FJ1346 from ashes to... Well, we'll see...

[skymasteres]

Exciting to read this all! And that cam chain tensioner backing out... Sounds like you just didn't put it on good enough, don't know what to say. That shouldn't happen. :\

Yeah, after thinking about it I realized that I skipped using the torque wrench on it when I had
the head off to go after the oil galley plugs. I was so focused on that and making sure that I
got the cam timing right that I missed it.

Just pretend you taxiing a tail dragger.... Do a bunch of funky "S" turns...... It's a pain in the .....  One nice thing about wrecking my bike is the damn mirrors are gone now .   There is a bright side to things...
George

Sorry again about your bike George. I suppose on the bright side, this thing is like the twin of
your bike. So at least there's another one out there.

I'll have to work my way up to the low speed rolls. As it stands I need to be sure that the engine
is keeping the oil on the inside for a while first...

[Firehawk068]

I've been intrigued by your engine build, and especially your coatings, and processes..................
A friend of mine in NY got me interested in internal engine coatings, during the various stages of his 550-ish Horsepower 2.7liter stroker SVO Mustang turbo build.(I think it has a Volvo Dohc head on it now?)

Upon reading the posts in this thread, it seems like you've coated many different parts inside this engine.............I'd be interested in hearing more detail about them....

On a different note, you mentioned your air/fuel ratio at being slightly lean at 11.5:1
I could be wrong, and maybe my understanding of the air-cooled FJ engine is off?
While I know some engines will vary a little, it is my understanding that somewhere around 13:1 is ideal, and when you start going above that you are going slightly lean.......

For comparison, my 1995 Firehawk with the Stock LT1 engine, gained 8hp, and nearly 10 ft/lbs of torque at the rear wheels when I had the computer re-flashed with a slightly leaner tune (I had to have is flashed to change my speedometer when I changed the gears to 3.90:1, and we decided to try a different engine tune at the same time)
We leaned it to around 14.2:1 at WOT...........

[fj1289]

Based on the dyno tune Frank (Flynt) had done at Factory Pro- best power & reliability is probably closer to 12.5 AFR on the air cooled FJ lump.  You may pick up some power a little leaner than that -- maybe 13.0 or so -- but probably better a little richer for extended hard running.  I'd have to think 11.5 is a bit on the rich side. 

Are you datalogging with the LM1?  I havent used an LM1 so I'm not familiar with the capabilities - I have used the LC1, DL32, and SSI4 on both the streetbike and the dragbike. 

Will be interesting to see if all the coatings will make for a cooler running engine that likes a leaner mixture than most FJs

[skymasteres]

On a different note, you mentioned your air/fuel ratio at being slightly lean at 11.5:1
I could be wrong, and maybe my understanding of the air-cooled FJ engine is off?

Well, that's just me being an idiot. (There are a lot of examples of that in this thread...) I figured since it smelled
so rich at startup that the 26-50 to 1 or so numbers must be showing rich and that when I rolled it on that it
"dropped" to 11.5 to 1 and "leaned out" Now that I am understanding the meter better I am more comfortable
with the setup. As it stands if I leave the choke on and ride it the AFR is about stays about in the range of
11.6-13.5 to 1. If I take the choke off and am glacier slow with the throttle the AFR sits right between 14-14.7 to 1.
If I ride smoothly, sweeping the RPM as I go, the AFR varies a little more in the range of 14.4-16 to 1. (Getting out
to 16 is a little on the lean side but the engine doesn't make any funny noises. I basically try not to let it go past 14
and use the choke here and there. So far the head temps are more stable on shutdown with the cylinder head being
more comfortably under 300F at 70 miles so far.

I'm telling you though, I keep breaking stuff. I took her out again yesterday afternoon for another slightly longer run,
got to the 40 mile mark, and heard a noise while slowing down. Of course it was nice being able to do it in the daylight
because you are so limited with your ability to ride fast and see road hazards at night. Anyway, when I got back home
I was looking around at things and saw that I needed to adjust the chain. And then I noticed this...




Was like "wait a minute..." and took a closer look.



I am beginning to come to the realization that EVERY noise means something. It's just a matter of actually finding out
what it was that made it.

