Posts
11
Joined
4/7/2025
Location
Longview, TX
US
So problem is as title states. Spent some time looking for a head, found one, got opinions from the forums. Looked great so I got it. Welp, every single journal looks dang good except for one, which i dont know how it happens where the caps dont have damage but the head does but holy smokes this thing is probably done for. Have a look, lmk what yall think.
I feel for you bro, but if you have disassembled that engine in that condition, you are looking to make more headaches for yourself down the road.
Return that thing for a refund. You can't run it like that. Obviously.
Maybe if you know a good machinist. But, a refund if you can.
Do these bikes/quads have a manual cam chain tensioner? It looks like that journal was really overloaded, or oil starved with normal load.
I personally would consider cleaning up and running depending on plans for use. Neighborhood/local cruising dual sport it might be ok. Race bike or far out ADV tour? Maybe not. I cleaned up and ran a Honda XR200 that was similar long ago when cheap/poor.
Side note: I saw this on a Texas forum. Maybe this guy has heads in better shape:
https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/dr350-engines-75040.138272/#post-2006471
The Shop
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Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
You’d be surprised what you can get away with.
Recently I had a CRF250R 2020 where the intake cam had picked up in the head due to oil starvation.
The owner had no money so he asked what was worth trying..
with nothing to lose I found a socket with an O.D the same as the camshaft, used valve grinding paste on it and slowly passed it through on a drill.
I probably stopped, cleaned it up and assembled the camshaft in half a dozen times until I got it nice.
He’s been successfully racing it for six months now.
Yeah I was surprised too..
A mechanic I know ordered a new head for a moto Guzzi he was repairing. Opened the box and new new head was a raw casting, never machined. Not like Guzzi spare parts are that common place.
Messaged him, only had cap and cam unfortunately
Returned the other one, found this one on eBay. What do yall think? 100% better than the first, but still looks scratched
Thats incredible, sounds like something i wouldve done in high school lol. Wish i had the guts to do it now
New? Used? looks 100 hours old in all ways to me?
Unusable
The one i just posted pics of is unusable?
That 2nd one will probably clean up fine.
Heres the one I got, the only part that makes me iffy is the wear mark on the rocker arm, and the burned oil look in the bottom of the head. Does this look majorly concerning? I plan on checking the journals with a bore gauge.
Whats the process for emery cloth and cleaning everything up? Is there a grit i shouldnt go lower than?
This one looks good right? Not sure what all I’m looking at, but it looks good - the curved part that’s cleaned. It’s looks 100% better than the broken one you showed earlier.
Post a reply to: Just got a new head in…with journal damage