Found my ticking noise...that was close

[WoodTRD]

Began my teardown for the 87mm 11:1 piston and HD head studs today and in the process I figured out why my ex was ticking, how I didn't grenade my motor I have no idea. One of the cam sprocket bolts was pretty much destroyed and just barely laying in the threaded hole it normally sits in. I just grabbed it and pulled straight out. One more ride and I would have most likely been investing in a new motor. The other was beginning to work its way loose as well. Apparently this is why you are supposed to use thread locker on them...lesson learned.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/c9eea500.jpg

Notice anything funny about the one on the right? Luckily the threads on the flange are still fine so all I'm out is a cam sprocket bolt. Didn't see any shavings in the oil when I drained it either and on closer inspection the cam chain and guides seem to be in perfect shape, so I'm not going to worry about replacing them this rebuild. At least I now know what my ticking was and don't have to spend $130 on guides and a chain. If that bolt would have fallen out though...don't want to think about it.

[Reece616]

WOWZA!!

That is close haha
I dunno how that didn't come out.

If it was me, I think I would at least replace the chain. The crf450 chain is like 35 bucks

[dxcody]

Actually not as bad as you'd think.

Cam sprocket came off on me while i was riding.

Didnt really damage anything. Just bent the sprocket.

had some metal shavings in my motor from where it ground into the head, nothing bad just minor scratches.

But glad you found it before it happened.

[ride red 14]

do yourself a favor and replace the camchain. cheap and easy to do now, versus later when it stretches and you wonder where that next noise is coming from.

[CJM]

ALWAYS use blue loctite, have since day one. Cheap insurance.

[Reece616]

I used red on the cam sprocket bolts on mine.

I thought the manual said that, but I just checked and ut says (locking agent)

[CJM]

Originally posted by Reece616
I used red on the cam sprocket bolts on mine.

I thought the manual said that, but I just checked and ut says (locking agent)

Red means you wont ever be able to get it off without using a torch.

[Reece616]

I'll just use a nice long breaker bar haha

[CJM]

I bet the bolts snap before you get them off lol.

[Reece616]

Then that'll be right in line with basically everything I work on haha

[b0rn c0nfused]

Dam* bro that valve cover is screamin for a wire brush!

[TheAwesomehonda]

That is why I always use the clymer manual every time I do some motor work for the first time.... It said to use medium (blue) thread locking compound but i'm having the ticking problem on my 01 BAD i'm sure it is the cam chain and or tentioner though.

[WoodTRD]

I'll probably go ahead and do the timing chain too while I have the motor apart, its not bad in price compared to the guides. I used the Honda manual but didn't have any loc tite on hand and just torqued them to spec...won't do that again, it calls for it for a reason.

Yea the valve cover needs cleaned badly, it's the most dirty part of my motor. Kinda hard to get to when the bike is put together haha.

I've done a little more work on it today, I'll see if I can get some pics up from my phone.

[WoodTRD]

Before I started tearing it apart:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/6ba05c40.jpg
It's getting a 11:1 87mm wiseco piston, HD head studs, swapping my sparks key back out for the stocker, crf450 timing chain, and various odds and ends. Got tired of spending more time digging out tools than actually working on my bike and figured this would save alot of time.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/0c7d98b9.jpg

Needed new brake pads, don't know if the fronts had ever been changed and its a 04.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/b72b5803.jpg

The pin plugs were frozen on one side, even after letting them soak in liquid wrench overnight. Impact driver broke em loose finally.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/c5f14a8a.jpg


Got the sidecover and flywheel off, swapped the sparks key back out with the stocker, and now am waiting on gaskets.

87mm 11:1 wiseco next to my carbon coated stocker. Nice and shiny.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/997f8bc8.jpg

Now I'm pretty much waiting on gaskets and machine work. I'm pumped, the weather is just now starting to get good for riding here.

[Stickman400]

Shaping up to be a nice build. Do that beast a favor though and clean that motor. Use Eagle One Mag Cleaner and scrub the hell outta it.

[CJM]

Damn man, ya need to wash that thing with a pressure washer or something lol.

GL with the build, buy yourself a stage 2 hotcam too.

[gojk]

I don't know if you meant it literally, but that piston on the right is not a stock piston.

[WoodTRD]

Originally posted by gojk
I don't know if you meant it literally, but that piston on the right is not a stock piston.

I thought they were awfully close in size, the wiseco is just BARELY bigger. I don't really have anything to measure that accurately with, I just always assumed it was still on its stock bore. It has KCY on it but I couldn't find a size.

Yea it needs cleaned some more, scary part is I washed it before I wheeled it into the garage too haha. You can definitely see all those "hard to reach" places once you start tearing it down.

I would swap the stage 1 out for stage 2 but I'm pretty much out of funds for this round of building. Next time I open it up, if I ever have to again, it'll get some head work and a stage 2. I'm planning on getting a 250r/450r/ltr450 for a play bike within the next few years though so it may not see it.

Does Walmart carry the mag wheel cleaner?

[dxcody]

Originally posted by gojk
I don't know if you meant it literally, but that piston on the right is not a stock piston.

Yea it is? Its a KCY stock piston isnt it.

[WoodTRD]

It's a KCY Honda piston, I thought it was stock but I've never measured it to be sure. I picked the bike up for $500 not running (missing decompression spring/plunger), stock, and in rough shape in October of 2010 and it's been slowly built up how I want it from there since. The guy I bought it from said he was pretty sure it's on it's stock bore, but I haven't actually measured it, I just went with a 87mm piston on the off chance it had already been bored once.

[gojk]

Originally posted by dxcody
Yea it is? Its a KCY stock piston isnt it.

The stock piston doesnt have the valve cutouts on it lime that one does.

[Stickman400]

Originally posted by gojk
The stock piston doesnt have the valve cutouts on it lime that one does. Mine did.

[dxcody]

Originally posted by Stickman400
Mine did.

So did mine...

[gojk]

Thats news to me. i wonder what year they changed.

[dxcody]

This is off a 2001 400ex. Just took a picture.
All the parts diagrams show that they had the valve cuts in them.