4 Stroke woes....

Friday
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Friday
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 6:53pm
I've been riding and racing big bore 4 strokes since 2000. Never dropped a valve,piston,ring,rod,etc. Nothing! Never so much as a hiccup.Well,I guess I was due. I love my 07 CRF 450. I run all my bikes stock. Not even a pipe. Just suspension work. I've got 160 hours on my CRF. I've kept filter and oil clean and adjusted valves every 40 hours or so. I actually pulled a holeshot 2 weeks ago so the bike still runs great. Well,I went to Piru today. Unloaded,dressed and started the bike. Warmed it for a couple minutes and slowly putted thru the pits. The bike died and I pulled in clutch and bumped it to restart. It didn't start. I then tried to kick but it wouldn't turn over. I messed with it and eventually it freed up. Actually kick started it and warmed it up. Started to go back on the track and heard some weird engine noise. So I shut her down and loaded up. Sounds like my first engine overhaul on a fourstroke is here. I'm guessing $1200 bucks........which I don't have currently. Ok 2 smoke guys. Laugh it up! Tongue Oh,well. It could have locked up on that 100ft step up I did last ride, so I'll count my blessings. Wink
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OW38B
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OW38B 7/6/2009 1:45pm
7/6/2009 1:45pm
That's a bummer.

I'm a 2 stroke guy but I do not want anyones bike to break for them or for them to get injured.

Hopefully it's not that bad.
drummer dude
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drummer dude 7/6/2009 1:48pm
7/6/2009 1:48pm
Glad she didnt lock up on ya out on the track. and yes,im a 2 stroke guy,but i like the 4 strokes too.dont worry, im not laughing. 1200 bucks is alot of cabbage to shell out....

The Shop

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Trip
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Trip 7/6/2009 1:50pm
7/6/2009 1:50pm
Damn Bryan, I feel your pain.. I was putting mine back together yesterday and I find out one of the bolt holes that hold the cam shaft down is stripped. I'm thinking I could heila coil (sp?) it? Dr. says I can't ride for a month anyway, so I have time. Guess that's what I get for ebaying the part. Good thing is I have another head, I just didn't want to switch out the valves. When these 4 strokes go bang, they do it in an expensive way. Good luck!!
Friday
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Friday 7/6/2009 1:55pm
7/6/2009 1:55pm
drummer dude wrote:
Glad she didnt lock up on ya out on the track. and yes,im a 2 stroke guy,but i like the 4 strokes too.dont worry, im not...
Glad she didnt lock up on ya out on the track. and yes,im a 2 stroke guy,but i like the 4 strokes too.dont worry, im not laughing. 1200 bucks is alot of cabbage to shell out....
Yeah, and that is just an estimate from the guys I've spoken to on the phone who know the bike well. On the good side,I just rode a new 09 Honda 450 and I prefered mine. The power wasn't as quick or strong on mine but mine steers better and has better stability and suspension. So,if I get by with $1200 for an overhaul, the bike will have to do me thru 2011. But the engine will be new. I'll just freshen the suspension(which I love) and put on some new plastic. I have a fused right wrist so actually the quick punch of the 09 was not to my liking. Same with the 2 stroke. Too quick considering my wrist won't shut off the gas. I have to use my shoulder and elbo.Unsure
Matt Fisher
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Matt Fisher 7/6/2009 2:16pm
7/6/2009 2:16pm
A big ol' flywheel weight on a well set up 250 pinger sounds like it might work pretty well for your needs.....Wink

Good to hear you didn't get bucked off though.
Racer92
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Racer92 7/6/2009 2:22pm
7/6/2009 2:22pm
I guess thumpers are like smoking cigarettes, you know its gonna cost you in the long run - you just put it out of your mind until stuff goes wrong.

Hope the repair bill isnt too bad.

race
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race 7/6/2009 2:25pm
7/6/2009 2:25pm
Not going to say anything ....


