Hey all,
I recently undertook an engine rebuild on my '87, and I thought I'd tape the process and put it on the web to share. I tried my best to film every step, (though the bike was basically detrimmed already) and I'll be following the FSM process closely.

The bike was done recently by the previous owner, but I think he might have reused the gaskets since the bike had several oil leaks, as well as low compression in cyl 3. I also suspect that he only did the topend, though I won't know for sure until I crack the case

I'll post the episodes as they are completed - I know it's a cliche but the video editing takes longer than the work so I've got a pile of footage to assemble into something resembling entertainment, or at least entertainment for the sort of folks who already like this sort of thing. Also figure it might be helpful for anyone who's considering the job, but unsure what it entails. It can be an intimidating job if you don't know what you're in for, but in my opinion, it's also one of the most satisfying to complete

I've got a pretty high degree of familiarity with the subject but by training I'm a bodyman, not a mechanic. Doesn't take a lot of specialty tools, though it does take a variety of precision measurement tools to do it decently. Being meticulous helps. Being organized is essential. Having a giant budget for parts would also help, but is not applicable in my case, so we won't be modifying the engine or throwing a ton of money chasing horsepower. If all goes to plan we'll be sticking to the basics - gaskets, seals, rings, and bearings if necessary

Also, it needs to be said that there's a lot that can go wrong with an engine. Go figure, she's got lot of moving parts, any of which can fail and damage the parts next to it. Hence, diagnosis isn't covered here. Also, the rebuild process on a worn or running engine like this will be very different from the process on a seized or blown engine. I can't cover every real world eventuality in some silly youtube video so if you're not sure what's going on with your bike's powerplant, best to find/hire someone who can properly diagnose the problem, and advise on options. That said, the more you know, the better that conversation will go

With all that out of the way, here's the link to Episode 1: Cylinder Head Removal. Enjoy!

 

...and here's the link to Episode 2: Cylinder Head Service

 

Excellent, methodical and well thought out, cant wait for the next instalment,

 

Thank you sir. Wait no more!

In Episode 3 we go into the cylinders and pistons. It's a bit shorter than the previous episodes, owing to the relative simplicity of the assembly in question


Apparently the dry weight of these engines is like 187 lbs. Not super psyched about crankcase removal in episode 4

 

Again great video, and a good demonstration for other engine builders

 

Looks like a lot of work went into your vids, much appreciated.

I too had a smokey problem, mine was fixed by throwing thousands of dollars at the local stealership.

I look forward to more...your clutch hyd system o/haul was quite informative too.

 

Glad you like them. I had to go try and find your rebuild thread again. I'm sure I read it once years back. Sounds like our bikes were in a similar state - even down to the rings on 3. Did the Vesrah kit work out? I'm not sure what mine had on it but the valve cover gasket had to be stretched in place. Totally unsuitable

What's saved me so far is that the previous owner didn't modify anything. Yours was a quite a bit more tricky with the overbore and cylinder damage and backwards pistons and cracked cam retainer etc. For what it's worth, spending a couple grand on it was the right call. You could have easily spent twice that at a lot of shops. Plus, you're out riding yours and a lot of us are stuck inside fixing ours

 

Still no oil leaks after 5 years and about 5000klm so I would say that the Vesrah is good kit, made in Japan gear usually is.

I am glad I spent the money to get it fixed, I just love it, it pulls like a train from 4k up, makes it a pleasure to ride not having to chase gears if one is feeling lazy but, when it is needed there is more than enough power for most needs....

 

Yeah they're awesome bikes. Even in her sorry state mine used to fire right up on the first crank. All Honda. Reminded me of a three-legged dog the way it just wanted to go go go. Now we're almost at reassy stage and suddenly I'm the one that wants to go go go

I've got my parts but the factory kits will run out sooner or later so good to know there's some good quality aftermarket

 

Part four's up. Waiting on yet another parts order so between my time spent in front of the parts washer and catching up on some other small nags, I should have time to sort through some video footage and get part five out fairly quickly