BHB's First XR600R + Winter Rebuild

[uranys]

Originally Posted by Brauhausbier

This week - get frame and parts to a paint shop (prep and powdercoat), order new 100mm JE Piston and sleeve, make an appointment at RB Designs www.rb-designs.com for a re-sleve and valve job, and hopefully pick up the suspension from Promotion Suspension this week www.promotionsuspension.com. This should keep me busy.. Cheers!

Looks like it has a hotcam already, nice! You can take the stock sleeve out to 100mm, so you don't necessarily need a new one. What's it bored to now? Is that piston stock?

keep up the good work, it's gonna be a nice ride when you finish

[Brauhausbier]

Originally Posted by burghstrom

Looks like it has a hotcam already, nice! You can take the stock sleeve out to 100mm, so you don't necessarily need a new one. What's it bored to now? Is that piston stock?

keep up the good work, it's gonna be a nice ride when you finish

Yes the Hotcam looks in very good condition. I'll get my micrometer on that soon enough to verify. The piston appears to be the original 97mm (its 96.7mm).

I've been reading plenty on the subject of boring the OE sleeve out to 100mm vs re-sleeving. I'm going on the advice of Xrider and will re-sleeve for reliability and long term service. We have Ron @ RB designs who only charges $40 for a resleve or bore.

Cheers Burghstrom

[Brauhausbier]

Originally Posted by flyjosh

That engine was beautiful.

And that chipped fin gives it some street cred

You left your mark on this project Josh

I think the JB weld might do the trick!

[Brauhausbier]

Made a parts order this past week and spent some time this weekend cleaning parts.
Airbox is crispy

Cleaned up nicely

The XR's Only SS pipe is in good shape

[Brauhausbier]

Got into cleaning the brakes and cylinder head this Saturday.

I think I used every cleaner I had on hand to try and clean the heavy dirt staining on the brakes and cylinder head.

I used brake cleaner, brewery basic cleaner, WD40, scrub pads and BBQ foaming Simple Green and I'm still trying to figure out how to get the dirt stains out of the aluminum parts.

Anyone have any suggestions? Aluminum wheel cleaner the answer?

I had some marginal success with the brakes


Heavy dirt staining on the fins of the cylinder head



Finally picked up the newly powder coated frame today! Wow! Powder coating done by STB Coatings in NE Portland. Great shop





Hopefully picking up the suspension this week, and hope to get the cylinder in for boring next week. I'm hopefully should be ready to start putting the XR back together very soon!

[darenative]

Soda blasting will clean up the calipers. Mine looked like that and it took about 5 minutes to do both front and rear.

[Luke]

Looking good!

I haven't needed to myself, but have been told that it's a really good idea to thoroughly clean out the oil reservoir in the frame after sandblasting.

[elsalvadorklr]

Originally Posted by Luke

Looking good!

I haven't needed to myself, but have been told that it's a really good idea to thoroughly clean out the oil reservoir in the frame after sandblasting.

PLEASE DO SO!!!!!

seems I had some leftover crap but from another source not media or sandblasting...

seems I dint clean the frame reservoir enough...have some shavings.

Cheers and looking good buddy!

[Brauhausbier]

Originally Posted by elsalvadorklr

PLEASE DO SO!!!!!

seems I had some leftover crap but from another source not media or sandblasting...

seems I dint clean the frame reservoir enough...have some shavings.

Cheers and looking good buddy!

Thanks Christian, I'm following you build and will rinse the oil reservoir for sure. I saw some blasting powder fall off the frame in my car when I transported the frame home. Thanks for the important tip!

[akarob]

From someone who's done a few XR rebuilds, I recommend the following:

A new timing chain. They're 100 bucks, but it'll keep the top end tight for a long time to come.

New valves and springs, preferably stainless valves. Also have the seats recut. Your valves may clean up ok and be ok for a while, but they wear out. They will start creeping up into the head and you'll need a valve job. It's much better to get them freshened up now and be able to trust that engine for a long time to come.

Countershaft? That front sprocket play does not look good. As said, look at the splines for damage. If you find wear, you need a new shaft. Splitting the cases is required for that. Luckily, it's not that bad at all. I even made videos on it.

Good luck with the rebuild. With new valves, timing chain, piston and rings - that bike will be like brand new.