This was a simple fix. But it's unsettling to find things just breaking everywhere.

Upon reading the posts in this thread, it seems like you've coated many different parts inside this engine.............I'd be interested in hearing more detail about them....

Well I am using Techline coating products. There are different coatings that they market that have properties that make
them more suited for some parts than others. I used about half a quart of Cermalube which is a durable oil retaining high
load ceramic lubricant. It was used on the bearings, piston skirts, piston pins, piston pin bores, connecting rod small end
bores, transmission gears and shafts, clutch pushrod, clutch basket bearing and bushing, camshafts, camshaft gears,
camshaft journals in the cylinder head, spring cups, crankshaft, oil pump parts, and shift drum. (I think that's all of it)

Then there is the Thermal Dispersant. It's a thin oil shedding coating that is supposed to aid in head rejection. I used
about 3/4 of a quart on the engine cases, oil pan, cylinder head fins, connecting rods, and crankshaft (non bearing surfaces).

The thermal barrier was applied to the piston tops, combustion chambers, and valve faces.

I'll have to look up the specs on the coatings  I used on the ports and valve stems.

[skymasteres]

Are you datalogging with the LM1?  I havent used an LM1 so I'm not familiar with the capabilities - I have used the LC1, DL32, and SSI4 on both the streetbike and the dragbike.  

Will be interesting to see if all the coatings will make for a cooler running engine that likes a leaner mixture than most FJs

I'm actually using a LM-2 meter. So far I have it set up to log RPM and AFR. It's been FOREVER since I used the thing.
(Bought it five years ago, hence the original firmware) That and having issues initially getting the RPM signal to work.
After a look at the shop manual I traced the tachometer while to the grey coil lead. After I hooked up the black wire
with the white tracer off of the analog data cable I finally got a good signal. (Set up to count on rev for every two pulses)  

I'll have to post the log when I download it so I can see where I'm at.


As for the coatings, I am hopeful that they will make a difference. So far I haven't had any indication of pinging or knocking.
Of course I've been running 91 octane and been really easy on it...

[fj11.5]

Looks like the bolt on the brake arm may have been loose, seeing how the holes flogged out ,, guess its better than having the front calipers fall off

[skymasteres]

Looks like the bolt on the brake arm may have been loose, seeing how the holes flogged out ,, guess its better than having the front calipers fall off

This is actually one bolt I did take special care to put back together right. The only thing I can think of is that
it sheared because it was worn out from being loose when I got it.

Okay, never mind about keeping it under 300 it's cooks as 328 after a moderate run. On the bright side from
what I am seeing the fuel air ratio richens up from 14 something to around 12 to one or so when I roll on and
the bike starts to stretch my arms a little. It gets up to an indicated 100 really quick, at which point it's engine
braking back down to 50.

Here's what I'm using to look at the AFR. Of course I'm only glancing at it since things are really moving...
Just a note, but these things don't recognize larger than 2GB SD cards...

[skymasteres]

Well I'm now one oil change into this. (90 miles on the dot) I have to say. I was not expecting there to be so
much metal stuck to the filter magnet I put in there. Although I'm really glad I had it in there.



I would definitely recommend one of these for your FJ if you don't have one. I just wonder, with this much iron
floating around, how much aluminum did the filter eat?



The oil definitely looked funny as well. All of the excess cermalube that has burnished off is swirling in it like little
graphite flakes. I suppose that'll clear up on the second or third change, I hope.





I think the main part of my oil leak initially, aside from the cam chain tensioner backing out, was the old oil plug
washer being shot. Now that there's a new one in there it there's not a light oil film all over the engine. (Which is nice)

But I am still plagued with leaks. I mean, I put a new crank end plug in when I put the cases back together and now THIS!



I'm fantasizing that maybe it's just a break in thing and it'll clear up. That maybe I won't have to pull it out and
tap a new one in with some RTV... (At least that's what I'm telling myself)

The mileage I am getting so far is abysmal, but I think it's because the engine was so dang tight to start with.
I have hit the 130 mile mark and got 26mpg on the first tank.

