well ive got quite a problem on my hands

[HondaRacing83]

like the title says-ok heres how it goes.Yesterday i decided to check my oil to see how it was and it was kinda low(keep in mind we just changed it about 2weeks ago and i havnt rode it to too much)well i went to ride it today and remeber it was low on oil,so we added some yamalube to the GN4 and(same viscosity and everything) well i was riding it and my dad noticed that it was smoking and it smelled like oil was burning,so i stopped riding it.so what does this mean?engine needs rebuilt im guessing,which if it does this makes me mad cuz its only an 05'

[slightlybent47]

Why don’t you just change the oil again and don’t mix them and see what it dose first. Could be the two oils did not blend well, I’d defiantly try that before I do a rebuild.

[HondaRacing83]

well,it was burning oil in the first place though,also i think the engine was just really hot because i let engine cool down and i just went out and started it and revved up and no smoke! but i still think its burning oil,my dad didnt smell any oil though so idk,what would cause it to burn oil?i dont ride it too to hard,i mean i ride it!but not hard enough to like blow it up.do i need new rings in my piston?carb need cleaned?

[CJM]

rings more than likely, but your valve seals could be bad too.

[HondaRacing83]

my valves do need adjusted,but how could it be the rings when its never had a pipe,its never been rejetted?its all stock engine wise

[4reeds]

What does a pipe or jetting have to do with rings? If it's burning oil,i'd lean towards rings.Starting it and revving it before the oil gets moving can cause damage.

[HondaRacing83]

ahlright thanks, but another problem for me is keeping the engine cool,its been heating up real fast lately im leaning towards some air shrouds anyone know where i can get some cheap?

[TRXRacer1]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
my valves do need adjusted,but how could it be the rings when its never had a pipe,its never been rejetted?its all stock engine wise Has it ever been ridden? That's all you need to wear an engine. An 05 model is already 6 yrs old and these aren't nikasil plated cylinders. You could be due for service. Take it apart, get it measured and see what it needs.

[TRXRacer1]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
ahlright thanks, but another problem for me is keeping the engine cool,its been heating up real fast lately im leaning towards some air shrouds anyone know where i can get some cheap? Shrouds suck as in pointless. It's an air cooled engine that comes lean from the factory. No doubt it gets hot. If anything look into the spal mod.

[CJM]

Not valves, valve seals-they are special rubber seals on the inside of the head on the end of the valves.

[HondaRacing83]

well i just priced some stuff out,piston rings are about $25,Valve seals(including top end gaskets)are also about $25,air shrouds are about $50,but how much is the spal fan mod?

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by CJM
Not valves, valve seals-they are special rubber seals on the inside of the head on the end of the valves. i know

[TRXRacer1]

Add in the price of a piston and bore too. Most likely it's due for a complete job but you wont know till you get it measured.

[HondaRacing83]

hmmm okk then

[slightlybent47]

Shrouds won’t do anything if you’re not moving; if it is stock then you shouldn’t be having heat problems, maybe your not moving fast enough to keep it cool. i.e. putting around.
I would ride it some more and see what it dose, but keep a close eye on it.
It may have just had some carbon build up and is not letting the valves seat properly. Ride it real hard and see if it blows the carbon out and stops smoking.

Sometimes they will blow smoke for a minuet and clear up and never do it again, so investigate it real good before you tear it down.

A stock ex shouldn’t be over heating unless you’re riding to slow and it’s extremely hot outside. And it is hot this summer, what was the air temp when you were riding it and it overheated?

[TRXRacer1]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
hmmm okk then LOL, it's your ride :rolleyes:

[HondaRacing83]

i dont put around and it was about 75-80 degrees

[CJM]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
i know
sorry when you said valves it hought you misunderstood.

Wait a bit and ride it again, could have some condensation too.

[slightlybent47]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
i dont put around and it was about 75-80 degrees

Well that shouldn’t be the problem then, I’ve ridden my built 416 hard in 100+ degrease without any problem. I still say change the oil and try it again, see what it dose.

