400EX Questions
Jun 4, 2013 | 05:24 AM
#31
Thread Starter
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Trailblazer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Maybee, MI
Film is already off!!! LOL also even put a coat of wax on it!
Started working on the wheels last night. Quick trip to the blaster (have a really nice one at work....) and had the wheels looking better in about 10 minutes!!!
Cut the stems out, spent a little time with a crescent wrench and straightened the lip on the one, blew on some primer, then shot a little black Rustoleum on the inside and some epoxy paint on the outside left the wheels looking like this.
Not bad for one coat. Ran out of the epoxy paint, going to get another can tonight and put another coat on the outside. Also last night I fixed the one foot peg, it had a broken tab for nerf bar netting. Took those off the bike and they are headed to the blaster next!!! Hopefully tonight I will have those painted and the second coat on the wheels, and be setting the bottom end in tonight!
Started working on the wheels last night. Quick trip to the blaster (have a really nice one at work....) and had the wheels looking better in about 10 minutes!!!
Cut the stems out, spent a little time with a crescent wrench and straightened the lip on the one, blew on some primer, then shot a little black Rustoleum on the inside and some epoxy paint on the outside left the wheels looking like this.
Not bad for one coat. Ran out of the epoxy paint, going to get another can tonight and put another coat on the outside. Also last night I fixed the one foot peg, it had a broken tab for nerf bar netting. Took those off the bike and they are headed to the blaster next!!! Hopefully tonight I will have those painted and the second coat on the wheels, and be setting the bottom end in tonight!
Jun 7, 2013 | 05:54 AM
#32
Thread Starter
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Trailblazer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Maybee, MI
Tires remounted for the rear, on the prowl for a set of fronts.
Put the bottom end back in so it is finally on its way getting back together. When I put the pivot bolt back in I doped the whole thing with a nice coat of never seize as well as the long bolt that is in the front on the bottom since I had to do a fair ammount of pounding to get it out as well. Put enough on that it was spewing back out as I was pushing it in!! Hopefully if I ever have to take this thing down again that bolt will not be an issue!
Put the bottom end back in so it is finally on its way getting back together. When I put the pivot bolt back in I doped the whole thing with a nice coat of never seize as well as the long bolt that is in the front on the bottom since I had to do a fair ammount of pounding to get it out as well. Put enough on that it was spewing back out as I was pushing it in!! Hopefully if I ever have to take this thing down again that bolt will not be an issue!
Jun 8, 2013 | 05:18 AM
#33
Thread Starter
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Trailblazer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Maybee, MI
Threw the back tires on last night, and started with the more fun part of the project, Reassembly. Put the new rings on the new piston, put the nice fresh bored cylinder on, put the new jets in the carb. That's about all I had time for last night. Going to get back at it tonight, need to put in the new valve seals before I can go any farther.
Jun 12, 2013 | 08:31 AM
#34
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Trailblazer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 82
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From: Maybee, MI
Well, it lives. After little more than a month, a few upgrade options and a lot of cleaning and repairs it is back alive. First fire up last night. Now need to take it an do some light break in riding. Still need to make a few more repairs, needs a new needle and seat as well as a bowl O-ring, battery and front tires. Also need to adjust valve lash, its a little ticky. After that it will be practically like a new beast!
Running 400ex
Running 400ex
Jun 12, 2013 | 05:58 PM
#35
Pro Rider
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 0
Looks great. Fantastic job. Before you break it in though, read this.
Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power
Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power
Jun 13, 2013 | 05:09 AM
#36
Thread Starter
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Trailblazer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Maybee, MI
That is a very interesting concept. Not sure how I feel about that..... I have always been taught with bigger engines the twenty minute cam break in then go easy for the first 1/2 hour then give it to it. Guess everyone has their own methods and beliefs. Right now I need to get my carb right. Pull it off last night. Seems that there may have still been a little build up on the needle and seat. I scraped it out and cleaned it up. I will put the carb back on tonight and see if it is still leaking. Currently it is flowing from the overflow tube. Found out last night too that the valve on my tank is not shutting off.... wasted a lot of that liquid gold while I was at work yesterday. Found it all over my shop floor when I got home.
Jun 13, 2013 | 06:54 PM
#37
Weekend Warrior
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
I recently picked up a 2000 400ex for pretty much a song and a dance. It has practically new plastics, nerf bars, white brothers seat and full exhaust, DG bumper, renthal bars, all in all pretty nice machine. The catch was it doesn't run and hasn't ran for probably 5-7 years. I am pretty good with a motor so figured I would take the challenge.
