440 options

[Ruby Soho]

well im going to buy a 450 this winter, and that will be my race quad for next season, but i plan on keeping my ex, for a quad thats there for down time, and whatever. but theres a few things i wanna do to it to keep it fresh, right now its got an 11:1 440. by next year im thinking it will need a rebuild to freshen up. all i would need to do is replace the 89mm piston + rings, hone it and that should take care of the cylinder correct?

then for the head i want to replace that. im thinking maybe finding an ebay head or someone parting theirs out. reason being mine's valve cover bolts are almost all stripped (first owner over tightened EVERYTHING) and its just old. then when i get the new head ill install probably a new valvetrain, seals and a timing chain and that should keep it running good.

does that sound about right?

[Honda#4]

Port the head too or if one has it done, depending on how the inside of the cylinder wall looks you just may need a light hone job.

[Ruby Soho]

I plan on doing atleast a light job no matter what. I was considering porting the head but i figured it has plenty of power as is for a back up quad:p

[AZ440ex]

Souds good! Might check the clutch since your already going to have things apart. Look for grooving in the basket.

[hypersnyper6947]

The valve cover bolt holes in the cylinder head are really really easy to strip its going to happen with another head too, just heli coil them, it will be way stronger that way and you wont have to worry about it anymore. It should be cheaper that way also, then you got some money for the port job or stage 2 cam.

[Ruby Soho]

well right now i run a stage 3 cam. but the problem is theres 2 holes in my current head that have broken bolts inside the head and 2 previously heli-coiled (other owner did it) came out. im gonna see what i can do in maybe drilling and taping one size larger holes but we'll see when the time comes

[hypersnyper6947]

I broke the center bolt for the cover off in my cylinder head also, i sent my cylinder head to a local atv engine builder and had him get out the broken one and heli coil the others that needed it, it was pretty cheap and done by a pro. Before it would leak a bit of oil where the one needed heli coiled now its perfect. The local shop is called ATP (all terrain performance) in apopka fl, they were good and quick. I think im going to have him jet my carb i got from you on the dyno, he said $100 not to bad.

[Duke Nukem]

Originally posted by Ruby Soho
well im going to buy a 450 this winter, and that will be my race quad for next season, but i plan on keeping my ex, for a quad thats there for down time, and whatever. but theres a few things i wanna do to it to keep it fresh, right now its got an 11:1 440. by next year im thinking it will need a rebuild to freshen up. all i would need to do is replace the 89mm piston + rings, hone it and that should take care of the cylinder correct?

then for the head i want to replace that. im thinking maybe finding an ebay head or someone parting theirs out. reason being mine's valve cover bolts are almost all stripped (first owner over tightened EVERYTHING) and its just old. then when i get the new head ill install probably a new valvetrain, seals and a timing chain and that should keep it running good.

does that sound about right?


Hmm, Some of you need to learn a few tricks of the trade here!:macho If your going to Heli coil something do this. Put one in as normal, then take a second coil and break the bottoming tab off of it and put it in seating it lightly. Find a longer bolt (THE RIGHT SIZE THREAD!) and whalah! A double heli coil will hold (if done right), better than new..........And by & by if your 440 sleeve is worn to much, might have to get a new sleeve ok.

just trowing out my opinion here, if I were to do a 440 I would make it a 440 stroker. I have ridden both several times and the 440 stroker is so much more of a beast, it makes 440 big bores seem slow when you get off the 440 stroker.

440 stroker
port and polish
450r carb
stage 3 hotcam
good full free flowing exhaust
HD head studs
heavy duty timing chain

that would rip! but since your getting a 450 you probally want to throw money into that instead idk

[HondaRaceReady]

well im going to buy a 450 this winter, and that will be my race quad for next season, but i plan on keeping my ex, for a quad thats there for down time, and whatever. but theres a few things i wanna do to it to keep it fresh, right now its got an 11:1 440. by next year im thinking it will need a rebuild to freshen up. all i would need to do is replace the 89mm piston + rings, hone it and that should take care of the cylinder correct?
You were always saying your 440 could keep up with a 450r too. Nig9er says what?

[Ruby Soho]

it does. but i have to ride the **** out of it to keep up. so im getting a 450, thats stock, throw an exhaust on it and ill be able to go faster on it than i can on my EX, keeping it stock and reliable.

and i don't wanna do up the motor, since it already is built pretty decent. its just a backup but i wanna keep the 440 in it and not move down in cc.