Mechanical Help Please!

[Noble Ox]

Driving home tonight (its a 20 mile trip) started to notice it was running like a dog, it had lost alot of power and was making really load flitering noises (hard to explain) loader than normal anyway! Now I only noticed with like 3 miles to go, so I dont know how long this had been going for as I had iPod in. Stopped and had a look (for what?.. I dont know!!) then got back on and drove really low revs home. Now I have just looked at the oil level and there seems to be no oil, havent had a proper look though. But I would have presumed the dash would have warned me before it ran out? Could this be my problem? Sorry its lso vague. Cant exactly make a diagnostic with the crap info i'v given!

Help would be very appreciated! Aran

[sam anon]

Now you've made it home and turned the bike off, has any oil appeared in the sight window?

[Noble Ox]

None at all! Are these symptoms of running without oil?!

[rictus01]

The light is for oil pressure and not level, that's what the sight glass is for, I'd guess it's knocking from the crack, that'll be a new lump probably.

Cheers Mark.

[Noble Ox]

Ah savage! Cant I just put oil in? Surely it wouldnt even tick over if it was completly empty?

[Spanner Man]

Good evening.


Sadly the oil light on an SV is a pressure light, & not a level indicator.

I suspect that your engine has knackered big end bearings, get some oil in it, & see how it sounds.

Alternatively, It could be one of the camchain tensioners. Without hearing it, it's difficult to say.


Cheers.

[Noble Ox]

My only hope now is to fill it with oil. Would you recomend I take out the plugs and spray some down there?

[chrisc]

My only hope now is to fill it with oil. Would you recomend I take out the plugs and spray some down there?

Nope. just get the bike to a normal oil level in the sight glass and see how it sounds. its probably shagged though. regular checks = important.

[rictus01]

It'll make little difference if you put oil down the bores apart from making it harder to start, fill it to the correct level and start it up, if as Stewart said it's a cam chain tensioner, then you're a very lucky chap, back it off and reset it, if that doesn't work, remove it and check it's working freely.

However if it's a knocking noise coming from low down in the engine, then it's probably the crank, and no amount of oil is going to fix it, whilst you can change a crank, it's normally more cost effective to replace the engine with a good secondhand one.

Cheers Mark.

[Noble Ox]

:(
If all is screwed. How much will I be expecting to pay for a new engine?

Damn... I checked the other day aswell and thought ahh it'l be fine!

[rictus01]

prices range from a couple of hundred to about £650 or so, depending on age & mileage, it is possible to fit the earlier (curvy) engine bottom end as well.

Cheers Mark.

[Noble Ox]

FFS! :@ Only myself to blame.

Thanks for your help. I'l let you know how I get on.

[Noble Ox]

Oh... what oil do I need to buy?

[rictus01]

10/40 semi motorbike oil

[Noble Ox]

Would it be worth selling as it is? What could I expect for it?

As motor would be £500
and labour another £400

[rictus01]

judgement call really, the sv engine is a fairly easy one to change yourself, so That's what I'd be doing, but you maybe right if you're paying garage prices to have it fitted.

You're going to take a hit on a bike with an engine problem as potential buyers will presume it'll need an engine change and expect to pay accordingly.

Cheers Mark.

[Noble Ox]

Hmmm. As you can tell I have no mechanical skills, so wouldnt have a chance at changing the engine! Maybe someone would be kind enough to give me a hand on here, im expecting it to take at least a day?

[Dave20046]

Would it be worth selling as it is? What could I expect for it?

As motor would be £500
and labour another £400
We don't know what bike it is.
I'd bet it'd work out about the same loss unless you swap the engine yaself.

[sunshine]

new engine £500 labour free no trouble to swap an engine your local-ish if you need a hand sorting it out let us know.

[Noble Ox]

K6 650 pictured. Pretty standard except micron and black screen. Dent in tank and a couple of scratches on fairing. paid £3k 4 months ago

:) Sunshine that would be top stuff if I could arrange to get an engine!

[Dave20046]

K6 650 pictured. Pretty standard except micron and black screen. Dent in tank and a couple of scratches on fairing. paid £3k 4 months ago

:) Sunshine that would be top stuff if I could arrange to get an engine!
Ahh, can't see avatars. I'd say about £2k maybe even less.
Best get a new engine!

p.s P O W E R : petrol,oil,water,electrics,rubber (and pressures). Things you should check before setting off.

[sunshine]

First thing you should try is look to see if the problem is fixable might save you some cash.

[rictus01]

p.s P O W E R : petrol,oil,water,electrics,rubber (and pressures). Things you should check before setting off.


