How many times a year do you rebuild?

[Crazy lil punk]

How often do you rebuild your top end? I recently purchased an 87 250r and i blew the top end last week. ive herd people rebuild twice a season, is that the case for everyone? How often do you rebuild?

[my88r]

depends on how much you ride usually every 3 months rings and every 6 months pistion. but there is many other ways.

[georgedoggy]

i rebuild twice a year. once i do the bottom end and crank rebuild and the other just the top end. cheap insurance....

[Crazy lil punk]

isn't it a pain in the @$$ to change the top end though? Can anyone give me a detailed routine?

[Crazy lil punk]

btw- I ride almost once a weekend for about 2-5 hours

[cdrookie]

it couldn't be easier to change the top end!

and i usually get a few years out of a top end. just keep the air filter clean and oiled, let it warm up to operating temp before riding, and use a good quality oil at a consistant ratio. i use to ride almost everyday, back in the day, never blew an engine.

[Crazy lil punk]

Originally posted by cdrookie
it couldn't be easier to change the top end!

and i usually get a few years out of a top end. just keep the air filter clean and oiled, let it warm up to operating temp before riding, and use a good quality oil at a consistant ratio. i use to ride almost everyday, back in the day, never blew an engine.

about how long does it take? and do I need any special tools?

[cdrookie]

it can be as fast or slow as you want it to be.if you have everything at your side 2 hours should do it, being it's your first time. nothing special, just be careful with the wrist pin circlips(don't drop them in the crankcase). get a service manual, it'll tell and show you how to do it.

[C-LEIGH RACING]

I've seen some 250R top ends at the races changed out in less than a hour & some bore & fit a piston between the heat & main events.
When your at a race & running for points, you would be surprized what skilled workers can do real fast, like a fine oiled machine.

My daughters 330R, I built the engine in 2004 for a practice bike & it ran the 05 & 06 local & national race seasons & the only thing touched was to replace a head dome because of a cross threaded plug hole.
Neil

[SWIGIN]

i would get all race season out of my q-racer 250 back in the 90s....and even throw skies on the front and run it all winter

then in early spring id freshen it up

id only run yama-lube oil mixed at 32-1

[Crazy lil punk]

thanks for the responses, Now I hear people talking about something you have to measure by like 1/4000 for clearence? whats that about? And the manual will explain a top end change right? Can I get a manual at my local honda dealer?

[Scott-300ex]

Yeh you can get a manual at your Honda shop.

For top end, just take off front and rear plastics(clip in back and 4 bolts for front), gas tank, snorkel, head stay(motor mount), plug wire, Head(6 bolts), Jug(4 bolts), pull the jug off, clip the wrist pin springs out push the pin out, put it back together.

Get new gaskets, jug and head, and FOLLOW THE TORQE SPECS.

[Crazy lil punk]

Originally posted by Scott-300ex
Yeh you can get a manual at your Honda shop.

For top end, just take off front and rear plastics(clip in back and 4 bolts for front), gas tank, snorkel, head stay(motor mount), plug wire, Head(6 bolts), Jug(4 bolts), pull the jug off, clip the wrist pin springs out push the pin out, put it back together.

Get new gaskets, jug and head, and FOLLOW THE TORQE SPECS.

thanks, that helps alot, I need to buy a whole new head? where could I get one of those?

[Scott-300ex]

Nah man, you just need a new head GASKET.

When you start doin the rebuild you'll be like man this is easy.

[86 Quad R]

i've been running three years on my last build and still has the same compression as "day one".

as mentioned, the key is to keep that filter clean and the oil changed.

after the initial fresh build and the engine has been broke in. a compression check should be done and then noted. as part of maintanance. its wise to routinly do a compression check, once the compression has dropped about 10-12 percent, it's time to look into the engine for a freshin up.

[Crazy lil punk]

alright guys, thanks for putting up with my "newb questions"