... except how's the Mooser doing?

newmann
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newmann 7/6/2009 2:30pm
7/6/2009 2:30pm
I've had two fairly low hour 250F's scatter and they were about $2200.00 each to fix. Big mess inside each of them though! Maybe you'll get lucky at only $1200.00. I would have just rolled one of mine out for garbage pickup if it weren't for all the magnesium, titanium and carbon fiber crap on it. The other one was nearly new.
Friday
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Friday 7/6/2009 2:51pm
7/6/2009 2:51pm
race wrote:
Not going to say anything ....


... except how's the Mooser doing?

Laughing Moose is doing great,thanks. Ya know,I'm not all that pissed. I mean,I think I caught it before the total thing Grenaded but sure it's more than a 2 smoke. I've had really good luck on 4's and have a much better ride on 4's than I do on 2 strokes. I've grown up on both. It was only a matter of time before I had to pay up. I'll keep a running tab on the rebuild. I ride more now than I ever did on my 2 strokes too.
mosslander
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mosslander 7/6/2009 3:11pm
7/6/2009 3:11pm
Buy a smoker for training bike and use the thumpher for race.
mxdad
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mxdad 7/6/2009 3:17pm
7/6/2009 3:17pm
You can buy a complete oem flow ported head with Ferrea valves,springs, etc with a JE piston kit from Ron Hamp (RHC) for under $1100.

For the 160 hours you have on the bike that works out to $6.87 per hour for the greatest pleasure on earth. Cheap.

kaboom645 7/6/2009 3:23pm
7/6/2009 3:23pm
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.
Trip
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Trip 7/6/2009 3:24pm
7/6/2009 3:24pm
kaboom645 wrote:
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took...
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.
OUCH!!!
calimxer91
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calimxer91 7/6/2009 3:25pm
7/6/2009 3:25pm
I'll rent you my XR600 for cheap.Never adjusted anything and its a 95.No ,sorry to hear.Next time I get a Monday off I wanna hit PIRU.
race
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race 7/6/2009 3:38pm
7/6/2009 3:38pm
kaboom645 wrote:
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took...
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.





Four-stroke grenades are very effective, but they do have some significant disadvantages. One problem is their unpredictability: The delay time until explosion may vary from 20 hours to 160 hours.
Big Lenny
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Big Lenny 7/6/2009 3:43pm
7/6/2009 3:43pm
I'm glad it broke down...









Before you got on the track my friend...Wink

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R-acer
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R-acer 7/6/2009 3:54pm
7/6/2009 3:54pm
kaboom645 wrote:
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took...
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.
$4300 to fix a 450 engine? when the whole new bike is $5600?
I got some land in Florida I would like to sell you cheap.

BTW, you can buy brand new complete take out engines on ebay for $2000-$2500. Complete with shifter to kick starter and carb to ignition ready to bolt in, from "keepitroosting"

Here is an example... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-HONDA-CRF250-CRF-250-CRF250R-ENGINE…
Friday
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Friday 7/6/2009 4:00pm
7/6/2009 4:00pm
Good stuff guys. You all have me smiling.Or at least smirking.Tongue
JYZ566
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JYZ566 7/6/2009 4:04pm
7/6/2009 4:04pm
kaboom645 wrote:
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took...
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.
R-acer wrote:
$4300 to fix a 450 engine? when the whole new bike is $5600? I got some land in Florida I would like to sell you cheap...
$4300 to fix a 450 engine? when the whole new bike is $5600?
I got some land in Florida I would like to sell you cheap.

BTW, you can buy brand new complete take out engines on ebay for $2000-$2500. Complete with shifter to kick starter and carb to ignition ready to bolt in, from "keepitroosting"

Here is an example... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-HONDA-CRF250-CRF-250-CRF250R-ENGINE…
Yup, I bought an 08 frame and swingarm for 700 total so I could get YZ bucks this year. Cheap.
RNagy052
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RNagy052 7/6/2009 5:33pm
7/6/2009 5:33pm
Until you tear it down you really won't know the total costs. If your bottom end is fine, and you do the labor yourself you can probably get by for less than that 1,200 range.

