DIY Moto Fix
  • BLOG
  • Motorcycle Lift
  • BOOKS
    • Four Stroke
    • Two Stroke
  • VIDEOS
  • FREEBIES
  • ABOUT

The Top 6 Characteristics You Need To Have To Rebuild A Motorcycle Engine

1/19/2016

Comments

 
Rebuilding a dirt bike engine
I hope 2016 is treating you well so far! This last weekend I participated in the Steel Shoe Fund 3 Hour Endurance Ice Race out on Kettle Moraine Lake. For those of you not living in the northern midwest, last weekend averaged about 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind chill made it feel like 10 below. Regardless, there were over 65 teams that raced and the day was a blast. Unfortunately we had a serious injury out on the track and they had to call it before anyone officially completed the race. Last I heard the rider is doing fine now, thank goodness! Hopefully I get a few more ice races in before the winter season is over. 

Today I want to talk about six characteristics that are necessary to have when one sets out to build an engine. I’ve detailed how to tackle many different jobs, but honestly that is only half the battle. If you’re in a rush or lack the desire to understand the reasons behind what you’re doing, you will make mistakes and miss out on important things. Listed below are the traits that I believe can help you take your build to the next level.

1. Being Detail Oriented
What’s worse than getting started on a build only to realize you didn’t buy an important replacement part? Focussing on the details of a project can feel tedious at times but can pay off in the grand scheme of things. Before I get started on a project I spend a hefty amount of time researching what parts I’m going to replace and where the best prices are. Also, I will have a solid idea of the sequences I’ll use for disassembly and assembly. Another good habit for the detail oriented is to take notes throughout the build, which you can use at a later date should the need arise. When you have an appreciation for all the small details that go into a build, it will make for a much smoother project.

2. Having Patience
Have you ever been in a rush to do something and after you’re done you realize if you had spent just a bit more time the project could have turned out much better? I was this way with so many of the things I did when I was younger, but have learned to slow down and be patient as I work. Engines don’t go together instantaneously and being patient throughout the process, especially when things aren’t going as planned, is very important. There is nothing worse than making a huge mistake because you’re in a rush. Imagine finishing a build and realizing you left an important part on the table, depending on where the part came from, you just bought yourself another few hours of work. Trying to skimp on time more often than not costs you more time in the long run. Have patience and enjoy the process.

3. Being Observant
Just about every mechanical thing is gleaming with a story, and that story only reveals itself if you know what to look for. An engine is no different. From the parting lines on a component left by the casting tooling used to create it to wear patterns on a piston, there are hundreds of observations that can be made while working on an engine. As you work, keep an eye out for subtle anomalies that may tell you why something failed or broke. For example, things like snail tracks across a gasket, raised edges on gasket surfaces, or covers that don’t sit flat on a table - these are all good indicators of why a particular part was leaking.

4. Being Curious
Perhaps more appropriately titled, “a desire to understand mechanical workings”. It is incredible how much can be learned about the engine just by studying how specific parts interact within it. An engine is composed of many different subsystems and they must all work in order for the engine to function. By looking at the various interactions of the parts within an engine, the condition of the parts and reasons for any failures can be more easily understood. The next time you build an engine, challenge yourself to learn how all the different subsystems of the engine work. Once you learn this, diagnosing problems and identifying all the faulty parts becomes much easier.

5. Being Meticulous
The necessity to be thorough and meticulous throughout a build cannot be overstated. Whether it be taking extra steps to inspect components, measuring new parts, or taking extra time to ensure the condition of surrounding subsystems are okay, having meticulous tendencies can pay off. As an example, on more than one occasion I’ve purchased new parts that have been mispackaged or out of spec. Had I not made the choice to carefully measure the problematic new parts, I could have ended up with an engine that was destined to fail. While it may take more time to be meticulous throughout a build, there is a lot at stake, both in terms of time and money, making it all the more important to ensure everything is done correctly.

6. Having Ambition
Building an engine can be hard, things can go south unexpectedly, and projects can easily stall. Being ambitious and having a can-do attitude is important to ensure the engine doesn’t sit half torn apart in the garage never to be completed. Until you tear into the engine, you never know what you might find. I’ve disassembled engines many times in the past only to find I need to replace a lot more parts than I had planned (this seems to be my luck when I shop for bikes on Craigslist as of late). This can be a huge downer, but keeping the end goal of getting back out and riding in mind and having the desire to push through any and all obstacles is a must.

Do you have any engine building characteristics you want to share? Leave a comment below and tell everyone what you think it takes to build a great engine!

For those of you that believe you possess the characteristics of a good engine builder, be sure to check out my book, The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook, to learn more about the how and why behind engine building. Whether you want to be taught about the relationships between all the various parts within an engine, you are in need of pointers on picking the right performance parts, or you would like to see examples of wear patterns found on engine components, my book is here to guide and help you throughout your build.
Comments

How To Motorcycle Repair Giveaway

12/7/2015

Comments

 
Picture
This week I want to share with you a great resource in the world of DIY motorcycle repair by introducing you to my friend Matt Bochnak’s website: How To Motorcycle Repair. Matt introduced himself to me when I was just starting DIY Moto Fix last fall. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Matt had already created a site aimed at helping DIY motorcycle enthusiasts in 2012. With a few years of experience under his belt, Matt knew a lot about the DIY crowd and was extremely generous in giving me pointers as I put my site together. We’ve been in touch ever since and have been continuously bouncing ideas and tips back and forth to each other.