[Brauhausbier]

Originally Posted by akarob

From someone who's done a few XR rebuilds, I recommend the following:

A new timing chain. They're 100 bucks, but it'll keep the top end tight for a long time to come.

New valves and springs, preferably stainless valves. Also have the seats recut. Your valves may clean up ok and be ok for a while, but they wear out. They will start creeping up into the head and you'll need a valve job. It's much better to get them freshened up now and be able to trust that engine for a long time to come.

Countershaft? That front sprocket play does not look good. As said, look at the splines for damage. If you find wear, you need a new shaft. Splitting the cases is required for that. Luckily, it's not that bad at all. I even made videos on it.

Good luck with the rebuild. With new valves, timing chain, piston and rings - that bike will be like brand new.

Thank you! It looks like the PO who put in the Hot Cam also put in a new timing chain and cam bearings. The cam chain was very tight with no slop even when I removed the cam chain tensioner and looked brand new as did the hot cam. However, I have no paper work with this bike to prove this. I'll pull off the sprocket on the spline and check that out soon enough. I'm hoping the spline is ok. I will be asking for links to your videos if I have to split the case

I found a local engine guy who can cut the valve seats and I have new KB valves and valve gaskets on thier way. I'm going to have him measure the springs before making a new spring purchase.

I appreciate the info! Cheers!

[Brauhausbier]

Wow! This week flew by! Next week is February! I'm so glad I started this rebuild early this year.

For every step forward, it seems like you take two back.

I finally got around to taking off the sprocket on my countershaft



The splines are toast

This was not good news. It means splitting the cases to replace the countershaft.

No choice now but to march forward with this rebuild. I'm in too deep. I developed the plan today to deal with this repair after a few PM's were sent last night about this spline situation. I made some calls this morning and drafted the help of my good friend and A+ garage mechanic Luke who will help me out once again for a few cases of my breweries finest brews!! I'll load him up with some tasty Widmer Brews!! www.widmer.com ( I work for these guys).

Another parts order with Service Honda tonight for the countershaft replacement (plus new seals for the countershaft and gear shaft) and we are looking at doing the case split on the 12th of Feb. In the meantime, I still have lot of parts to clean and will try some 7% nitric acid (from my lab) on the dirt stained aluminum of the cases, head, and brakes (tomorrow hopefully?)

Tomorrow I'm dropping the new JE 100mm piston with our local A+Moto Machinist Ron at RB Designs www.rb-designs.com to get the cylinder bored!

A lot of parts showed up this week, and more next week! I'll get more pics up when the case split happens on the 12th.

Thanks mcma111 for your great tips on the case split thread! http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=342982

[Brauhausbier]

Rebuild tasks today - managed to get the new JE piston and cylinder and into Ron's shop @ RB Designs! Looking at a pick up Monday.

I had some time this afternoon to try out the 7% Nitric Acid we mixed up in our lab earlier this week. I've been trying to read anything on the web about cleaning aluminum with nitric acid this week, and it looks like a very effective "desmuter" in the anodization process for alumium. Once aluminum is cleaned in alkaline caustic, the nitric acid "desmuts" the aluminum and leaves it clean for anodizing.

I used steel brushes to scrub and sprayed on the 7% Nitric Acid on concentrated small sections to scrub or 10-15 seconds and then rinse. At this concentration the de-staining worked, but took quite a bit of elbow grease to remove the baked on dirt on the motor. I think I may try a slightly higher concentration of Nitric Acid on the next time I have to work on the motor cleaning.

Another dry, warm day in Oregon in January

This acid washing business is definitely for the outdoors with proper precautions. Good gloves and eye protection are key.



Valve cover is cleaning up nicely


Compare after acid washing to the stained case



Still a ways to go on the cylinder head, but slowly getting it cleaned up

[darenative]

Did the soda blasting not work?

Did ya neutralize the acid after cleaning the head and jug?

[Brauhausbier]

Originally Posted by darenative

Did the soda blasting not work?

Did ya neutralize the acid after cleaning the head and jug?

Thanks for checking in darenative!

I just used copious amounts of water to neutralize the acid after a quick soak and scrub. Our local water is about an 8 on the pH scale, so it's farily basic which helps in neuralizing a weak acid.

If this proves to be too difficult with the head, I may just go back to Harbor Freight and invest in a Soda Blaster. I have a friend with a huge shop compressor who will let me soak his yard in baking soda I don't really want to get that stuff anywhere near our home.