Tri Z Engine Build

[El Camexican]

Time to lap the cylinder to the cases and clean up the cylinder. Starts with bolting the cases together and smearing the gasket surface up with compound. These cases were pretty scarred up. They appear to have been split numerous times by people with a large assortment of screwdrivers and steel s.



Stuffed rags into the case holes. They'll get cleaned again, but the less compound I need to get out the better. This not something you want trace amounts of anywhere in an engine.



Spent about an hour rotating the cylinder back and forth. Without the cases on a solid stand it's pretty awkward and there were lots of scuffs and scratches to get rid off. Interestingly the cases had a low spot on the corner where the cylinders are known to crack when a boost port is added. It didn't lap in for the first 30 minutes.



There were two scratches that wouldn't clean up due to their depth and both ran straight across the thinnest portion of the sealing surface.



The trick to fixing these is to carefully raise the surface with a punch. A couple taps on the inside edge of the cases and then a couple more right on the scratches, but not straight down, you need to tip the punch about 30 degrees towards the part you want to raise.



Now lap until the high sports are gone and voila, no more potential leak.



The cracked cylinder Neverlift gave me to practice porting on will be getting sleeved. The loop that the exhaust springs hook to had almost worn through. Rather than try to find someone to weld it I cleaned it up and placed a steel washer over the flat side of the loop and covered it with JB Weld. Now the springs will be pulling on the washer and not the aluminum.

[El Camexican]

Decided to make it look as stock as possible, but without any casting lines or sharp edges.






Braked the heal out of the paint right after spraying.

[barnett468]

I like how that paint looks. What did you use?


PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR AND THE ONLY PERSON ON 3WW WITHOUT AN EDIT BUTTON OR A STAR

[El Camexican]

Duplicolor engine paint, Ford semigloss black.

It looks really glossy for a few hours and then looses just enough gloss to look factory black. I can't say enough good about this brand of spray, it wears really well and after dozens of power washes not a single flake comes off. As you're well aware, it's all in the prep and I always take a heat gun to it ASAP.

[christph]

Duplicolor engine paint, Ford semigloss black.

It looks really glossy for a few hours and then looses just enough gloss to look factory black. I can't say enough good about this brand of spray, it wears really well and after dozens of power washes not a single flake comes off. As you're well aware, it's all in the prep and I always take a heat gun to it ASAP.

You heat the paint with a heat gun immediately after spraying it? Is that supposed to harden it over normal drying?

[El Camexican]

You heat the paint with a heat gun immediately after spraying it? Is that supposed to harden it over normal drying?

Yes, just like oven baking a car, but you need to use common sense, or you'll burn the paint. I almost did on the clutch cover, saw a couple small bubbles start to form and backed off. The best way is to set the gun on low, stay back at least 8 inches and keep moving at all times. Pick a spot on the cover that's taped, or wasn't painted and touch it once in a while to see how hot it is. If it's too hot to keep your finger on it then it's time to turn the gun off and wait until it cools off before warming it up again. Try to keep the part warm for at least 30 minute

After that I like to let the part sit a while. The longer the better, as the paint isn't fully cured for at least a day or two, but you can handle it carefully after a couple hours.

I did this one the other day and was pressed for time. I only let it dry for about two hours before assembling it after painting, but I did keep it warm for over an hour first. This was a hack job. I probably spent less time prepping the entire engine than I spent on the Tri Z clutch cover alone.

[Red Rider]

Braked the heal out of the paint right after spraying.

Exactly! What he said. Going slow and applying the brakes is the best way to apply paint professionally. Always take your time prepping, masking, & painting, and your results can look this good also. Nice job El!

[El Camexican]

Exactly! What he said. Going slow and applying the brakes is the best way to apply paint professionally. Always take your time prepping, masking, & painting, and your results can look this good also. Nice job El!

LOL! I talk into my phone instead of typing at times. I got it in the States, so I think think it's calibrated for a gringo voice and has difficulty with a Canuck accent at times. Should have read "Baked the heck out of it"

[Red Rider]

Should have read "Baked the heck out of it"

Thanks for the correction, but I bet you really said, "baked the H, E, double-hockey sticks out of it."

[barnett468]

...I bet you really said, "baked the H, E, double-hockey sticks out of it."

OMG...is this the new pg spelling of it?



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR AND THE ONLY PERSON ON 3WW WITHOUT AN EDIT BUTTON OR A STAR OR A CHANCE IN HELL OF GETTING EITHER .

[MTS]

is she a runner yet?

[El Camexican]

is she a runner yet?

Not even close. Lots of work to do still. Might run in January.