NomadGal's Year on the Road

A most definite +1 on that. You've gone through way too much work tearing down the engine like that to find the problem wasn't addressed because a $5/$10 bearing wasn't changed. In replacing all the bearings you will find the bad one eventually.

Also, per Motomedic, keep in mind the quality of the bearings you are putting back in for longevity. In general, look at the country of origin... China is always cheaper in price and quality than European; Spain and Portugal possibly less preferable than German. Japanese bearings is always good for a Japanese bike... feeling wise.

And yes, you will most certainly save money buying them from all from a bearings shop than the Kawi Stealership. But the one thing you will have to buy from the shop is a new side cover gasket. Your manila folder one, though pretty and certainly shows you're a detail oriented person, will not likely keep oil from passing for long if only because of the original folder creases.

Looks like it's the main bearing and 4 other smaller ones.







The oil filter did a great job keeping most of the slivers out of the important parts, but I did find minute slivers in some places.
The main bearing is not smooth anymore and you can really hear it rumble, like something is loose.
I recorded it, but you can't really hear it very well, my camera does not pick up sound very well.

http://youtu.be/4ZYDdtUqQDQ

Haha, yep, ordering normal gaskets for sure, and am still looking around for the bearings.

Wow! Looks like y'all are doing a great job there!!

Have you thought about just breaking the glaze on the jug with a quick honing and installing new rings to freshen the top up a bit while it's all apart?

p.s. slap steve one time real good and say it's from me.

In English please!
I'm guessing you are talking about the piston.....

Ps Steve says the only reason you asked me to slap him is because you're afraid to do it yourself, LOL!

Yes and yes.

Just looking at this photo and imagining it's my engine gives me the willies. Good on you for taking it apart and fixing it though! I bet you're learning a LOT! :eek1

no one else has said it so im going to say it after you get all you can get out of your bike have you had any thoughts of what your next bike will be he he he he you should try a triumph i saw how you where drooling over mine

What he's actually talking about is the cylinder, and the process he's talking about involves a "Flex-Hone", which looks like a big bottle brush with abrasive balls on the ends. You run it through the "bore", or the cylinder hole and remove less than .001", in a "cross-hatch" pattern. The pattern of the "hatching" helps with oiling of the cylinder walls, and gets worn off ("glazed") by the piston/rings going up and down over them. The process also helps even the wear out, allowing you to "repair" a "barrel-shaped" cylinder bore.

How many miles are on the engine, anyway?

Haha, nope no Triumph, too bulky to take off-road and not enough clearance.
Also, no money to buy another bike, so Spirit is going to be fixed up for a while. Hopefully she will purr like a kitten when I am done.

Ahhhh, nope, not gonna do that, no funds and the wall inside the cylinder is smooth like a baby's bottom, so I'm not touching it. I have 36,000 on it, and don't think my cylinder is barrel shaped yet.

Yep! definitely learning a lot! I am also enjoying this, the engine parts are all so cool, what amazing minds have created all these parts to work together so well. Just mind-boggling!

Rings are cheap...and with 36k on a thumper I'd seriously consider it.

Rings might be, but flex-honing it might not be....

It's just a thing you attach to a drill....should be somebody local that'll let y'all borrow one. .....if not, I think you can buy one for about $20 at an auto parts store...

Well, Flex-hones in the proper size would be around $50....

And smooth as a baby's bottom is not exactly the best for oil retention. The grooves the Flex-hone puts in the cylinder actually helps keep a miniscule amount of oil there for ring lubrication.

As for necessity, at 36K on a single I'd definitely consider it. Does the cross-hatching that is there appear uniform through the whole barrel? Does it seem as if the middle of the barrel is shinier? You won't be able to see the barrel shape-we're talking about ten-thousandths of an inch here. A local machine shop or well-equipped motorcycle shop should be able to run a Flex-hone through it relatively cheaply (there is a proper way to do it, and screwing it up could result in excessive oil usage, or ultimately a new cylinder. Not a job for a novice wrench), and rings aren't that much.

But, at 36k I also wouldn't think it an absolute necessity, especially considering your financial situation. Ripping the top end off to cure oil consumption isn't very hard, and can be done later if it's a big issue.

The right gasket set will be a huge help too, and once again remember the dealership isn't always the last word on that stuff- check Athena gaskets or Vesrah gasket prices too. Both are reputable manufacturers with good prices.

Spend the day cleaning the parts.
Started on the transmission and seeing as just spraying WD40 didn't do much I ended up taking both the input and output rods apart and cleaning each sprocket.


Then I oiled everything and put it in a ziplock to keep it clean.
Just got to buy a bunch of new clips

Next I opened up the oil pump and cleaned it.
Now...... Clymers says to check for scoring etc. Hmmmmm I think this is what they mean





Even the dots to line up the star inside are gone.
So now I wonder how much scoring is acceptable so I won't have to buy a new oil pump.

Seeing this however gave me some insight as to why I had both steel and aluminum slivers in the oil filter.

Bearings wear out, get into the oil pump, oil pump gets scratched up and aluminum from the oil pump gets into the filter.

Now as to why the bearing got all torn up....... I noticed that the oil seal where the sprocket to the chain is located was very muddy and it even had mud on the inside where the bearing was. So that explains why I found a ton of mud and sand in the oil filter the first time I cleaned it in Idaho.
Boy, just guessing, but this makes the most sense.

damn it girl your running with a ruff crowd





ps good luck with the fix

Since the oil pump is really the heart of the whole thing, replace it. The tolerances are tight, and the scoring means low pressure etc.

Probably the cause of the whole issue was contamination reaching the oil pump, lowering the oil pressure, destroying the bearing.

Dirt coming through the countershaft seal is unlikely, but possible. Remember, the oil behind it is under pressure, and usually pushing out rather than allowing dirt in. Dirt usually comes in through the intake, or the case breather.

Also, remember I'm not a KLR expert. While I've worked on just about everything, I don't know KLR engines as well as others.

i dont know if you knew this or not but i used to have a klr and used to off road with it all the time but after test riding the triumph tiger 800xc i quickly got rid of my klr real fast and i do so much better now on my triumph than i ever did on the klr specially in deep sand and it was just as east to pick up as the klr any way cant wait to see how things go when you get her put all back together