TOPIC:

So I was cleaning the engine of my 79650SR and I noticed some cracks around the #3 spark plug hole. As you can see the previous owner put in some sort of heli-coil because the threads look fine. The bike ran before I bought it. There is a lot more grease around this spark plug hole, which leads me to believe it was leaking at the cracks at some point. What should I do??

here's the pic

JB Weld...

I am sorry for ya man...it sucks to just find stuff like that

I only rode this bike up and down the block once, before I started to tear it apart. It has 22,000 miles. I don't plan on rebuilding the engine, My plan for the bike is to retore it (paint & bodywork) and get it running good.

bummer. I think the cracks came from the guy running in the tap, I am not sure they would go all the way through, but it is going to be a problem for the gasket to seal on the plug.

Could you clean it up a bit so I can see where the cracks extent to Bison? I could bring up some pretty quick ideas if I see what I am looking at properly. I already thout of you getting a pilot tip bit and drilling til the cracks are all level and clear. It should take much drilling that it changes the dimensions of the spark plug hole depth. Thats one of my ideas so far

just go ahead clean it up and run it like it is. ride it till it breaks, i'll bet it'll run forever like that. in the meantime look for a spare head, get it gone through and when and if it does break you''l be ready.

This afternoon I just had my #3 plug blown out of the bike while riding due to another individuals attempt at helicoil repairs. I think the best way to repair is to remove the head and weld the hole up completely and redrill and tap using a smaller plug. Me sorry too! I know your pain too well.

You could get a nice used head for the same price or cheaper than welding and redrilling. Any machine worth a damn is going to charge around $100 to do that job correctly. You could find a nice head on ebay for $50 or so and then you would not have a worry in the back of your mind. I say replace it and forget it. Here is a head and performance cams on ebay. $25, 3 days, no reserve and no bids. Same year as yours too cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/kawasiki-650-hi-...mZ320062971997QQrdZ1

Post edited by: kawtoy, at: 2006/12/19 14:44

thanks for the input, although I think the cracks don't go all the way through, I think I'm just gonna get a new head. I've never replaced a head before. I have a service manual, but does any body have any helpful advice about changing the head (how many bolts I can expect to break, tricks of the trade, special tools etc)

thanks

I have my head off now, but will be putting it on as soon as possible. I have a SR also. the hardest part about it is clearing the exhaust from the head. Tools you will need: 14mm socket for head bolts, remove head bolts in the right order to prevent head breaking (anymore) A 10mm will take off the valve cover bolts, the exhaust bolts , camshaft bolts and there are 2 bolts under the camshaft gear wheels that will need removing for the head to be removable. They are located, one in the front and one in the rear on the intake side in the center. The chain pulley that is on the top of the chain is removed with a 5mm allen key. O before you start moving the head, remove the coils, they tend to get in the way. When you take the head off there are rubber dampners at the chain pulleys, little rubber blocks, but they might feel like hard black plastic. Anythingelse?

Of course you need to take out the camshafts before you take off the head and that air exhaust hose will have to move too and the tach attachment in the front of the head. Do you see in the center of the head there is a whole on each side, front and rear thats where the smaller head bolts are,and when replacing the head make sure you don't put the camshafts in before the bolt like I did when I pulled the head the first time. I can't think of anythingelse right now. Just give me a u2u or something