i wouldnt put that back together and expect much from it. Ive seen the trips and the miles you do. Get it done right!
Then ask someone who knows as I wouldn't use it. Think at some point you will have to decide either risk and reuse as much as poss or abandon. There seems little point to me in doing half the job well but not doing other parts at all (end float). Maybe you should just replace obvious valve, helicoil the plug and see what happens.
And what Dicky says, sage advice. It's great having an engine you're confident with. While breaking down here there and everywhere is fun in it's own way, it's more fun when it's someone else. Maybe I'm getting old.
@zedders @Dicky that's pretty much my thinking, I'm loathed to spend too much time and money on it only for it to go tits up again, especially as I know not what I'm doing. I'm happy to investigate a bit more but very soon I'll be out my depth
Im kind of thinking that if you wanted to send it in as an exchange then they possibly wouldnt want it in a load of carrier bags. Dont strip it as your gonna need to put it back together. Just my opinion and also if the tope ends knackered then the bottom end is too. Your looking at a complete rebuild anyway! Cut your losses, invest in a new one and move on. .......... i reckon.
The more you find out, the easier it is to decide what to do. If you didn't have the end float, sorting the heads, new rings, new big ends and you could expect a reliable engine for a worthwhile mileage. But we know it really needs a complete rebuild. It's just my opinion, but while an all around worn engine will keep going on an on, if you restore the power to what it should be it's bound to accelerate the demise of the main bearings which we know from the end float are somewhat past their prime to put it mildly.