Read More
Comments

How To Do A Leak Down Test Yourself // Part Two

9/8/2015

Comments

 
How To Do A Leak Down Test On A Dirt Bike
In my last post I covered what a leak down test is and how it can be used to determine engine problems. Today I’ll go through and detail how to do a leak down test on your dirt bike engine step-by-step.
Picture of a leakage tester
How to Perform a Leak Down Test
To perform a leak down test you will need an air source capable of at least 115psi output pressure. Most leak down tests are performed at a regulated pressure of 100psi. This makes testing simple and the correlation of leakage a breeze since you’re working on a scale from 0-100. Lower test pressures such as 90psi can be used in the event that the air system isn’t capable of anything over 100psi or the specific leak down tester you have doesn’t work on a 100psi scale. Just remember if you test at a value other than 100psi, you will need to mathematically determine the leakage percentage since it is no longer a direct correlation.


Read More
Comments

How To Do A Leak Down Test Yourself // Part One

9/1/2015

Comments

 
Determining how healthy an engine is can be tricky business. I’ve previously covered compression testing (pt 1 here and pt 2 here), but now I want to discuss what a leak down test is and how to perform one on a four-stroke dirt bike engine. This will be a two part series, with the first part emphasising the details of a leakdown test, and the second part explaining in detail how to correctly perform a leak down test. Let’s get started!
How To Perform a Leak Down Test On Your Dirt Bike

Read More
Comments

How To Repair Your Clutch Basket Dampers For Less Than $30

6/16/2015

Comments

 
How to repair clutch basket dampers
Most modern clutches incorporate rubber dampers which help reduce torque fluctuations through an engine’s drivetrain. Single cylinder engines (four-strokes especially) have high peak torque fluctuations since they only fire once every fourth stroke. The dampers situated between the clutch driven gear and clutch basket help smooth out the delivery of power to the gearbox and rear wheel.

The rubber dampers wear out from normal use and in most cases can be replaced. Replacement of the dampers is a fraction of the cost of buying a new clutch basket, does not require a lot of special tools, and you aren’t out anything if the project doesn’t go as planned.

Before I get into the details of replacing the dampers, you are probably wondering how you can tell the dampers are worn out. When the engine is running some additional gear noise coming from the clutch may be noted, but honestly this is a problem difficult to diagnose when the engine is together. Finding this problem is much more likely when servicing the clutch pack or performing other work on the engine.

The easiest way to determine if the dampers have worn is by trying to rotate the clutch gear independently from the clutch basket. Depending on how worn the dampers are this may take a little bit of force, so it is best to lock out the clutch gear and primary drive gear. Once locked, the basket can be rotated back and forth to check for free play. Alternatively the clutch gear can be clamped in the soft jaws of a vice while trying to rotate the basket back and forth. The clutch basket should not move independently from the clutch gear.  

In the first photo note the alignment marks are perfectly aligned. In the second photo the marks have shifted about an ⅛” (3mm). This may not look like much, but it will feel like a lot when you twist the basket.
repairing clutch dampers

Read More
Comments

Q&A // Where Can You Buy Service Manuals For Dirt bikes?

5/27/2015

Comments

 
Where to buy dirt bike service manuals?
How many of you have a service manual for the dirt bike you currently own? If not, do you know where to buy one? An OEM service manual is by far one of the most important tools you can get for your bike and this week I want to talk about where you should get them.

Read More
Comments

Cast Your Vote For The Cover Of The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Print Book

5/17/2015

Comments

 
Picture
Alright guys, it's time to let us know what you think. We are just a few weeks away from launching the Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building print book and we need to decide on a cover. Which should it be?

Read More
Comments

Q & A // HOW DO YOU REPAIR DAMAGED THREADED HOLES?

5/4/2015

Comments

 
How to fix stripped or damaged threads in a hole
This week in our Q & A series I’m going to spend some time discussing solutions for repairing damaged threaded holes that occur when rebuilding your dirt bike engine. Hopefully you never have to use any of my solutions, but if you’ve been around dirt bikes long enough repairing damaged bolt holes is an inconvenient truth. Whether you have bought a used bike from a ham fisted previous owner or you buggered up a threaded hole yourself, let’s take a look at how they can be fixed as well as how damaging threads can be avoided in the first place.

Why do Threads Strip or Get Damaged?
Over-tightening, cross-threading, installing bolts with dirty threads, and installing the wrong bolt in the intended hole are the primary reasons a threaded hole will become damaged or completely stripped. Most fasteners used on dirt bikes are comprised of a steel alloy and they thread into aluminum holes. This combination of hard and soft materials used to fasten joints leaves the threaded hole particularly susceptible to stripping if the bolt is over-tightened beyond the specified torque spec. Since the aluminum is the weaker of the two materials used in the joint, the aluminum will yield long before the steel bolt is affected, resulting in the stripping of the threads.

