KrZy8 down n out?

Toecutter · Nov 30, 2011

SkooterG said:
Holy Cow! Good to see you out and about posting. You have been awfully quiet for a long time.

Thank you! Been too busy with other things, mostly bicycle 3 short hours a day when I'm not at work. Takes away from internet time. Getting ready to do my second annual Climb to Kaiser. Finished last year, but not strong. Looking to knock at least an hour off my time this year. The ultimate goal is to be the first guy my age or older to finish, but for now, I'd love to just finish ahead of the *****...

Hey Don,

If the head is removed, at least on a Gen I, you're supposed to use new bolts to put it back on. Did that happen? The head might have gotten loose. You already had a head gasket problem? I see why you like Harleys...

juniorfjr · Nov 30, 2011

SkooterG said:
Toecutter said:

You sure have a great attitude for a guy with a Gen II lemon.

I'll stay tuned for the next chapter of the ongoing saga....

Click to expand...

Holy Cow! Good to see you out and about posting. You have been awfully quiet for a long time.

I thought, who is posting using TC's address.

dcarver · Nov 30, 2011

[No message]

Fred W · Nov 30, 2011

dcarver said:
For the record, I'm perfectly OK with all of this. Even if the engine is toast, it's served me very well, nearly 150k. That's alot of up and downs and round and rounds, jes sayin'...

That's true. As I like to say: "That engine doesn't really owe you anything."

And of course, all is not lost even if it does turn out to be a cracked block. You can transplant a low mileage first gen engine and KrZy8'll be good for another 250k miles.

rogdeb · Nov 30, 2011

This sucks big ones Don

....... I'll be following this thread (along with TC

) to see the results. Hoping it doesn't hit the wallet too hard.

wfooshee · Nov 30, 2011

Too bad that Kwak six won't fit between the frame rails!

(Somebody had to say it first . . . . :huh: )

Geezer · Nov 30, 2011

Based on the color of your oil I'd have to agree that coolant is leaking into the crankcase. I agree with the majority here that it is most likely the head gasket, and, since it is a first and you did have the head off the bike at one time, it may have been caused by that service. Any small imperfection in the gasket or surfaces of the head or block could have cause the gasket to fail over time. I suppose if the tech. failed to use new bolts that could be the culprit,or possibly failure to torque the head bolts properly. In that case you will probably find one or more broken or loose bolts when you take it apart.

If you do find a breach in the gasket, and it crosses two combustion chambers so that flame was passing between the two cylinders, then you need to make sure that neither the head nor the block have been damaged in that area. No sense putting a new gasket on if the mating surfaces are not perfectly flat.

If you get the head off and there is no sign of gasket failure, then you may have a crack in the block or possibly a crack in the head. These cracks are sometimes difficult to find, but you'll probably be looking for a replacement engine in either case.

FJRBluesman · Nov 30, 2011

dcarver said:
I too hope it's a head gasket and not cracked block. The bike has never overheated, the coolant and DI water is always fresh. It does live in a trailer overnight during 18F winter nights, but gets run almost daily 365. Given the slowly developing nature of poor performance, I can just imagine a small breach in the gasket, probably around a dowel or bolt hole, eroding away with heat and pressure cycles. That's conjecture of course.

Don that little statement scares me a bit. Not to be paranoid, but 18ºF is fairly cold (especially to us wimpy SoCal folks) if by chance your coolant was week, and it sat like this for a few days, and some how this did do damage, but not catastrophic at first, then over time (heat cycles etc) this happened.... Man. Just sayin'. When you pull the head lets pray it's a breached gasket.

Now we'll all be anxiously awaiting your prognosis. :huh:

TomInPA · Nov 30, 2011

Bluesman, they have not seen below freezing temps in Creston yet that would do this. Assuming this is a gasket, it is a recent event. This bike has gone quite a few miles this year, and the service history point to that being the most likely cause.

SkooterG · Nov 30, 2011

Fred W said:
And of course, all is not lost even if it does turn out to be a cracked block. You can transplant a low mileage first gen engine and KrZy8'll be good for another 250k miles.

Not. Unfortunately for him, he can't put a superior Gen I engine in his Gen II bike. The two Gens don't mix and match. Not sure if I got this right, but I believe it is primarily due to the Vehicle Speed Sensor.

wfooshee · Nov 30, 2011

And the ECU and the fuel rail, and I'm sure there's something else.

HotRodZilla · Nov 30, 2011

And who would wanna put a crappy Gen I anything in the far superior Gen II?

Khunajawdge · Dec 1, 2011

HotRodZilla said:
And who would wanna put a crappy Gen I anything in the far superior Gen II?

