Katana progress

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#91 Unread post by **Skier** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:12 pm

I admit defeat. Time to let someone else deal with this.

Hmm, no more crosshatching, and shoulders at the top of piston travel:

The other side of the bolt that ate two bolt extractors:

The whole head:

Shots of the bolts:

Anyone have a ballpark on how much this will cost me to have taken care of at a machine shop?

#92 Unread post by **Skier** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:21 am

I'm about to mothball the Katana for a few months until I get a job after graduation. I just don't have the time to keep screwing around with it and still pass all my classes. If I can land a job at the place I'm trying to, I'll have plenty of money to drop in a new motor into the Kat.

Looks like it's time to order a set of Racetech front springs for my Radian, then just put on miles like it's going out of style.

(edit) current plan is to acquire a 750 motor/tranny and punch it out to 813 cc. Should be fun.

#93 Unread post by **Skier** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:09 pm

Yeah, the machine shops around here that aren't backed up three months will charge me around $100+ to just get the bolts out.

New motor, then.

#94 Unread post by **Skier** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:46 am

Plan A: lowballing a guy on a '91 Kat 600 motor/tranny. I can physically pick it up over a weekend so I'll save on shipping. $170 for the motor/tranny and gas for the trip.

Plan B: '98-'02 Kat 600 cylinder head. $100 to my door, use my current cams and it "should" bolt right on.

I WILL RIDE THIS BIKE THIS SUMMER!

#95 Unread post by **Skier** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:51 pm

Guy with the '91 motor/tranny isn't getting back to me. The head on ebay doesn't fit my carbs so I'd be out another $150+ for carbs. No good.

Doing a bit of rednecking my stuff so I can run the Kat 'till she pops. Bit of creative, shoddy engineering to hold the exhaust in place on my cylinder head should be alright.

I'm still scratching my head over my ignition problems, though. I am now wondering if they are not my coils, since they are in spec to what my Chilton manual says, but not my Haynes. I'm banking on either shoddy connections somewhere or my CDI unit going out.

Gah I'm just gonna have to get a nice high-paying job here soon and hope my bikes don't pop until I have funds to replace 'em.

#96 Unread post by **Skier** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:30 pm

Bolted the Katana all back together. Try to crank it, she doesn't catch. Went to class, took at closer look at the bike when I got back, and noticed it's spewing air/fuel mixture out all around cylinder one between the block and the head.

Dunno what to do, now. Honestly looking at just parting the thing out, I'm tired of all the work I've done for 1,000 miles of riding it. I really can't afford to throw this much time and money at the thing.

BuzZz · #97 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:27 pm

Sounds like the head gasket is not sealing on #1. Did you use a new one? Hunka crud get wedged in the dureing re-assembly?

#98 Unread post by **Skier** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:32 pm

BuzZz wrote:Sounds like the head gasket is not sealing on #1. Did you use a new one? Hunka crud get wedged in the dureing re-assembly?

Nope, didn't use a new one. A friend of mine says the metal ones can be re-used, so I took his advice instead of shelling out $40 or so for a new one. I doubt there was crud in there, it's coming out from ALL around the cylinder. Front, back, and side. It'd be an awfully huge chunk of something, if that was the case, and I'm fairly certain I would have caught that.

BuzZz · #99 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:04 pm

What your friend should have said is 'Sometimes metal gaskets can be re-used, if they are not too old and in very good condition and undamaged when removed.'

It's always best to use a new one if at all possible. No other gasket on your engine takes the chit and abuse that the head gasket does, or performs a more vital function.

#100 Unread post by **Skier** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:29 pm

I have a lead on a machinist who does bang-up work for great prices. If I can get SOME kind of exhaust-holding solution out of it for, say, $80, I'll be happy. That plus a new HG will run me about $120 total, so I can get the Kat back together and running.

I have a lead on a Honda Hornet I *might* be able to negotiate down to something my parents can loan me (as a graduation gift). Then I just need to make sure I land that high-paying computer job in the next month.