Sometimes I don't understand...

[Louis Mielke]

...why so many 4-strokes need rebuilt. Most people talk about how bullet proof four strokes and most of my experience is that very rarley do 4-strokes burn out a top end. My grandfather has been running his YTM200e Tri-Moto since he bought it in the early 80s, and he has yet to rebuild the top end. And he uses it for constant farm use. Heck he's taken a full haywagon down the road with it several times. Yet I've rebuilt several 4-stroke top ends, and I just find it hard to beleive that it needs done at all....2-strokes yes, part of maintanance basically...but comming upon a 4-stroke that needs a top end, and not vavle train work is just unsettling.....i don't even know what i'm saying anymore. It just bewilders me how you burn up a 4-stroke top end....i mean yes i know, running it lean, run it rich, etc etc you could do alot to burn it up, but still it just seems like it shouldn't be as common as it is. blah..........

[markdb420]

I hear that, and it seems to me that it is an issue of poor or no maintenance. No valve adjustments, lack of oil changes, and bad carburetor set up. I have a 1985 350x that hasn't been opened and it runs good, but gets regular maintenance. It is all in how you use and take care of stuff. I bet we start seeing more as I see more and more people that don't take care of or are incapable of doing maintenance!

[lisnup65]

4 stroke durability is only as well as the maintanance that is performed. I have run acrossed so many motors that you can see have not been maintained. Clean air filter, no air leaks, reguluar oil/filter changes, valve adjustments, etc and a typical 4 stroker should last a long long time. Timing chains, etc do wear and stretch and will also need to be inspected on occasion. Because its a 4 stroke does not mean that it s indistructable, its just means that every x number of hours you do not need to re-ring it. If you do maintain they will go forever, if not the cost of all those parts does not provide any benefit.

[350x'inNY]

Well... my "Go-Go" 350X had a little top end problem after Trikefest last year. Changed the clutch out right before trikefest, and when I was out in Indiana, the valves started clackin real bad... went in there and adjusted them... a lil better but still making a racket.

Got it back and an "expert" came up to adjust the valves. Seems as if when I changed the clutch out the week before, we lost a little piece/bushing for the oil pump moving the trike around to get the clutch basket off. Basically ran it all of trikefest w/o oil to the top end. Ended up putting a different valve train and a new crate motor cam in it. The old cam had dug like 2-3mm gouges into the lifter arms. Runs like a champ again! Oh... and put another piece into the oil pump to get oil back up top too! :p

I'm amazed it ran all trikefest with no oil up top! Honda's are bulletproof!

Bruce

[thefox]

Louis,
I think the same thing and then I remember that yes, there are lots of 4 strokes that still run great without needing work. It's just people like you and I buy the no running ones thinking of the potential. What fun would it be if it didn’t need work? :rolleyes: Some day I will buy a trike that doesn't need anything done, some day.

[trikezilla]

in my, my families and friendes, experiences we have learned the best thing in the world for our four strokes is to have REGULAR MAINTNENCE....we havent owned a bad one yet.....except for that ford my cousin has. but thats another story (plus its a ford, so that might explain ALOT!!! LOL...sry ford guys-just hadda do it)

[4cylinders]

hey, change the oil, check the oil, if they don't.... also a leaky shift shaft seal seems to preceed low oil problems, engine overheating.