D'0h :blink:

Fred W · Dec 1, 2011

SkooterG said:
Fred W said:

And of course, all is not lost even if it does turn out to be a cracked block. You can transplant a low mileage first gen engine and KrZy8'll be good for another 250k miles.

Click to expand...

Not. Unfortunately for him, he can't put a superior Gen I engine in his Gen II bike. The two Gens don't mix and match. Not sure if I got this right, but I believe it is primarily due to the Vehicle Speed Sensor.

Well then... all really would be lost.

The best he could hope for would be another crappy 150k mile second gen engine. :glare:

(for the record, I was being facetious about the engine swap)

BobbyBlue · Dec 1, 2011

Thanks for sharing your great attitude DC ! It aint dead yet !!!!! kinda like us huh?!! :clapping:

Bobby

beemerdons · Dec 1, 2011

Khunajawdge said:
HotRodZilla said:

And who would wanna put a crappy Gen I anything in the far superior Gen II?

Click to expand...

D'0h :blink:

Jorge, double dumb D'Oh! What a typical Gen II meathead!!

dcarver · Dec 1, 2011

Drained oil last night, hard to get good pix due to florescent lighting.

Time to explore options -

Fix existing engine
Swap engine
Buy new/used entire bike, xnfr farkles, part this one out
Park it and go ride a reliable bike, my Harley

Each option has options and associated pros and cons

Fix existing engine
1. Independent dealer says 11-12 hours to fix, 6-7 to replace at $75 per hour. Ok, call it a k-buck, and I get a free valve check/adjustment to boot. Since she is due for a valve check, and a check is what, 300 - 500 bucks? I'm only really out 500 to 700 bucks and have a known entity and get to strive for the first gen2 200k fjrforum bike.
2. Called Roseville, no one picked up service phone, left my number, no phone call back. Not a good sign. Going to contact SacramentoMike to see how his experience was with Rville.
3. Do it myself. Buy a nice lift, reorganize/light/heat the shop better and tear into it. It's just a head removal, not a case split. If RadioHowie, a freaking RF engineer can figure it out, how hard can it be? :laughingsmiley:
4. See if any of my techie/mechie friends want to engage in the project for cash money. I know a semi-retired motomech in Clovis, and maybe a certain forum member(s) might be interested?
Swap engine
1. Additional cost. Ebay seems to run right at 1k buck for used Gen2 engines. That's alot.
2. Never sure what you're buying, previous maintenance/condition.
3. Shipping can run 200 to 500 bucks..
Buy new/used entire bike, xnfr farkles, part this one out.
1. Lack of spare cash and room to store a 'parts' bike
2. Hassle of dealing with peeps and shipping
Park it and go ride a reliable bike, my Harley. It doesn't have any coolant loss issues, jes sayin'.

Well, off to explore options..

..and in the meantime, Wabs has become my bestest gurl! :wub:

beemerdons · Dec 1, 2011

https://classic.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Creston&1s=CA&1y=US&1l=35.518902&1g=-120.522797&1v=CITY&2c=La+Pine&2s=OR&2y=US&2l=43.670601&2g=-121.502502&2v=CITY Mi Hermano Donaldo, as long as everyone is slinging out their dos Centavos out here: Why don't you put KrZy8 in the back of your pickup and deliver it to FJRay for repairs? I have already made my decision, my Miss Lucy Liu will be the only FJR I'll ever own, she is my Gal forever! If she ever needs an engine rebuild or a transmission repair: I am just going to pack her up to Ray in La Pine, OR for her needed repairs. Ray is a Mechanic and Friend we can trust, I would never drop Lucy off at a shop while Ray still has his business ongoing!

If RadioHowie, a freaking RF engineer can figure it out, how hard can it be? As a devout Catholic I just could not let this one slide: There is a Patron Saint in Heaven that looks after Morons, Twerps and Idiots: RadioHowie's Patron Saint has been on double time status ever since that doofus RH was born! jes' sayin' and nuff' said!

HotRodZilla · Dec 1, 2011

Ouch...A grand to replace a head-gasket??

I think I would have it opened up at the very least. If it's not the head-gasket, I would seriously start considering the other options. If it is just the gasket, I think I would just replace it and continue riding it...BUT, it's not my money.

If that happened to me tomorrow and I was out of warranty, I would probably just hold my head in my hands and cry...However, I would maybe just try to fix it myself. If it doesn't get fixed, the bike is ******. If you really screw it up, the bike is ******, so really, your risk is pretty minimal. I would bet if it is just the head gasket, it shouldn't be that hard to do...

kaitsdad · Dec 1, 2011

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KrZy8 down n out?

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