VF1000FE "Coronavirus Special" Engine Rebuild

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Cracklepop, Apr 19, 2020.

  1. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    I'm totally new to Social Media, I don't even own a smartphone so if I get the forum etiquette a bit wrong Sorry!

    I bought a 1984 VF1000FE engine in February to put in my VF750 frame. The challenge of sorting out all the little problems to make the conversion work really appealed to me. Sadly the engine turned out to be well beyond economical repair and I was going to take it to the scrap man when suddenly the Coronavirus shutdown changed mine and everyone else's entire world.

    My plan is to bodge this engine back into existence and keep you all updated.

    I thought I would start with a photo of where all the magic (bodging) is going to happen.

    This is my little hideaway in suburban Sheffield, England.

    If anyone has any tips about how to make photos flow with the text that would be helpful.

    See you tomorrow.
     

    Attached Files:

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  2. straycat

    straycat Member

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    Welcome.

    Nice hide-away, looks like you have lots of equipment to help work your magic. I see the compulsory cup of tea on the side as well !

    Love to see some pics of the subject bike and engine.
     
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  3. sixdog

    sixdog Member

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    Welcome.....pics and more pics!!
     
  4. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    Welcome. Look forward to seeing more. When you "Upload a File" you have the option of thumbnail or full picture. Full picture will put it in the body of the post, instead of a thumb at the end.
     
  5. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    Well......this I've got to see!
     
  6. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Welcome, looking forward to seeing this one also.
     
  7. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    Thanks everyone.

    The piston rings had rusted into the number 1 cylinder wall. I'm just going to leave this.

    Cylinder #1.JPG


    The rings had also rusted to the point they had stuck in their grooves. I got the piston really hot and managed to get them moving again.

    Piston #1.JPG


    The crankcases and gasket surfaces are now all really clean

    Crankcase bottom.JPG

    The upper crankcase half has been painted. A bit pointless really but I just felt I had to do it.

    upper crancase from side.JPG

    Three pistons have been installed but I'm waiting for a new circlip to be delivered before I can install piston number 1.

    upper crancase from above.JPG

    That's all for today. Please forgive me for the pictures I'm planning on posting tomorrow!
     
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  8. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    The worst bit of the engine was the valves seats. The valves themselves are OK but the seats were very heavily pitted. It was the valve seats that convinced me to throw the engine away before I spent any more time any effort on it. Since then the world has changed so I attacked them with these super cheap Chinese valve seat cutters and spent endless hours lapping the valves in with grinding paste.

    Valve seat cutting tool.JPG

    I have not got any "before" pics as I did a lot of this stuff before deciding to put it all on the forum. The valve seats now look like they do in the photos below. If you have any engineering sensibilities at all, and particularly if you are a bit depressed at the moment, you had better not look at these.

    #3 Ex Valve seats.JPG


    #1 In Valve seats.JPG

    At least I know not to try that again.

    To reinstall the valves back into the head I can recommend the small telescopic magnet in the next photo to help manoeuvre the split collets into position and can also recommend clamping the cylinder head to your workbench like this:

    Valve replacement.JPG

    The valve spring compressor needed a lot of metal removing from it before it would fit the available space inside the cylinder head. Mine looks like this:

    Valve Spring Compressor.JPG
    More pics to follow.
     
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  9. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    This work was also done a few weeks ago.
    The gearchange shaft splines looked a bit iffy:

    gearchange splines before.jpg

    Luckily the gear change shaft has 30 splines and my lathe has a 60 tooth gear wheel as shown in the next (posed) photo. This meant I was able to clean the splines up by locking the 60 tooth gear at every second tooth and advancing the cutter manually down each spline one at a time.

    lathe set to cut splines.JPG

    The end result was really good

    gearchange splines after.jpg

    Below are some other useful bits and pieces I made during the engine strip down. From left to right.
    Clutch centre nut tool made from an old Kawasaki KH250 brake piston.
    Flywheel puller.
    Locking device for the spline cutting work.
    home made tools.JPG

    I've got some parts arriving today so hopefully I'll have some more pics to show in a day or two.
     
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  10. straycat

    straycat Member

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    you've got some crazy skill there. Nice work !!
     
  11. VF1000Fe

    VF1000Fe New Member

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    Good goin!
    That pitted cylinder looks scary, will look better with a Hone.
    I went to town on the cooling holes, bigger is better, engine seems to run hot, so more hole is more better.
    [​IMG]
    Cheap China Gaskets didn't line up as well.

    Here's typical BEFORE pics;
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Also removed metal with an Air Grinder, cleaned up considerably;
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    also burned down the Intake Guide for more Flow.
    Intakes were Fine, its the Exhausts that need more Guide.

    Hope your Cams are OK.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2020
  12. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    As I said at the beginning. This engine has problems.
    From memory three cam lobes are heavily pitted but not scored. I'll take some pics when I dig them out from under my bench again.
    The #1 cylinder needs re-boring. So that means they all need doing.
    The valve seats need renewing.
    A machine shop would probably also insist on renewing the valve guides.
    There is a crack in one of the rocker covers.
    There is also a piece of one dog broken on the input shaft 2nd gear but I did buy a used gearbox when hope hadn't vanished from me completely. So I have a replacement for that:

    input 2nd gear.JPG

    I'm just treating this engine as something to do. In normal circumstances I would have scrapped it.

    With nothing to lose I have now run a hone through cylinder #1. I was going to keep quiet about this but some of you might need cheering up.

    DSCN0951.JPG

    At least the piston is back in now so I can try and forget about it.

    DSCN0954.JPG

    That's all for now.
     
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  13. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    The gearbox shafts were dismantled

    output shaft.JPG

    Rebuilt and put back in their respective case half. First the bottom case.

    bottom case.JPG

    Then the top

    top case.JPG

    Then they were bolted together. Getting the claws to engage with the gears was a bit tricky though.

    basket case.JPG
     
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  14. Cracklepop

    Cracklepop New Member

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    No happy ending to this project I'm afraid. It was sort of going well.
    The oil pump was dismantled and rebuilt. It looked good.
    Softening the 'o' rings with a heat gun made it easier to push the big pipe into position.

    DSCN0965.JPG


    I'm quite proud of my wheel about-able engine stand.

    DSCN0966.JPG

    Everyone's garage needs an old pair of jeans

    DSCN0968.JPG


    And an old coat hanger

    DSCN0976.JPG

    The guy who sold me the engine stated "cams are perfect" so no problems with the camshafts then.
    Worth remembering that these camshafts must have functioned well enough to enable someone to ride the bike until the gearbox broke.

    DSCN0977.JPG

    But this is as far as I am going to get.

    DSCN0975.JPG

    Because I've broken a rocker trying to undo the adjuster locknut. Just how tight do the locknuts need to be?

    DSCN0985.JPG


    So that's it. I'm really missing the pubs being closed!
     
  15. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    Well, poop. Maybe somebody with a thrown rod will come along that has a good top end.

    Wait, you miss the pubs being closed? They are closed.
     
  16. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    Definitely needs a drink.
     
  17. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    That just plain sucks..... but perhaps a solution will come along, I hope so!!
     
  18. straycat

    straycat Member

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    anyone know of those are the same rockers as in a VF1000R ?

    if so , I "May" have a spare one. I sold a bunch but may have one or two left.

    yours for the cost of shipping if they would fit
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2020
  19. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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  20. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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