& Chain

[Noble Ox]

Yeh well all I can do is add oil. Its lost some power, so sounds like its beyond saving. But I can hope!

[sunshine]

well let us know if you want me to take a look, do you have paddock stands?

[Noble Ox]

Thanks m8 will do and just a rear one.

If anyone stumbles across an engine for sale would greatfull if you'd let me know!!

[monkimagic]

If you checked it and it was fine or had oil a few days ago, its not likley to have ran that dry. Get some oil in it and take it to someone who can diagnose the problem even it is running like ****e it may be a coincidence and the lack of power is electrical or something else.

[BomBalong]

Hi Noble Ox, was searchin the flea bay, found these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-SV650S-SV650-SV-650-S-04-Engine-Assembly_W0QQitemZ400073858207QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_Motorcycle_Parts?hash=item5d26429c9f

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-SV650S-SV650-SV-650-S-05-Engine-Assembly_W0QQitemZ390067540149QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_Motorcycle_Parts?hash=item5ad1d650b5

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-SV650-S-SV-650-complete-engine-motor-K5-K6-05-06_W0QQitemZ310145320438QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Moto rcycle_Parts?hash=item48361a05f6

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2007-K7-SV650-SV-650-s-engine-motor-and-throttle-bodies_W0QQitemZ120487320656QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Motorcycle_Parts?hash=item1c0d9a9c50

theres loads on the bay, have a butchers :P

Ben.

[Noble Ox]

Ta for the links!
Would probs get a better price if I got it off here?

With the oil, do I just poor the new oil in. Or is it more complicated than that?

[Dave20046]

& Chain
Doh! yep, sorry I'm in car mode

[Dave20046]

Ta for the links!
Would probs get a better price if I got it off here?

With the oil, do I just poor the new oil in. Or is it more complicated than that?
:neutral:


Pour the oil through the fillup bit on the right hand side of the bike (undo the screw, pour oil in until you can see it between the lines on the window).

Wait, you know you're supposed to check the oil when the bike's off the side stand, right?

[Noble Ox]

Sorry where is the fillup bit on the bike?

Yes! But I was waiting for the bike to tell me there was no oil... bad mistake! I presumed the oil light/display on the dash actually had a perpose!

[Holdup]

Re the cam chain tensioners dont the K4 > have oil adjusted tensioners? so would they need resetting manualy? if it were to be the tensioners that is

[Richie]

Oil...

make sure the bike is upright and not on the sidestand....
get some else to sit on it on the bike with both feet on the ground.
Check oil level through the sight glass as you might not have done this when you checked the oil level last time.
then fill to the bottom line, wait 2 minutes, then fill above it say half way, wait again, then fill to just under the top line or on the top line. No more than that.

hope you get it sorted quickly and cheaply.

[Dave20046]

it's located on the engine on a bulge(clutch cover) in front of your right foot when sat on the bike. Usually a black plastic cap that just unscrews (up from the oil level window)

[Noble Ox]

ok ta. off 2 halfords now!

[Dave20046]

ok ta. off 2 halfords now!
Get semi synthetic and not cheap crap.

[lee67]

a biker who doesnt know what where how much oil???,,,read the manual ;)..sarcasm i know, but in my day everyone said RTFM:D...back on a serious note, try filling with oil before buying an engine...if u do buy an engine make sure its a runner;)

[Alpinestarhero]

get semi synthetic 10w40 MOTORCYCLE oil

maybe too late...

[Richie]

Driving home tonight (its a 20 mile trip) started to notice it was running like a dog, it had lost alot of power and was making really load flitering noises (hard to explain) loader than normal anyway! Now I only noticed with like 3 miles to go, so I dont know how long this had been going for as I had iPod in. Stopped and had a look (for what?.. I dont know!!) then got back on and drove really low revs home. Now I have just looked at the oil level and there seems to be no oil, havent had a proper look though. But I would have presumed the dash would have warned me before it ran out? Could this be my problem? Sorry its lso vague. Cant exactly make a diagnostic with the crap info i'v given!

Help would be very appreciated! Aran

was it raining ? Did you ride through Puddles?

do you have a fender extender? (plastic extender on the front mud guard..)
when was the last time your bike was serviced?

just some ramdom questions....

[Noble Ox]

there is deff no oil!!

yes its been raining last 3 days!
no extender
Last serviced end of Aug... 5000 miles ago!