Read More
Comments

Precision Measuring For The At-Home Mechanic // Part 3

4/25/2015

Comments

 
What precision measurement tools should you use
This post was originally published on ThumperTalk and can be viewed by clicking here.

As we wrap up this final post on precision measuring from my Engine Building Series, I would love to take a moment and tell you a little bit about the book I just published, The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook. As someone who has been following the DIY Moto Fix Engine Building Series posts, I think you're going to love the in-depth knowledge and information provided in this book on dirt bike engine building. 

The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook provides incredible insight on the process of building a four stroke dirt bike engine. I wanted to bring at-home mechanics the level of expertise present in the industry when it comes to engine building, and do it in a way that is accessible and easy to understand. 

This book is presented in a format that helps both beginners and experts. I not only write about the correct way to rebuild your engine, but also present the technical reasons why things are done the way they are in the engine building world. In addition, I supply information not found in service manuals for building high performance racing engines. Reading this book will also prevent you from making crucial mistakes that many at-home mechanics unknowingly suffer from when rebuilding.

Writing this book has been such a blast and I know you will benefit from its immense value if you are planning a rebuild. Here are a few pages from the book to give you a sneak peak on the massive amount of technical content provided for dirt bike engine building enthusiasts.
The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook is available in both an eBook format and a printed and bound version. Check the book out and learn more by clicking here.

Thanks so much for your support and enthusiasm for DIY Moto Fix. Read on for my final post on utilizing the remaining six precision measuring tools.

Plastigauge

Plastigauge is one of the only measurement tools you won’t mind throwing away once you are done using it. Plastigauge is a measurement tool used to check the clearance between parts. The plastigauge consists of little strips of plastic which are inserted between two parts. Once assembled the plastic strip is compressed. The amount the strip compresses can be measured and correlated to a chart (supplied with the plastigauge) which defines the clearance for the measured compressed width of the strip. For engine building purposes plastigauge is ideal for checking clearances between engine components utilizing plain bearings. The plastigauge is a great tool for confirming clearance and measurements.
How to use Plastigauge
Another plus is that unlike most other measuring tools, plastigauge is cheap! Plastigauge is usually sold in an assortment of sizes which cover multiple clearance ranges. Plastigauge strips will come in different diameters and each diameter will be capable of measuring a certain clearance range.

Where to Use: Examples include cam to cam journal clearance, crank bearing to crankshaft journal clearance, and crank pin to rod bearing clearance.

Calibrating Plastigauge

Finally a measurement tool where no calibration is necessary. Just make sure you choose the appropriate size strip for your application. Also make sure the plastigauge is fairly new. Plastigauge does get old after awhile and using old plastigauge may not yield accurate results.

Reading Plastigauge
1. After the plastigauge has been compressed use a calipers to measure the width of the compressed strip.
How to use Plastigauge

Read More
Comments

Workshop Basics For At-Home Engine Building

3/29/2015

Comments

 
how to set up a workshop for engine building
I like to compare building an engine to performing open heart surgery. The precision and organization that goes into open heart surgery is exactly the mindset you need as you begin to rebuild your engine. Just like an operating room, I require my workspace to be as clean as possible. In the industry, companies have dedicated rooms just for engine building. These rooms are equipped with dust management systems, precise temperature control, and spotless work surfaces. I don’t expect the home mechanic to have this intense of a setup, but you should aim to have the cleanest work area possible.

Read More
Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Picture
    Learn More About
    Paul Olesen
    The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook

    Inspirations

    1.  JOHN BRITTEN
    2.  KIM NEWCOMBE
    3.  BURT MUNROE
    4.  FRITS OVERMARS
    5.  JAN THIEL
    6.  WAYNE "WOBBLY"      WRIGHT

    Categories

    All
    Buying Used Dirt Bikes
    Cam Chain Maintenance
    Changing The Oil
    Compression Testing
    Dirt Bike Maintenance
    Engine Deisgn
    Fixing Broken Bolts
    Four Stroke Rebuild
    Free Motorcycle Films
    Ice Riding
    Leak Down Testing
    Motorcycle Wrenching Tools
    Replacing Spokes
    Service Manuals
    Suspension
    Two Stroke
    Two Stroke Rebuild
    Used Bike Buyer's Guides
    Wheel Truing
    Workshop Setup

    Archives

    January 2022
    November 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2019
    March 2019
    October 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Favorite Films

    1.  ONE MAN'S DREAM
    2.  LOVE, SPEED, AND LOSS
    3.  WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN
    4.  TT3D
    5.  ON ANY SUNDAY

    eNews Sign Up

store

CONTACT US

support@diymotofix.com

WEBSITE TERMS & CONDITIONS

© COPYRIGHT 2022 DIY MOTO FIX LLC