[HondaRacing83]

im thinking i might

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by TRXRacer1
Add in the price of a piston and bore too. Most likely it's due for a complete job but you wont know till you get it measured. actually no it cant be the piston,my dads buddys has a 2002 400ex that still has stock everything and he rides it just as hard as i do,i know other people like this also,its prob just the rings/valve seals

[TRXRacer1]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
actually no it cant be the piston,my dads buddys has a 2002 400ex that still has stock everything and he rides it just as hard as i do,i know other people like this also,its prob just the rings/valve seals You're better then even the best mechanics in the world if you think you KNOW what the inside of your engine looks like before even opening it up. Rarely is it rings on these old style cast iron sleeves and just because you know someone that has had a great deal of luck doesn't mean you can rule out anything. Just trying to give you heads up to what you need to do and if the truth isn't something you're into then please post up some good pics of your ride so when you don't even bother to measure it we all know what bike not to buy if you ever sell it.

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by TRXRacer1
You're better then even the best mechanics in the world if you think you KNOW what the inside of your engine looks like before even opening it up. Rarely is it rings on these old style cast iron sleeves and just because you know someone that has had a great deal of luck doesn't mean you can rule out anything. Just trying to give you heads up to what you need to do and if the truth isn't something you're into then please post up some good pics of your ride so when you don't even bother to measure it we all know what bike not to buy if you ever sell it. no i know numerous people like this,infact my case is the first ive heard of this,but it was because it was hot though,it doesnt seem to be burning oil anymore because i checked it yesterday and its fairly good and really isnt low at all.it was burning cause it was hot.its not burning anymore.i still might replace valve seals though but im not 100% sure until i get into the motor like you said TRXRACER1

[CJM]

Heres what recently happened to me:

I had my quad tuned at a local honda dealer, I felt it was running great-no backfiring or popping.

I took it for a ride to pennsylvania where it was very hard to get out of 2nd gear the entire time.

After coming back the next day I rode around and noticed bluish-white smoke under hard accel or decel.

I checked the obvious, and all signs pointed to rings so I opened her up. What I found was the cyl was worn a bit and out of spec with my crude tools (a dial caliper is about 80% good for this kinda thing but trust me it was worn the piston had no problem moving freely! and I could see light between it and the cyl walls).

So I rebuilt the topend and all is well again. I had no issues before the tune, so imho it was too lean Im willing to bet-but then again i bought it-its an 00 and of course used and abused so who really knows.

So just cause you think you know, doesnt mean you truly do-the determining factor for me to rebuild is I also ran a compression test and got barely 90psi, so I knew something was up.

[HondaRacing83]

ya,well its starting to look like a full rebuild....:/

[HondaRacing83]

thinking bout doing a 416 or 426 since im rebuilding it

[MidnightBlade]

just get a honing tool and pull the cyl off and hone it, then do valve seals and rings. youll have to re-break it in since it is on a scratched cyl. then id say go to a 42 pilot to richen it up a bit. do you have the 148 or 146 main?

[CJM]

Originally posted by MidnightBlade
just get a honing tool and pull the cyl off and hone it, then do valve seals and rings. youll have to re-break it in since it is on a scratched cyl. then id say go to a 42 pilot to richen it up a bit. do you have the 148 or 146 main?

That will only work if the piston and cyl are still inspec, if they arent then you gotta bore/hone it no matter what.

the specs are in the repair manual btw.

[MidnightBlade]

oh ok then id go to the 416 11:1 if it is too jacked up, that way you got some sleeve left for future mistakes if you know what i mean ;) . oh and get some GT thunder headstuds while you got her opened up

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by MidnightBlade
just get a honing tool and pull the cyl off and hone it, then do valve seals and rings. youll have to re-break it in since it is on a scratched cyl. then id say go to a 42 pilot to richen it up a bit. do you have the 148 or 146 main? stock jets so idk

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by MidnightBlade
oh ok then id go to the 416 11:1 if it is too jacked up, that way you got some sleeve left for future mistakes if you know what i mean ;) . oh and get some GT thunder headstuds while you got her opened up still not sure if its gonna be a full rebuild though-it might just be valve seals and poss. rings.

[CJM]

Only way to find out is to take it apart and see :p

get a dial caliper and use it to take some measurements or take your cyl to a machine shop and ask them to measure your bore for a few bucks (bit more accurate than the dial caliper).

In my case you could CLEARLY see that the piston and cyl were bad without measuring-you could see inbetween the rings and the cyl with ease. I removed both and put the piston in the cyl and you could see light on the edges and it had to much play. I redid mine to 416.

total cost for me was like 400-500 bucks between new 11:1 piston, bore, Gt thunder studs, stg 2 hotcam, and misc gaskets and parts.