GSX1400 K3 - Resurrection II - WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

[BanditsHigh]

Bandits, my thoughts only, if you doubt that motor, toss it and get another. Might save you some pain.

We're thinking along the same lines 

I think I'll see how bad the damage is and then make a decision.

If it's just the crank/conrods/bearings then £150 for the second hand one to sort isn't too much, but the cams are likely to have been damaged as well, not forgetting that the front oil drain tubes need to be replaced as the left one is pissing oil, so another £280 for pipes/head gasket (£430 all in so far).

Suddenly £800 for a straight swap seems like the way to go and I can always break the other engine and sell for spares, thereby reducing the price of the replacement engine.

All the best ... Barry

[grog]

Out with the old, in with a new/ used. Have done that before with best result.

[Hooli]

I'd check the prices of bearings etc before you bin it. I recall that earlier this year pistons were something like 75% off, I guess Suzuki are clearing old slow selling stock out.

[BanditsHigh]

I'd check the prices of bearings etc before you bin it. I recall that earlier this year pistons were something like 75% off, I guess Suzuki are clearing old slow selling stock out.

Will do, the prices I quoted were on FleaBay.


GARAGE AGAIN
Spent most of today moving stuff about and getting rid of a few things and it's amazing how much extra space I have (even though it doesn't look like it), I can even use my workbench again

It's amazing what you find that you've forgotten about ... full set of forks (knackered stanchions), two lower fork legs (one I've polished), top yoke, riders footrests, full exhaust system (think this is the one I had before the Akra), one set of Scorpian cans, one set of Blue Flame Evo cans, a rear wheel spindle, original indicators, light brackets, swingarm and probably other stuff I've forgotten.

I've also got two front wheels and one rear wheel, which have dinks in the rim which need to be sorted.



PRAISE BE TO COPASLIP
Finished off today by removing read spindle/wheel from swingarm, more heat and WD40 soon sorted out the sticky spindle.

Removed all discs from wheels as well and it's as though I put copaslip on and did them yesterday, still fresh as the day I put it on (probably around 14 years ago).

Tomorrow I'll probably get the tyres off and hopefully get them put in for blasting/powder coating some time this week ... will be the week after before I get them back as I need someone to give me a lift.

Hopefully mid-week I'll get my shocks back, I'm hoping they take pity on me and give them a good clean while they're rebuilding them 

All the best ... Barry

[BanditsHigh]

Just checked Robinsons Foundry, main bearings £30.38 each, conrod bearings £9.40 each ... I think that's for a single bearing (not a set of two) ... so 12 * £30.38 + 8* £9.40 = £439.76


All of a sudden the FleaBay price for bearings (£275) looks very good, but cost of damage to crank/conrods is still to be added!!!

If the crankshaft (on FleaBay) with conrods and all bearings has good bearings for £150 then that's even better, but no guarantee they are.

I think I'm leaning towards another engine, least amount of hassle and can be changed over in a day or so ... just need to find £800 now 

All the best ... Barry

P.S. With new crank it might need new thrust bearings as well, more money!

[hard road]

the price of rebuilding an engine is crazy !!!!! back in the day it was worth it. I think another engine is the way to go.

[grog]

Bandits, out of interest, i checked used 14 motors for sale in UK. Nothing pretty, your salty roads sure destroy. Rusty oil pipes, crud built up on front of most.Not a lot to choose from.

[BanditsHigh]

Bandits, out of interest, i checked used 14 motors for sale in UK. Nothing pretty, your salty roads sure destroy. Rusty oil pipes, crud built up on front of most.Not a lot to choose from.

Oh don't I know it, that's what killed the K3 frame, around seven years of riding all year round to work and back and then seven years sitting at the back of the garage.

Of course you get the people who don't even go out in the rain (most likely) saying that it's a disgrace ... yes it may be, but I'd like to see their bike after 100k miles of riding 60'ish miles per day all year round.

Anyhoo the K3 will live again, albeit in a new frame ... the K3 engine is running sweetly (in the K4), and it'll be on the road 1st February 2024 (when the insurance for the current K4 runs out).

Just realised that's only four months away and just in time for the winter, but I'm not doing many miles these days and I'll be able to wash it whenever I go out

All the best ... Barry

[hard road]

the UK weather (and salt) is not good for bikes, I live on a small island and i see cars just rotting away !!!!!  when I was younger I rode all year round but now I just ride in the dry or summer months. yeah a fair weather biker   

[BanditsHigh]

When I was younger I rode all year round but now I just ride in the dry or summer months. yeah a fair weather biker   

Nothing wrong with being a fair weather biker, I only rode throughout the winter due to necessity in that I don't have a car licence, otherwise I'd probably have been the same, not just because of the effects on the bike but because it can be dangerous due to ice/frost.

All the best ... Barry

[hard road]

When I was younger I rode all year round but now I just ride in the dry or summer months. yeah a fair weather biker   

Nothing wrong with being a fair weather biker, I only rode throughout the winter due to necessity in that I don't have a car licence, otherwise I'd probably have been the same, not just because of the effects on the bike but because it can be dangerous due to ice/frost.

All the best ... Barry

I don't do well in the cold at any time but if I had to ride in the rain then fine, its the thought of my bikes getting wet that worries me     

[Mick_J]

I ride all year round but only in the dry, if it's raining I knock it on the head, if it rains when I'm out I get wet.  It's the cleaning afterwards I don't like.

[grog]

Totally agree,rain riding not a problem, cleaning is. Im fussy, cleaning underneath gets harder each year.

[BanditsHigh]

K3 WHEELS
So took the tyres off the wheels today, then the bearings,  now they're in for blasting and powder coating ... should get them back in a week.

K3 SHOCKS
Got a call from Hagon asking if I wanted to keep the shocks as they are, I think they are 20mm over ... I did say it might be best to make then stock length and I can use riser blocks if I want the extra length, but that'd require changing the shock body, basically meaning the only original bit left would be the springs and it'd cost more ... I'll hopefully get them back end of week or beginning of next.

K3 STRIPDOWN
Got nearly all of the bits stripped off the frame, with the remaining bits being held on by bolts which are stuck and rounded off ... I'll get them off somehow, even if it means cutting bits of the frame off, it's junk anyway .

K3 YOKES
The yokes/risers are in pretty good nick, there's a little bit of damage to the anodising on the top of the lower yoke due to grit getting under the rubber of the headlight brackets, a little bit of paint will stop that corroding anymore.

The bolts holding the stainless steel blobs for left/right steering lock are stuck at the moment, but I should be able to remove with more heat and WD40.

All the best ... Barry

[BanditsHigh]

Slowly but surely getting there.

Old shocks ...


New shocks ...


I'd put them in for a rebuild, but according to Dave at Hagon, this is the first time that they've not been able to get a set of shocks apart ... so what was supposed to be around £200 for a rebuild, ended up with only the old springs being used and costing £100 more!

It's a bit more than I expected, but I've basically got a new set of updated shocks for £100 more than a rebuild and all nice and shiny ... instead of an alloy thumbwheel (corroded by the elements) it now has a hex grub screw to adjust the damping

Oh, I also went from 350mm back to standard 330mm, meaning I can either run with standard length shocks or put the riser blocks in for longer length shocks (effectively).

Hopefully get wheels tomorrow and I'll fit new bearings/valves/tyres once I do.

I'd just like to thank Dave at Hagon for a fantastic service, he kept me up-to-date on exactly what was going on and gave me an option of updating to a brand new set of shocks for only a bit more cost

All the best ... Barry