05 Dies at 143,331

[blufjr]

 

[SkooterG]

Well that SUCKS! Are you sure? Any idea why?

 

[blufjr]

Well that SUCKS! Are you sure? Any idea why?

Compression was around 25 on 1 and 4 and 50 and 75 on the other two. It seemed to run fine for the Volcano Ride, then it just wouldn't start. I didn't feel like having the mechanic dig into the engine more to determine the cause, like valves etc. Since I have the other FJR just waiting to be used, all I have to do is transfer the plastic, shocks, etc and I am ready to go again. Much faster to to get a complete ride this way. I might tear the engine down later to look at the valves. I really wanted to get to 150k on this bike, so I am a bit saddened by this, especially after just rebuilding her after the Deer event.

 

[SkooterG]

Not to say that isn't the case, but iirc, there have been 'false positives' of low compression before. Not sure how you would proceed.........

 

[not2shabby]

It could just need a new set of rings. Sounds like a winter project.

 

[ionbeam]

A cylinder leak-down test will tell you where the compression is going.

Another diagnostic process would be to add a small amount of oil to each cylinder and see if the compression goes up. If it does not go up the valves are leaking, if it does go up it is the rings that are leaking. For some reason the FJR engine seems prone to sticking rings and there is a pretty good chance that a dose of Yamaha Ring Free could improve your compression.

As always, when performing a compression test be sure the battery is fully charged to start with, all the plugs are removed and the throttle is held wide open. A cold engine will have lower compression than one that is warmed up.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Right on Alan.. TEQUESTAfjr a member on the forum across the road, had the same issue. Dealer did a compression check and informed him his engine was toast.

Oil was added per someones suggestion, an by golly if it didn't fix the problem.

I'd go that route before I went to anymore trouble.

 

[Bugnatr]

It's the volcano's of Washington State, they are real hard on FJR's

 

[Canadian FJR]

That sucks..............gotta be a sad day. It's odd that there were no warning signs.

Canadian FJR

 

[HotRodZilla]

Right on Alan.. TEQUESTAfjr a member on the forum across the road, had the same issue. Dealer did a compression check and informed him his engine was toast.

Oil was added per someones suggestion, an by golly if it didn't fix the problem.

I'd go that route before I went to anymore trouble.

I was gonna mention that cluster. Apparently that guy had flooded his engine and it "washed" the oil out of the cylinders which gave low compression readings. He was told the engine was toast.

Took it to another mechanic who put some oil in the cylinders, fired the bike, and got normal compression numbers.

Engines don't go from "normal" to no compression for no reason and without some kind of failure you'd have known about.

 

[Geezer]

That sucks..............gotta be a sad day. It's odd that there were no warning signs

Canadian FJR

I was thinking the same thing. If the rings are worn to the point of very low compression I would expect the bike to be using some oil. No?

 

[Bungie]

That sucks..............gotta be a sad day. It's odd that there were no warning signs

Canadian FJR

I was thinking the same thing. If the rings are worn to the point of very low compression I would expect the bike to be using some oil. No?

.. hard to start, no/lacking power among other things.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Right on Alan.. TEQUESTAfjr a member on the forum across the road, had the same issue. Dealer did a compression check and informed him his engine was toast.

Oil was added per someones suggestion, an by golly if it didn't fix the problem.

I'd go that route before I went to anymore trouble.

Did oil "fix" the problem...or help correctly diagnose the problem?

I assume that the RingFree helped fix the problem.

...but that is just from reading Alan's post above yours...I am shamefully but a novice regarding things mechanical...

 

[odot]

It's all fixed now. He's riding to kalifornia for some roast pig as we speak....

 

[ionbeam]

Adding oil as a diagnostic step for low compression shouldn't be a solution for stuck rings, just an indicator of what the root problem could be.

Like most modern Japanese engines, ours uses a short skirt piston with a 3 ring design -- two compression rings and one oil control ring on the bottom. My engine had three pistons with the top rings stuck by ~35k miles in spite of using name brand fuel and oil that Yamaha would approve of with no questions.

There is a chance that adding oil freed up the top rings even though that wasn't the intent. Also, there is a chance that once the oil sealed the cylinders and helped the engine start it may have contributed to freeing the rings. In any case, if the rings were stuck it would be simple and inexpensive to use some type of aggressive top engine cleaner or ring cleaner to remove the cause of the problem and keep it from reoccurring right away. If you choose to use Yamaha Ring Free be aware that it is highly concentrated, intended to treat something like 64 gallons of gas so read the instructions before using.

 

[blufjr]

A cylinder leak-down test will tell you where the compression is going.

Another diagnostic process would be to add a small amount of oil to each cylinder and see if the compression goes up. If it does not go up the valves are leaking, if it does go up it is the rings that are leaking. For some reason the FJR engine seems prone to sticking rings and there is a pretty good chance that a dose of Yamaha Ring Free could improve your compression.

As always, when performing a compression test be sure the battery is fully charged to start with, all the plugs are removed and the throttle is held wide open. A cold engine will have lower compression than one that is warmed up.

Just got off the phone with my mechanic. After the first reading, a leak-down test was performed and checked with two different gauges. Then, oil was added to the cylinders and another test performed. Results were 50-100-75-50, not necessarily in that order.

Since I have two FJRs, with one sitting in the garage without front plastic, (https://home.comcast.net/~kenhattan/pwpimages/IMAG0594_800.jpg)

as it has been used to fix the other one, my baby. All I need to do is move the plastic to the one that works and I am back in business. No need to fix the one that isn't working now. Right now, I think it is worth more in parts.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Could it be that the Valves are Not Seating Properly... this would give bad numbers as well.

 

[blufjr]

Could it be that the Valves are Not Seating Properly... this would give bad numbers as well.

That could be? I must confess that I am agressive and use a lot of high revs and compession breaking, which usually reduces the junk and cause for bad seating but wouldn't you need to remove the head to fully analysis that?

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Could it be that the Valves are Not Seating Properly... this would give bad numbers as well.

That could be? ... for bad seating but wouldn't you need to remove the head to fully analysis that?

I believe they can get some lighted scopes down the Plug Hole to get an idea how the Valve/Head surfaces look like.

Also, tight valves could do the same thing... were they adjusted recently? Or the Cam Chain could have jumped a tooth or 2.

Scope:

https://www.amazon.com/ProVision-PV100-Flexible-Fiberoptic-Scope/dp/B00002255Q

User Comments:

Update: June 2008.

I recently used this tool to inspect an engine I was rebuilding. My timing belt broke, and I wanted to see if the valves came into contact with the pistons. I simply removed the sparkplugs and rotated the crank with a wrench while peering into the spark plug hole with this 'scope. I was able to focus on the pistons and confirm that they were not damaged, and it saved me the labor of removing the cylinder head. This is a handy tool for car work!