Need HELP, Engine Bleww!!!

[JhallettEX]

Well I really screwed up today. It started when I decided to go riding, Anyways I was going around a turn and notice a smell, I didn't pay any attn. to it and went on down the track, as soon as I hit the next jump I see a big cloud of blew smoke coming up from the motor, (Oh S***) well I saw alot of oil just pouring out and I hurried up and shut it off, Had to push it about 300 yards back to the pits. Well I am not sure what happened, Probably a blown head gasket. Tell me ehat you guys think and also what I will have to know do. I really don't know much about this engine s***, will I have to replace the piston and whatnot? Please help I have a race on the 18th and need it to be done by then. Again thanks for any help.

[400exRacerX]

Get a pic,,, to me it sounds like a head gasket, lol.... now that you speak of it I was at the track today and my bike was leaking oil. But mine was leaking around the clutch linkage.

Were you revving high? Maybe you flipped a ring or something?

[JhallettEX]

Yes, I was revving high, what do you mean flipped a ring?

Have a broken ring, but head gasket sounds more likely now that i think of it

[JhallettEX]

So then what are you thinkin I need to do? Just replace the head gasket, what about the piston? I am thinkin now since I HAVE IT OPEN AGAIN i will upgrade cams.....Anyways let me know....Man this sucks..

[400exRacerX]

Yeah I hear you bro,,, do you have that cometic head gasket on your 416 right now???? Because I ran that gasket for about 30 minutes and I blew it to smitherines. I reccomend the OEM head gasket.

I know what it feels like, when you gotta spend money when you dont want to, I just snapped my swingarm today and I pissed, it sucks. But oh well!

Good Luck

Norm

[JhallettEX]

Yes I was using the cosmetic I got from Terry.

[400exRacerX]

I'm not too fond of those material gaskets,,, did you retorque it?

[Leo]

if you shut it off in time it might not be a complete disaster... if the headgasket did indeed blow I would suspect the first thing that starved for oil would be the cam lobes / rockers.. might not have any choice but to upgrade your camshaft .. :(

most of the motor parts are on ball bearings, and can survive a bit with no oil.. parts that have little tolerance for it include the cam lobes / rockers, and piston wall / piston..

step 1 - find out _exactly_ where the oil is coming from, before you take it apart..

step 2 - take the motor apart as needed to replace the failed part, and inspect for damage (if you've got the head off, might as well pull the jug off and have a look)..

when you used the comopsite cometic gasket did you re-torque the head after 20-30 mins run time..? personally I'm a big fan of MLS steel headgaskets (like the stock headgasket) I used a cometic kit in mine, but used an XR400 OEM headgasket.

Leo

[Dave400ex]

400exRacerX, Now you can get a Houser Swingarm to match your A-Arms. LOL.

excellent excuse to mod some more

[dawzie]

I have a 44o stroker built by Tom Miller Motorworks. Best of everything, complete with exhust, Lectron 36mm carb and rev box. Runs excellent, have all receipts $2500 OBO

[400exRacerX]

lol,,, I dont think hes gonna want a new motor over a blown head gasket.

[JhallettEX]

Leo, or anyone else I guess......... When you say find out where the oil is coming from how would I go about doing this without starting the engine up?

Also, has anyone found out any info on the HOT CAMS that Dennis Kirk was going to be selling? Are they any good? Please let me know I think that I am going to go ahead and upgrade while I have it open but don't want to put that much into her, ie; hard faced rockers, stiffer valves, etc. I just want a really good drop in cam. Please let me know about this info. Thanks

Congratulations! Looks like the "soon to come" on your sig will be relocated to "on order" ! Wow, I wish I could torch my motor . . . again. :D

[PsychoDave]

i am a bit glad that i had a problem with my head cover bolts.....because i had to take the head cover off i decided to re-torque the head...the bolts were very loose...i would say about 10 ft.lbs before the re-torque. JHallett i think your quad is ok. just look at the cam carefully. it is def a good excuse to upgrade a bit more.....good luck and sorry to heasr about the prob.

[JhallettEX]

Guys I need some help as far as a choice for a drop in cam. I really am interested in the Hot Cams stage 2 but as you all know they are not out yet. Does anyone have another choice for a cam. I want a straight drop in. Also what gasket kit should I be ordering? Not the cosmetic. I have heard some talk about useing the xr400 gaskets b/c they will give you comp. Whats up? Let me know.

[Dave400ex]

For the Cam I would get a TC or Sparks. Where do you want more Power at? The TC MX Cam is a all around Cam. I`m not real sure on the Sparks Drop-In Cams.

[JhallettEX]

Someone asked for some pics so here they are, if you can tell anything from the pics please let me know. Also Leo said to find out exactly where the oil is coming from, How do I go about doing this? Please advise.

[JhallettEX]

2nd view

[JhallettEX]

3rd

[JhallettEX]

Last one, this is in front of the motor, you can see the spark plug wire. This is were I think the oil was shooting out from.

[Leo]

it's hard to see in the pictures..

can you tell by looking closely where the majority of the oil seemed like it was coming from? it usually runs down + back, just try to trace it back to the source (if you can)..

even if you can't tell where it was coming from your likely going to have to take it apart and check it over (to be on the safe side)..

I used an OEM Honda gasket kit for the 400EX (needed new vavle cap o-rings, etc..) along with an XR400 headgasket..

I had a cometic kit laying around so I used the cylinder base gasket out of it as it was a bit thinner than the OEM one..

As far as the drop in cam goes, can't really help you out.. Seems to be lots of conflicting information floating around out there about what needs hardened rockers, and what doesn't..

I'm giving pretty serious consideration to one of Four Stroke Tech's add-on oil coolers though, looks like it might help the camshaft / rockers last longer..

Leo

[Castor-426ex]

check the rubber o-rings on the valve caps...could be there..by the looks of it on one of the pics.....check da head pipe...head gasket more than likely....

[JhallettEX]

OK thanks for the good info, Although what would they head pipe have to do with it? If it matters any, one of the headpipe flanges has a rather ackward worp to it, you may be able to see it in the pics, if not o well, could this be a potential problem?

[knighttime]

Dude, u gotta tear it completely apart again. :(

And, put it back together so its "tight", meaning "perfect".

I'm not sure if this was your prob, but the cylinder head can be kinda "cocked" and not press evenly on the gasket, even though the bolts have been correctly torqued. When u put it back together again, make sure u gradually "torque up" all the head bolts.

Good luck

p.s. If u go with any other cam than the xr400, make sure u get your rockers hardened, and get some better springs, etc. to be on the safe side.