I am more than happy with how these carburetors are performing. Now that I'm actually starting to get more power
on the roll ons I can see the AFR dropping to 11.5 to one under as heavy a load as I can handle at the moment.
(It's accelerating like crazy compared to anything I've ever been on) Most of the time it sits in the 12.5 -13.5 to 1
range when I roll on and sweep up to 8K. I know there was some discussion about the quarter turn throttle and the
sensitivity of it, but I have fallen in love with how precise the control it gives me over the engine's output. With subtle
changes in wrist torque I can roll on or off without having to change my hand position at all. I really like that.


Here is a question for the masses. How much of a temperature differential are you getting, when you shut down,
between the cylinder head fins between cylinders 1 and 4? Right now I am seeing about 50F. Is this normal? I mean,
I know I should expect some temperature rise around cylinder 1 because the oil flows through the cams from 4 to 1,
but this seems like a lot. 

Side note, I know it's perfectly safe, but seeing this buy parked a spot over gave me a hitch. Then I had to laugh.

[fj11.5]

The black stuff just dousnt want to stay in  , you didn't use harley oil did you  ,, that brake arm bolt must of been ready to snap, 

[skymasteres]

The black stuff just dousnt want to stay in  , you didn't use harley oil did you  ,, that brake arm bolt must of been ready to snap, 

No, no harley oil

But I still have leaks popping up!  Now on the ride this morning I have oil smoke from what looks like the valve cover on the let side near piston one.
Have any of you guys had issues like this trying to keep oil in a new motor? I've never seen anything like it before. 

[56 CHEVY]

It could just be the picture, but is that crank seal pressed in square? t looks to be deeper into the case at the bottom than it is at the top. That could possibly cause a small leak.

[ribbert]

The black stuff just dousnt want to stay in  , you didn't use harley oil did you  ,, that brake arm bolt must of been ready to snap, 

No, no harley oil

But I still have leaks popping up!  Now on the ride this morning I have oil smoke from what looks like the valve cover on the let side near piston one.
Have any of you guys had issues like this trying to keep oil in a new motor? I've never seen anything like it before. 

Other than the unlikely event that you have fitted multiple gaskets and seals poorly, next thing I would check is crankcase pressure. Make sure that it is venting freely. Also check the amount of crankcase pressure to make sure it is not excessive.

Noel

[fintip]

Are you using a torque wrench? After seeing the can chain tensioner fall off, can't help but wonder...

[skymasteres]

Are you using a torque wrench? After seeing the can chain tensioner fall off, can't help but wonder...

You know I would be insulted if it weren't for the fact that given all of the other evidence you
really could wonder. But rest assured, I did in fact use a torque wrench on every nut and bolt
that had a torque value listed in the shop manual. I just missed the cam chain tensioner when
I had the head off looking for those cylinder head oil galley plugs.

I pulled her in for the second oil change (200 miles) and found more oil residue on the cylinder
block. At this point my mind is going to all sorts of bad places seeing as this thing is just oozing
everywhere.





There was definitely a lot less metal on the filter magnet this time around. I thought that it was
a sign that the wear process is reaching competition...




But I think it is more likely that most of the metal that would have ended up on the filter magnet
has instead been deposited here.





I know it doesn't look like much but when you clean the little magnets off you can see just how
much there was covering them.





I think it will be interesting to see just how long it takes for the quantity of metal being caught by
the magnets drops. The other item of interest is the way the oil looks coming out of the crankcase.
It looks really dark, but it's being colored by the graphite like material suspended in the oil. 
I wonder how many oil changes it's going to take before the oil comes out clean.




I also finally found the source of the rogue oil leak. Seems that the non-hardening gasket material that
I used was not up to the task of sealing at the temperatures the cylinder head was experiencing. It
dried out and allowed oil to leak around the little aluminum half-moons that fill the voids in the valve
cover gasket sealing area.






This is good news because it explains why the leaks seamed to magically appear and why when I
would plug one, another would show up.

Now the old girl occupies a prod spot in the boneyard as the only fully operational motorcycle.

[fintip]

Gasket material choice should have been the obvious next diagnosis, I guess. And yeah, you're obviously a pro, so I was just as surprised as you were about the oil leaks--my comment about bolt tension was mostly tongue in cheek, but I have to admit, I wondered if you had been a little timid after your bolting-up misadventures! I know I would be.