taking up the task..

[Oldshell4481]

i guess im going to try and rebuild one of my 1985 200x motors myself, im ordering all new bearings, getting a cam chain and sprocket, new piston and rings, boring the cylinder, having someone do a valve job for me (id find some way to screw it up), hopefully ill start sometime this week, i will place an order tomorrow or monday so i will owe my folks even more money than i already do.. this should be real fun, and oh fergot to mention all new gaskets.. anything else you guys can think of?? any tips or suggestions..

[chris200x]

Better get yourself a manual,micrometer and some feeler gauges while your at it. Good luck

[Oldshell4481]

yeah im gonna get them too, i have this manual dammit sent me, and ill learn to use the gauges

[Oldshell4481]

the only thing looking too difficult is measuring "radial clearance at the connecting rod big end", and reading the crankshaft runout using a dial indiacator... other than that it looks pretty simple

[Dammit!]

It's not as hard as it seems. I rebuilt my first 200x motor when I was only about 12 or 13 armed only with a Clymers manual and a very modest tool set. Just follow the manual and when in doubt, ask questions.

[Oldshell4481]

i planned on alot of questions, it doesnt look very had, the only thing im going to leave to the pros is the valve job, i dont feel like playing around with cutting valves and stuff, how much do you guys think it will cost all together, im finally getting into a little money, and im going to do one motor myself and have the other professionally done, and if im lucky ill be done before them seeing as how all the shops are all backed up.

[Dammit!]

How about trying one yourself before spending money on the pros? I (well, my folks) paid a shop to do mine first. They did a half-assed job so I got a manual and dove in. Haven't taken a complete motor to a mechanic since then. Just the pieces I need done that require tools I don't have. Hell the piece of mind of knowing how everything was done and that it was done right is worth the effort alone. The money savings is just a nice bonus. Spend that cash on making it look as good as it runs. :beer

No idea what an X motor would cost to rebuild these days. It's been so long that the next time I do it will feel like the first time.

You guys getting started in this now have it easy. Back in my day (hehe) we didn't have the internet. I would have killed for a resource like this back then.

[jeswinehart]

figure on getting a tube of sealant for the head cap. i borrow a freind of mines tube when i do upper rebuilds.
somebody on here will know the name of the stuff,,, i can't recall it off the top of my head.


john

[Oldshell4481]

so where would i buy a micrometer, a feeler gauge, and a metric wrench set?? VIP, AutoZone or Home Depot?? oh and i suppose ill get a torque wrench too...

[MTS]

so where would i buy a micrometer, a feeler gauge, and a metric wrench set?? VIP, AutoZone or Home Depot?? oh and i suppose ill get a torque wrench too...
Any auto parts store should have them generally, tho be ready to drop a few hun on a micrometer and torque, my best advice is dont buy a mic and just take the things apart that need measuring and take them to a mech to have them measure out.....or if you know a mech that has the tools ask him to borrow it or use it at his place,,,,they arent cheap......just my 02 cents.....torque wrench is like 100$ for a craftsmen one, buy one there invalubul when rebuilding the first motor..........loctite all of the case bolts with blue loctite, hmmm on the head studs too wont hurt, the gasket maker to use for the top rocker cover is Yamabond or threebond 1104...RTV will also work but you have to be REALLY careful with it not to use too much...it can come apart n clog **** up in the motor n reak havoc if you use too much...........thats about it...lol

[Oldshell4481]

wow, i dont have that much money, ill the parts to a mechanic, and borrow my friends torque wrench.. dont know if he has a micrometer though, oh man this will be fun

[jenndnn3]

Will you be splitting then? Why? Is there something to indicate you need it? My best advice is if this is first time through, have someone with you whom has done it before. Of course I didnt follow that. If your detial orented (SP?). good memory, this is cake. The biggest issue is troubleshooting why it wont fit, why it wont fire, why you could go on forever...

Most things came off in one place and will only go back in one place, remember that. I dont use locktite, locktite is up to you. The sealant is a must on the cover. The torque wrench can be had at a harbor freight cheap, a must have. The micro I paid 40 at one of those clearence places, a definat must have. You will need the special clutch nut removal tool,(please dont try to fake this one) another must have. If you replace crank bearings, pay the dealer to do that. In fact, I have a great relationship with the dealer and the shop I work with, they check my stuff with me there, and what needed replaced we replaced. What didnt we didnt touch. I dont have all the tools myself so often stuff goes in. Just remember with useing a shop it is the time that cost money. But they are much quicker then you are. So yeah pay them to do valves but you can install head. And things of that nature

The biggest advice I will give you, DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING. If it isnt going smooth there is a problem. Take your time. VERY GOOD LUCK!! The feeling when it first chirps after you got the hands dirty is undescribable.