[Richie]

If your engine is fooked then it's fooked... so try this...
after topping up the oil level, off the side stand so the bike is vertical... 90 degres from the horizontal... checking the level of oil on the sight glass....
take out the front spark plug , spray the suspressor cap with WD40 (yes thats what it is actually for and not a penerteative oil...) then earth it out to the body of the engine (metal bit of the spark plug to the engine...) switch the ignotion on and try to start the bike.
if you see a spark from the spark plug then stop... and replace it....

IE...
so front no.1 cylinder spark plug has been removed but after a WD40 wash is in the suspressor cap and is earth out against the engine... AWAY from the open No.1 open cylinder hole... (don't want a flash fire now do we...)
Do you get a spark....

Or in laymans turms...

check no1 spark plug is getting a spark.....





hth's..

[thefallenangel]

If it hasn't been changed for 5k, i would of thought 5k old oil with not much in an engine = problems?

Other than that it could well be dropping hte cylinder

[yorkie_chris]

Sounds knackered. Bet you 24p your big end looks like this:

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3246/1001774e.jpg

[sunshine]

drop the engine out, get a gasket kit and give it to me for a week simple enough rebuild, shouldnt be too hard, other than the big end work! :smt023

give us a shout if you want a hand with anything.

[yorkie_chris]

Aye that scored crank that you can't get thicker bearing shells to suit should be no problem :-P

Some place down south (ask one of the squirrels) has done a regrind with some suitable bearings from some old car that happen to fit.

[Noble Ox]

Ok guys.... Added the oil. Had a little go. The power seems to still be there, alot more than just before I got home. However its making a really unhealthy noise. Will riding it like this now worsen my problems?

Sunshine your offer sounds very appealling! I was planning on putting her away for the next few months anyway. Should I get it looked at and then come back to you with what needs doing? and then you can decide wether your up to job! Would be a real happy man if you could!

Oh and thanks all for the help!

[yorkie_chris]

Is it a deep rumbly knocking? Like solid thudding?

[sunshine]

im always up for a working on a four stroke engine they break less often than two strokes (piston rings all the time) which im used to rebuilding and get parts built to fit(gets very expensive).

as long as the engine isnt completely knacked i can fix it, im sure i can, i hope. sometimes an engine swap is cheaper and easier tho.

[yorkie_chris]

If the crank is scored you'll have to send it off. You can't rebuild SV crank for £50 like some old stroker.

It is about £150 to send crank off and get new shells and regrind.

[sunshine]

really?!?!?! didn't know it was that much.
my two strokes was mainly little end troubles but i had a scored crank it only cost me £20.

[yorkie_chris]

Yeah exactly, hence why it's not so simple as "oh be reet, I'll just whip it to bits and rebuild it". I don't have 2 knackered curvy engines sat there in the garage because I like the look of em you know.

[Alpinestarhero]

Ok guys.... Added the oil. Had a little go. The power seems to still be there, alot more than just before I got home. However its making a really unhealthy noise. Will riding it like this now worsen my problems?

Sunshine your offer sounds very appealling! I was planning on putting her away for the next few months anyway. Should I get it looked at and then come back to you with what needs doing? and then you can decide wether your up to job! Would be a real happy man if you could!

Oh and thanks all for the help!

Bad noises unfortunatly mean terminal damage. You will need an engine rebuild. I would recoomend you don't ride the bike; at the very least the engine will just die, at the worst it could seize completly, throwing you off down the road.

Get that engine sorted and in future, keep a closer eye on the oil level :)

[yorkie_chris]

It will spin bearings and make damage worse.

[sunshine]

yc you do have 2 curvy engines to look at because they do look nice :D

rebuilding it if its only bearings it wont take too long.
Either way this is expensive lesson to learn about checking your oil, and not the first time for people on this forum.

[yorkie_chris]

Not just bearings! It is crank will be scored and need grinding. And you cannot get bearing shells from suzuki. And maybe sides of conrod will be scored too.
I will show you pictures of what damage will look like later.

[sunshine]

yes please. i would like to see the damage, two strokes motocross bikes dont get much damage other than piston rings(after most races). Suzuki should make all bikes 2 strokes, its easier to repair!

[Alpinestarhero]

yes please. i would like to see the damage, two strokes motocross bikes dont get much damage other than piston rings(after most races). Suzuki should make all bikes 2 strokes, its easier to repair!

even easier to top up your oil!

[sunshine]

that settles it then, i will tell Suzuki there making bikes all wrong they need start making all bikes 2 strokes.

[yorkie_chris]

Lol! Remember their last attempt, you could sometimes ride an RGV250 almost a week without rebuilding it :-P