I just re-did the whole top end on my 06 CRF250 a few months ago using all brand new OEM parts and I fell right right in the 700 - 800 range. That was for a new cylinder, piston, rings, wrist pin, circlips, gaskets, new head, valves, springs, etc... The 450 parts might be a little more but I doubt 500 dollars more.

Was that 160 hours on the piston too? or did you change that out every X hours?






Friday
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Friday 7/6/2009 6:50pm
7/6/2009 6:50pm
RNagy052 wrote:
Until you tear it down you really won't know the total costs. If your bottom end is fine, and you do the labor yourself you can...
Until you tear it down you really won't know the total costs. If your bottom end is fine, and you do the labor yourself you can probably get by for less than that 1,200 range.

I just re-did the whole top end on my 06 CRF250 a few months ago using all brand new OEM parts and I fell right right in the 700 - 800 range. That was for a new cylinder, piston, rings, wrist pin, circlips, gaskets, new head, valves, springs, etc... The 450 parts might be a little more but I doubt 500 dollars more.

Was that 160 hours on the piston too? or did you change that out every X hours?






160 hours on everything. Changed the spark plug when I had valves adjusted. Nothing else. I'm actually surprised things didn't explode and send shrapnel into my nutz.Dry
CR250Rider
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CR250Rider 7/6/2009 7:06pm
7/6/2009 7:06pm
R-acer is right, just buy a whole new engine, prob cheaper in the long run.

or just buy a smoker, my 02CR250 prob has 1,000 hours and runs better than new

piston every other year, rings every year


AJ
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AJ 7/6/2009 7:07pm
7/6/2009 7:07pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 12:47am
kaboom645 wrote:
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took...
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.
OUCH,

and we sell complete new engines..

for about about half that bill.


just sayin' Wink





more than a few vital drivers have bough them



http://www.servicehonda.com/parts/engines.html
jonjon714
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jonjon714 7/6/2009 8:07pm
7/6/2009 8:07pm
kaboom645 wrote:
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took...
I just got my 450 back from the dealer after a valve spring broke and it dropped a valve. That caused a chain reaction that took out everything but the cases. Total repair bill was right at $4300. Good news is I now have a new engine and tranny on my bike...err wait a minute.. my bike was only 3 months old and had less than 20hrs on it and Yamaha refused to warranty it(at least that is what the dealer told me)...Atleast you got a fair amount of time out of yours before it let go.
Sounds like you got the dealer special....Whistling

jmar
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jmar 7/6/2009 9:46pm
7/6/2009 9:46pm
What everyone is not getting is that the fact that he has been riding the thumpers for nine years now and this is the first big motor failure.

I would say that's a pretty good reliability rating.
Friday
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Friday 7/6/2009 11:20pm
7/6/2009 11:20pm
jmar wrote:
What everyone is not getting is that the fact that he has been riding the thumpers for nine years now and this is the first big...
What everyone is not getting is that the fact that he has been riding the thumpers for nine years now and this is the first big motor failure.

I would say that's a pretty good reliability rating.
True. That's why I'm not flipping out.Cool
Crush
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Crush 7/7/2009 5:24am
7/7/2009 5:24am
This is the defining reason I just bought a KTM 300exc instead of the CRF450x...

Hope you get it sorted soon Bro...
iro
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iro 7/7/2009 5:24am
7/7/2009 5:24am
sorry to hear but at least it didn't happen on the track. wish i was as lucky! mine let go on the face of a jump. nothin like full throttle to fealing something funny at the bottom of the face and then a backfire / lockup as the front wheel is leavin the lip!

doctors bills / time out of work cost me wayyyy more than the motor fix so be happy Smile

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