[Oldshell4481]

yes i will be splitting, i dont know if i want to do the clutch but most likely will replace everything if needed, what is the reason for having the dealer do the bearings?? i cant find a bearing set for the crankcase in dennis kirk, but i want to find a place to buy everything i need from so i get it all at once, and dont have to deal with everywhere, so far for a list of needs and to dos i have:
Cam Chain
Cam Chain Sprocket
Bearings
Complete Gasket Set
Clutch Kit (i guess its only 30 bucks)
Clutch Spring Kit
Piston and Rings
Valve Job
Bore the cylinder

[200xadam]

if * need prices i just got done rebuilding mine, i have a reciept with every single nut and bolt and price from my rebuild but from what i remember the gasket set is the most expensive, its around 100 dollars, the piston will be around 40-50, the bore job will prolly be 30-40 dollars, im getting a valve job as we speak and it is costing me 60 dollars, i hear bearings are expensive, i didnt buy them but i was told by a friend (that means i might be wrong) that there around 80 dollars. cam chain and sprocket i think was around 20-30 bucks all together. when i was finished, my entire rebuild cost me 400 dollars i think, but thats not including the valve job...but i also bought all the kick starter gears...

[Oldshell4481]

well if its that much i can pay 100 dollars more and get it professionally done, i dont think it will be that bad, the complete gasket set is only 30 dollars for the vesrah one.. lol oh and moms gonna be happy, im doing this on the kitchen table on a piece of plywood :b, even though shes moved out for the summer.

[MTS]

well if its that much i can pay 100 dollars more and get it professionally done, i dont think it will be that bad, the complete gasket set is only 30 dollars for the vesrah one.. lol oh and moms gonna be happy, im doing this on the kitchen table on a piece of plywood :b, even though shes moved out for the summer.
Dont get the versah gasket kit there garbage, go OEM honda on everything.....especially gaskets...much nicer than that versah junk..., also the reason you have to have a shop do the crank bearings is becuse they have to be pressed in and out of the case's

[200xadam]

the vesrah (sp) gaskets are crap...ive used them ** and i had to take my motor apart after i had just rebuilt it and when i took it back apart the gaskets where already bad...go honda..expensive, but done right.

[Dammit!]

well if its that much i can pay 100 dollars more and get it professionally done.


Not to scare you but, proffesionally done doesn't always mean done right. ;)

Hope you have better luck with the "pros" than I did.

[chris200x]

Not to scare you but, proffesionally done doesn't always mean done right. ;)

Hope you have better luck with the "pros" than I did.

True man, true... (ya know like the budwieser commercial) i've gone that route before. Paid over $160 for them to put my motor back together because I tried to do a rebuild myself. (words of encouragement for Oldshell!) :D The stupid bastards never checked anything... After telling them to make sure everything was correct!!! got it home...Got it mounted up... then Huffa noticed the front sprocket shaft was stripped! That wasn't the only thing they missed either1 Bad crank bearings and rod, bad kicker gears... Had to rip everything back out and started over. I smartened up though... Some one suggested howdy and he fixed me right up. I would suggest that if you think your jumping in over your head... first do some research. don't take it to the shop around the corner if you heard bad things. Me rushing to try and get it fixed ended up costing me ALOT of money. Just my .o2 cents.

[jenndnn3]

yes i will be splitting, i dont know if i want to do the clutch but most likely will replace everything if needed, what is the reason for having the dealer do the bearings?? i cant find a bearing set for the crankcase in dennis kirk, but i want to find a place to buy everything i need from so i get it all at once, and dont have to deal with everywhere, so far for a list of needs and to dos i have:
Cam Chain
Cam Chain Sprocket
Bearings
Complete Gasket Set
Clutch Kit (i guess its only 30 bucks)
Clutch Spring Kit
Piston and Rings
Valve Job
Bore the cylinder


Dealer will pull them and press them back in. They need to be pressed in, what about the lower timing sprocket you changing it out as well? Are you replacing all inner case bearings? By the way clutch is outside not inner. Do you mean transmision?

I priced some stuff for you

Cam Chain = $30

Cam Chain Sprocket = $25

Bearings = well this could get real ugly, min $50, high around $250

Complete Gasket Set = I used vesrah no problems, $23 dunno stock

Clutch Kit (i guess its only 30 bucks) =that sounds about right (shop ebay they cheap)

Clutch Spring Kit This dunno, had 3 of em so used used LOL

Piston and Rings = 50 - 60

Valve Job = lap and seal, aprox $30 - $50 parts anywhere from $25 to $?? Depending on what you need

Bore the cylinder = aprox $25 - $40