'86 tecate head question

[250SX]

How many bolts hold on the head? I got out the 12mm nuts, the 2 8mm bolts, and the single 10mm bolt. The head still won't come off and I don't want to pry too hard.

I thought the bolt that goes through the water inlet neck might be holding it down...however that @%@#%@^%@#%^er broke when I was trying to take it off. Is that what's holding it on or should I just pry harder?

Any ideas how hard it will be to drill out this bolt? :x

[Jeb]

Not trying to insult intelligence here, but if the motor is still in the frame, you did undo the head stay, right?

Is the motor out of the frame or still in it??

Are you removing just the head? or the head and cylinder as one piece??

Its been a quite a while, but the last time I took the head off one, it was just remove the 12mm nuts off the top. Forgive me as I don't have an engine or manual in front of me, but I'm trying to figure out where the 2 8mm and 1 10mm bolts fit into this picture concerning the head?? there should be nothing holding that head down except the 12mm nuts and probably some gasket bond.

I believe for cylinder removal, it just the 4 14mm nuts and disconnect the power valve linkage. the whole thing should slip right off even with the head still on. again gasket bond might be sticking it down.

I wouldn't pry to mutch on any of that stuff. I use a mallet with plastic ends and tap on the head to break it loose.

The bolt you broke off the top of the water inlet is nothing but a bleed screw that you loosen so air can escape when filling the system back up with coolant. It does not hold the head on in anyway. I would be really careful trying to get that broke off bolt out. any cracks or mistakes and it's hello new head.

Hope this helps. :-D

[MIK6]

Dan, On all my Tecates there is just the 7 nuts, and the 3 smaller bolts in front(mine are all the same size). You also have to remove the upper motor mount. That is all that is holding the head down. Once the head is off you can remove the jug w/ the motor in the frame. Just push the piston down for extra clearance, but like jeb says watch the powervalve stuff. I have a manual here and Jeb also has 1 if I (we) can halp let us know. I can give you torque specs or other hidden info, if you need it feel free to ask.

Dont forget about the 1 lefthand thread on the powervalve actuator. It bit me pretty good when i had my rt side cover off. I don't know if you are going into the cluch cover or not but the little nut on the actuator assembly, under the little(2bolt) cover on the top of the rt side cover is LEFTHAND thread. Becarefull around it LOL.

IF I CAN BE OF HELP ASK AWAY
MIK6 / Mike

[250SX]

Thanks for the replies. I did take out the bolt on the motor mount. Jeb there are 3 smaller bolts on the front of the head on my engine. I'm not trying to take the jug off, just trying to take off the head to see if the piston was installed in the right direction.

The front (towards the exhaust) of the head is loose. It's the rear side that seems to be stuck. I didn't know how hard I should be prying on it.

Should I even bother trying to fix the bleed screw or just leave well enough alone? If I do need to fix it, will that water neck come off the head or is it cast into the head permantently?

thanks!

[Jeb]

Dan, you need to take that head stay all the way off, not just remove the bolt that goes through the head. It's just two more bolts and that may be why it's dragging on the back side. They head stay brackets could be clamping on it still, even though the bolt is out.


I forgot about those 3 bolts. mine are all 3 8mm heads. sorry about that.

Kawasaki does not list that top water fitting with a part number. I would not try to remove it.

To properly fill your coolant system, your supposed to to bleed air out at that location. with the head gone off the screw, there is no seal, it might pressure up and leak past the threads. It's up to you on that.

I would fix it.

[Kilborg]

It's not that hard to take a head off. It's one thing it it's stuck on the gasket, in which case you could just turn the motor over with all the bolts off. If the motor is out and the bolts are all off there should be no difficulty in this. Just take a real good, hard look at what your doing, It can't pose that much difficulty.

*edit* At the request of some certain figureheads in positions of power, this post has been modified slightly.

[250SX]

Jeb you were right, as soon as I unbolted the head stay it came right off. Unfortunately (fortunately?) the piston was facing the right direction so now I've got to get this bleeder screw fixed and figure out why this bike has almost NO power. I'll save that for another post after I get her back together though.

thanks guys!

[Kilborg]

Run a few simple tests? A leakdown test and a compression test are among the two simplest and often most over looked things you can do.

Since the bike runs, the afro amercian method of comp testing will not benefit you. Your going to need to either borrow or buy (every toolbox should have one anyway) a comp testing set with several attachments so you can test other motors, too.

[250SX]

I've got all that stuff, but I know it isn't the compression. One kick of this baby and you'll KNOW it's got LOTS of compression. It used to have alot of midrange w/ no bottom or top end. I fooled with the idle mixture screw & lost the midrange too.

[Jeb]

Hey Dan, glad you got the head off. Aren't you relieved you didnt start prying on things! ! :-D


Do you have that different carb on it that you had fitting trouble with a while back? or did you end up getting a stock carb?

You might go ahead and take the cylinder off and clean and inspect the powervalves. They can build up with carbon and MIK6 can provide some good info here. Sound's like you've got a good piston and rings, so you would just need new gaskets.

I checked out the pics you and your father took out on the sand bars. That looks awesome! I would have to drive 9 hours to get there. How far away from Tunica are you? A good friend of mine works at the casinos on the river. been there once a few years back. had fun and visited Memphis and had a great time. can you email me the details of your ride next week!

Thanks!

[250SX]

Jeb, I was debating taking the jug off to clean the powervalves like Mik suggested to me, but I've heard horror stories about those things. How hard is it?

I still have that ill-fitting carb, but I also have a mikuni flatslide that supposedly came off an '85 T3 that's going back on it after I clean it out real good. It's a much better fit in the intake boot. If it doesn't run right though I found a reed spacer that should cure my problem with the old carb.

My apt. at school is only about an hour away from Tunica. Which boat does he work at? Tunica is probably about 3 hours from where we'll be riding. You just take hwy. 61 and head south. there's a pretty long discussion of the ride here http://www.3wheeler.org/vb/showthread.php?s=1e5d9149a978410baa8fa04e3d579193&threadid=3016

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[Jeb]

The KIPS is not that bad if you take your time and make sure you put it back together right. MIK6 knows, dont break the left handed nut on the actuator. and make sure you tighten it up good after replacing it.

I'd sure go with the flatslide you have.

last time I talked to my buddy in Tunica, he was working at Fitzgeralds, not a boat, but one of the casinos on the river bank.
I believe he was working at Harrahs when I was out there. thats been way back in the 93 or 94.
I will check the link to the ride. Thanks Dan.!