KLR650 Engine Rebuild Photos and Questions!

No, go with an OEM oil filter from Kawasaki. Oil filter aftermarket manufacturers only have to make an oil filter they think you'll buy. Kawasaki's oil filters have to pass a validation test developed by Kawasaki that ensures it will stand up to temperatures, pressures and flow rates that Kawi knows for that engine.

EDIT: no slam meant on DirtyDog, BTW.

Will do. It shouldn't take very long anyways. I'm getting pretty familiar with both sides under the engine covers.

If you're careful you might be able to save the gasket. The oil pump surface should have a mirror surface, use a hand impact driver to get the screws out.

A tip I learned a while ago is when you're putting on a new gasket, coat one side of the gasket with a light film of grease. Just a light apply, not much. That will be enough to prevent it from sticking to the metal when you remove the cover again someday but won't hinder it sealing.

I tend to grease the side than goes toward the engine, not the case. This is because it's easier to scrape the gasket off a case that you can take to the bench or whatever than the engine itself.

I don't have a hand impact driver

And it won't cause issues with coolant leaking? Interesting. I might have to give this a shot.

Also, I haven't found a definitive answer if the side cases on the KLR should have silicone gasket maker (rtv bond/hondabond/etc) applied to the paper gaskets or not. Are the paper gaskets just applied as is? Seems strange to me.

Then use your biggest fattest phillips head and tap on the handle with a hammer while turning. Impact driver is about $10, can be found everywhere.

The only place a KLR engine needs sealant is the center cases, no paper gasket there, you found the result of using too much goo on the center cases. A dab of RTV on a new valve cover gasket will help hold it to the cover when you install it, don't go crazy, apply long before you want to put it back on.


Awesome tip on the grease idea, ADW!!

Edit: Nevermind, the oil pump is phillips head. I follow now.

Also, I'm probably going to be going in and checking on the oil pump tonight. Anything specific that I should look for once I remove it?

Oil pump man, come on, I'm trying to help you here.





Scoring, it should have a mirror finish...no lines of any sort.

Yeah. I'm a little slow today.

I figured out what was going on once I started looking up pictures of the oil pump.

Don't forget to prime the oil pump after disassembly.

On it! I should underline that step in the Clymer manual.

I should have posted build threads like this ages ago. It's good to find out all the stuff I'm doing wrong. I don't have any actual mechanical training. All of my "experience" is a combination of always taking stuff apart my whole life, and tips from friends or threads on the internet. It's nice picking up better methods and craft from other users that have much more experience.

Why did you have to have the cylinder honed at a machine shop? I thought the jugs from Eagle Mike were ready to bolt on without having to go to a machine shop.

if you reuse the copper gaskets on the oil fitting banjo bolts you should anneal them. they work harden when torqued up. get them on a coat hanger or something.... heat them to red & dunk them in water. they will be soft as butter. if there are ridges in the washer I file or sand them out before treating

I usually stick the gasket to the cover with RTV & grease the side that goes to the case. it can be removed many times with no damage

the 2 cutouts on the valve cover gasket need something to help them stick. the book shows putting a bead of goop along that whole side, I don't do that. I put a big fat dot of RTV on the outside of the head & over the rubber of the cutout. this is easier to clean up when checking the valves & nothing falls into the engine. YMMV

only thing I would have added to the doo change is to put a couple punch marks on the woodruff key... that keeps it from getting pushed out of the crank when the rotor is installed. this has happened... later in life the rotor slips & the ignition timing goes off

I didn't get a jug from Eagle Mike. There's a pretty awesome local motorcycle machine shop. I had them do all the machine work on the cylinder jug that came with my bike.

I have some new copper gaskets for the banjo bolts.

Sounds like using grease is the way to go so that gaskets can be reused. I like it!

I'm a little paranoid about modifying the woodruff key in case I mess something up. Probably a better chance of me botching that than the woodruff key getting pushed up.

Must have missed this, what's up with your woodruff key?

Nothing is wrong. Beezer mentioned above to put some punch marks in it. But, I think I'm going to pass on that. Pretty sure I would mess that up.

We aren't gonna turn this into an oil or filter debate, but your paranoia regarding oil filters is odd to me. I suggested Hi-Flo due to the price point (half or less of OEM).

Let's not kid ourselves about the tolerance levels and high performance specs of this motor from 1980's vintage technology. A KLR would probably run for years with a wadded up shop rag jammed in there instead of an oil filter.

Brilliant

First, I agree that the tiny difference will probably make no difference in filtration on this motor. That being said, I was surprised when we pulled the K&N to see such a premium filter with such blatant seal issues. Perhaps it wasn't the right filter or the seals had some issues.