Got the thing home the other day and pulled the fuel tank to get out the ransid fuel, dissassembled the gummy carb and put it in a carb tank and started cleaning some stuff up. With all the plastics off I found out why it wouldn't run. No compression. Manual in hand, I pulled the head and saw nothing wrong until I touched the piston and it would rock forward and back. Big uh oh........ Pulled off the cylinder and found that the intake side of the piston was pretty much GONE!!! Probably going to take more than a quick hone to clean up the cylinder! LOL
So the question is, do I just bore the cylinder and throw in a new piston, or step up to the 440 kit with stage 2 hotcam? Typically around here a bore and piston will run about $240-250 then throw in a gasket set, looking at $300, I can do the big bore with stage 2 cam and gaskets for $400. So for the couple extra bucks is it worth it to do the 440? Are there things to be aware of? Does the 440 produce a lot more heat? Does it need extra cooling? Obviously it would need rejetted, any starting points for jets? Is it really worth it? I don't race nor will I race it, just like the power option lol.
Thanks for all your guys help!!!
Got the thing home the other day and pulled the fuel tank to get out the ransid fuel, dissassembled the gummy carb and put it in a carb tank and started cleaning some stuff up. With all the plastics off I found out why it wouldn't run. No compression. Manual in hand, I pulled the head and saw nothing wrong until I touched the piston and it would rock forward and back. Big uh oh........ Pulled off the cylinder and found that the intake side of the piston was pretty much GONE!!! Probably going to take more than a quick hone to clean up the cylinder! LOL
So the question is, do I just bore the cylinder and throw in a new piston, or step up to the 440 kit with stage 2 hotcam? Typically around here a bore and piston will run about $240-250 then throw in a gasket set, looking at $300, I can do the big bore with stage 2 cam and gaskets for $400. So for the couple extra bucks is it worth it to do the 440? Are there things to be aware of? Does the 440 produce a lot more heat? Does it need extra cooling? Obviously it would need rejetted, any starting points for jets? Is it really worth it? I don't race nor will I race it, just like the power option lol.
Thanks for all your guys help!!!
Jun 14, 2013 | 10:23 PM
#39
Trailblazer
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
From: Hazel Green, Alabama
If you want to go big and worried about heating issues, there are a few things you can do. The cheapest is switch to synthetic wet clutch oil. Then there are the air scoops that will lower your temps a few degrees. At most they are usually good for 6* drop in oil temp. Next is a 4" cooling fan from Spal. Dont use the ebay kits they are worthless. Spal makes a quality waterproof fan. Final option is the Four Stroke Tech oil cooler mod. Its a pain to do on an intact motor but it can be done. Its easier if your motor is apart. What it does is diverts oil from a second added cooler and puts it directly into the head to cool that first. You dont touch your factory cooler!! That mod is good for about 50*. Also buy a temp dipstick from xrsonly.com. They are 40 bux and worth it.
Now I have a 500c 400EX (91mm piston and 7+ stroke). I have the FST oil cooler mod ONLY. I never went above 260* ever on my guage. Even in Alabama heat! I also just run Rotella T dinosaur. Shell says the oil breaks down at 300* and that I am within limits but should change it more frequently than if it was stock
So dont believe the heating hype with the bb kits as there are ways around it
Now I have a 500c 400EX (91mm piston and 7+ stroke). I have the FST oil cooler mod ONLY. I never went above 260* ever on my guage. Even in Alabama heat! I also just run Rotella T dinosaur. Shell says the oil breaks down at 300* and that I am within limits but should change it more frequently than if it was stock
So dont believe the heating hype with the bb kits as there are ways around it
Jun 17, 2013 | 05:11 AM
#40
Thread Starter
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Trailblazer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Maybee, MI
Took it out for its first spin ever in the last 5-6 years and it performed great!!! Still a ways to go before this machine is ready for a good thrashing.
I ran it kind of easy for about the first half hour so the cam had a minute to seat it. Then hit it a bit. I found out that with the air box lid on it will can not get enough air. I still want to run the lid, but I am going to have to open it up a bit. I may need to change my jetting around a little bit too. I am running a 42 pilot and a 175 main which sounded like a good starting point for the mods I did, but seemed like I could do a little better. Carb rebuild kit is due in this week so I will know more once I get that done.
The main chassis skid plate vibrates like a beast! It is missing a clamp on one side, might be part of the contributing factor. I am going to make a new clamp for it there and line the whole sections under the frame with rubber strips to try and stop that.
Thought the clutch looked good when I had it apart, but when I was riding it it felt like it could be a bit questionable.
Couple more things that need to be done yet before my trip this year but seems like project Bumble Bee will be there in style!
I ran it kind of easy for about the first half hour so the cam had a minute to seat it. Then hit it a bit. I found out that with the air box lid on it will can not get enough air. I still want to run the lid, but I am going to have to open it up a bit. I may need to change my jetting around a little bit too. I am running a 42 pilot and a 175 main which sounded like a good starting point for the mods I did, but seemed like I could do a little better. Carb rebuild kit is due in this week so I will know more once I get that done.
The main chassis skid plate vibrates like a beast! It is missing a clamp on one side, might be part of the contributing factor. I am going to make a new clamp for it there and line the whole sections under the frame with rubber strips to try and stop that.
Thought the clutch looked good when I had it apart, but when I was riding it it felt like it could be a bit questionable.
Couple more things that need to be done yet before my trip this year but seems like project Bumble Bee will be there in style!