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So I blew my 3rd engine this weekend... What to do now?

6K views 33 replies 11 participants last post by  JterrorC 
#1 ·
1st engine(came with the bike) threw a connecting rod out the front at the drag strip.

2nd engine(CL buy, crappy engine) head gasket started leaking terribly while driving around town

3rd engine(Facebook forum page buy, another buyer vouched for the seller, crappy engine) blew a head gasket 1 lap into my track day.

Jump to 6:20 in the video:
https://youtu.be/jrf3Y5IWcbQ?t=6m20s

Still have all these engines lying around. Just bought the 3rd one two weeks ago and installed it last week. Rode it to work twice, and 1 lap at Gingerman Raceway. Get to fight the seller and paypal this week to try and get some money back, any advice?

Not really sure where to go next. Part out the bike, drop the 3rd engine off at the dealership and have them replace the gasket, buy the gasket kit and try to replace it myself, sell everything as a package to someone, and/or buy a new bike. What do y'all think?

I'd be hesitant to part out because this is my first bike and I'm emotionally attached to it. I also have a spare set of rims, spare set of bodywork, tons of extra parts, tons of take offs for this bike, TRS pins for this bike, all the tools required for this bike, the 3 engines mentioned above, and the mechanical experience from all the maintenance I've done on it. I can drop/insert the engine in about an hour and a half since I've done it so much.
 
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#2 ·
I suggest repairing some of the engines you have rather than to keep buying replacements. There's a link elsewhere on the forum to d/l a free service manual for the 08-14 models if you do not already have one. It'll give you all the details on how to rebuild it or replace a head gasket.
 
#3 ·
If it's just a head gasket should be pretty easy while the engine is out. Either that or have lees cycles or danos performance build you a proper track bike engine.
 
#4 ·
Ideally, this third engine would have lasted me this season, and I would have built the 2nd engine into a crazy horsepower machine over the winter. I saw Hoppa's supersport engine build and was going to try and follow something like that but I've never torn into an engine to that extent but I'm an engineer, I can follow instructions, take stuff apart, and put it back together(most of the time).

Could there be any damage that is normally associated with a blown head gasket?
 
#5 ·
Beatuful track btw. So that was not you filming, you were ahead? I was about to comment about how much time you spent close to the rev limiter even on the sighting lap. I'm not saying you are hard on engines, maybe just straight up bad luck, but assuming your just out there having fun try going easy on the rpms. These bikes have great mid range so no need really for a bunch of high rpms.
 
#6 ·
No that wasn't me! That guy caught my gasket blow out around the 6:20 mark along the back straight. I bought this bike last summer, and only have 3 months of riding under my belt, but I didn't spend a lot of time near the rev limiter at my local track(Grattan).
 
#7 ·
No direct experience on this bike, but in general head gaskets usually won't damage the engine assuming you don't run it for too long. How many miles on these engines? I would consider just doing a top end while its apart. Or you can go halfway and send your head to danos for a couple grand and will be better power than stock with ought going crazy. Check out their website.
That sucks for sure, I know how it goes with getting your track budget blown, not to mention ruining an entire track day after 1 lap.
 
#8 ·
It's supposed to be around 8,700 miles on this engine according to the seller, but the CCT needs to be replaced, I could hear it knocking pre-gasket blow out.

This was a Friday night track event, from 5pm to sundown. I also had all day Saturday and Sunday bought and paid for at Grattan but was able to sell those. I'm already broke and out of budget so I can't afford sending it somewhere right now.

What all would be in inclusive for a top end refresh? New seals, gaskets, bearings or what?
 
#11 ·
I always burp the radiator when I put a engine in, run new unopened engine ice. I haven't seen significantly warm engine temps or such on either engine.

I am pretty confident it was a blown head gasket from looking at all the oil debris, but I am still frustrated from the whole thing. It's still sitting in my van. I just backed it up to a wall when I got back from the track and haven't touched the thing yet.
 
#10 ·
Usually Pistons, rings, and valves and springs, and also having a shop grind the valve seats for you. If you're broke I'd probly just do the head gasket and hope for the best.
 
#14 ·
It's an 06 engine in an 04 1kRR. When I say debris, it was cause I couldn't think of a better word to describe the oil splatter/leak/squirting out all over the headers and front of my engine. I don't believe there is actual metal debris from the engine, but I have yet to take the radiator and headers off to examine it more closely.

The first engine blew a connecting rod head right through the block, hit the header and dented it, fell into the fairing and then melted through it to the cement. There was a lot of engine debris on this one.
 
#16 ·
The problem with the second motor was that one of the cylinders was scorched and had a bit of a gauge in it. Seems like a perfect candidate to have it bored and build the crap out of it. Any ideas if there's a market for motors in not-running condition in which people might buy one of my blown-head gasket motors and fix them up themselves?

I'm strongly considering replacing the header gaskets on this most recent motor. Looking at online parts, do I want the 06 CBR 1000RR AC or A, and gasket kit A seems to be what I want? There's no pictures or diagrams.
 
#19 ·
So what kind of things cause head gaskets to blow? If I rebuild this think, put all fresh gaskets on it just to find out something is gonna blow it again, I'm gonna be an angry camper. Any ideas?
 
#22 ·
I know this is a crappy photo angle but it's all I took trackside(too frustrated to care when it happened). I just unloaded the van last night, I'll take some of the front end apart and figure out where the oil came from.



Edit: WOW. Excuse that large image. I took that from my phone and it normally doesn't end up that big.
 
#28 ·
Shoot I couldn't tell ya, I've had a cold/bug for 2 weeks now and can't breathe through my nose. I can tell you that there was white clouds coming from the exhaust on decel. I'll start tearing the fairing off and move some stuff around to get better pics in a few hours. I'll still check with the shop to see how much it would be. And I need a compression tester anyways, so I'll see if I can pick up a good value one.
 
#30 · (Edited)
not coolant, white clouds from the exhaust is going to be oil
 
#29 ·
also if you do take it to a tech, dont let the service writer jack you around with tear down diag and all that bs. should be 1-2hrs max to determine that problem, unless there are internal engine issues, which i dont think there are.
 
#32 · (Edited)
this is correct, i meant to say that you would see smoke if the valve cover gasket is leaking and spewing oil. if you blew a head gasket, your engine temp would increase almost immediately
 
#33 ·
Finally got confirmation from the dealership. Everything is installed correctly, and the engine does in fact have a blown head gasket. But considering how late it is in the season and I have school starting next month the bike it going into storage. I'll drop the engine and fix her up over the winter when I'm back at home. Also picking up a 82 XJ 750 I won in a auction for $175, so I've got plenty of work to keep me busy. Thank you all for your input.
 
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