Kawasaki ZX9R Project - Episode 5 - Engine & Gearbox Teardown

[@HDTech22]

Your engine looks really good. Aside from the stuff you already know. I’m currently rebuilding a crashed 99 zx9r. Always enjoy working on these bikes.

[@motocrad]

Thanks for your comment. It's always good to hear from others working on these. All the best with your ZX9R 😀

[@3004andycox]

great job your a lot braver than me stripping that down

[@tolhildan5023]

Thanks for great videos, i was thinking about changing the fairings only and i dont know what happened, i just found myself with fully stripped down zx9r(e1) 😄😄 will do full renovation hopefully finishes one day🤞🏾 im exited to see more videos from you good luck

[@motocrad]

Hi and thanks for your comment. I feel a bit out of my depth now which is why I think the project has stalled a little. I've watched a few more videos and read various forums and feel ready to pick it up again. Good luck with putting your ZX-9R back together 😄

[@mightyweapon]

I'm doing this exact same thing to my 2001 zx6r, currently the bike is fully spripped, engine is fully stripped (I'm a qualified engine machinist of 20 years) and have started stripping the paint in the frame for some repairs then new paint, complete engine build, new fairing kit and some aftermarket parts.

[@motocrad]

They're great to work on, back to basics with the electrics and carbs. Plenty of parts readily available. All the best.

[@essexhognose1808]

That's a lot of pieces 😮 Vapour blasting and powder coating would be the way to go for me

[@motocrad]

Certainly is a lot of pieces, although it's great getting into it and seeing how it all works. I'm am leaning towards powder coating, hmmm.

[@grahamjohnson7934]

great job mate, replace the shells . better to do it than wished you had done it,

[@motocrad]

Thank you, new shells have been ordered, expensive but like you say I would have regretted not doing it. I just need to test them with Plastiguauge when they arrive, make sure they're the right ones. Thanks for watching :)

[@nitramh24]

You can reuse the pistons if they're in good nick. Of course, you have to get new piston rings. If you want to upgrade the bike you can bore the block out. I've assembled two oversize 9R motors. The first one I did was with a 923cc Wiseco kit, which gives about 151hp at the back wheel. This is imho the perfect amount of power for this bike. The second engine I did, my current bike, is a 2003 model bored out to 998cc, with CP Carrillo pistons. It's been a ported, installed a gearbox from a Z1000 and had some cam work done to it as well. The engine delivers 160bhp to the wheel with stock carbs, and 170 with 39mm flat slide carbs. I've also swapped out the suspension for that from a 2004/5 ZX-10r. But honestly, this setup is way too brutal for road use. Your gearbox looks perfectly fine. It was the 98/99 models that had weak gearboxes, and you'll spot the wear immediately. Not sure what model year your bike is (as I haven't watched the entire series yet), but it doesn't look like an early model.

[@motocrad]

Hi, thanks for the comment, loads of great info there and you sound like someone to reach out to if I need any advice :o) Mine is the 2001 E1 model, I've got new big & little end shells & piston rings to fit and I plan to keep it fairly stock. All the best.

[@nitramh24]

@@motocrad No worries, they’re awesome stock as well! How are you going to hone the cylinder walls? That’s the only thing I dont do myself, worth outsourcing👍

[@motocrad]

@@nitramh24 I was planning on doing it myself with a honing tool you fit to a drill. Not something I've done before and any excuse to buy new tools 😜

[@nitramh24]

@@motocrad Yeah, I do everything myself, but I strongly recommend spending a few quid on this exact job. You get it wrong and the motor will burn oil.

[@ExTreme6752]

Nice work man 👍🏽

[@HalfdeadRider]

Just a few minutes in at the moment, just wanted to say a couple of things. You must be more careful with those camshaft caps, you should undo them in reverse sequence very slowly and carefully (a quarter turn a time, as when refitting), as when removing/refitting them they can snap if no care is taken, due to the uneven pressure from the camshafts, if that happens, it means a whole new cylinder head as they are mated to their specific head. Also make sure you buy the four silver bolts new, as they are stretch bolts, and have a high chance to snap if you reuse them, ask me how I found out! 😂😂 Edit: you need to twist the chain guid clockwise to remove it, and do the opposite when refitting it, also I wonder why the head bolts 11 and 12 were not shown to be removed 🤔😂

[@motocrad]

Haha, 11 & 12, no idea what you mean 😉. Thanks for the info, lots of good stuff there. I didn't notice the four different bolts on the cam covers, they'll go onto the list, thanks for letting me know.

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@motocrad 11 & 12 are the two smaller side bolts, on the outside of the head, last ones to tighten when putting the head on, hence 11 & 12 😎👍

[@jorgemercatali9319]

I don't like the cam chain tensioner , put an original one

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@jorgemercatali9319 I use a manual one, better than the one fitted to this, but a manual tensioner is better than the auto tensioner2, it prevents the chain from being able to jump a tooth when coming off throttle at high rpm's. Auto tensioners can also fail, unlike a manual tensioner.

[@johnr4459]

hope youve got a parts washer, and yes now they are out replace the shells plus various bearings and all the seals as they have all got a fair few miles under them, ideal time as its all in bits, you will need some assembly lube to put on various bearings etc when you rebuild

[@motocrad]

Not got one yet, but this project has been a great excuse to buy all sorts of new tools 😉 The only thing that put me off new shells was not knowing which size to go for, brown, blue, black, oh and the price. Totally agree though, while it's stripped down it makes total sense to change them.

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@motocrad You probably need to do a squash test with the appropriate colour plasticine strips to determine the clearances and find out what colour bearings you need.

[@motocrad]

@@HalfdeadRider never heard of that, I knew you wouldn't let me down ;) Do you think those bearings need replacing?

[@jorgemercatali9319]

Watch carefully the crankshaft for numbers or letters sequence that tell You which color of plain bearing corresponds to each journal of the cranckshaft and each conrod. service manual and plastigage is a must for doing things correct. Good luck mate !!

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@jorgemercatali9319 plastigage, that's the stuff, needs to be the right colour/thickness for this engine and specific measurements to get the correct results.

[@黑白浪愛七桃]

我想請問一下版主😊 我最近收入一輛zx9R更換了機油濾芯和新機油 因為我用了不是原廠機油濾芯 我想問的是引擎發動時機油先經過了機油濾芯再傳送到汽門室到各機件嗎？😅 還是機油同步進行送到各機件和機油濾芯呢？😊 希望可以得到了你的解說，我不想問修車店因為他們會隨便說一下而已 所以才會來請教你 謝謝祝您安康😊🎉

[@motocrad]

Hi, yes the oil is pumped through the oil filter first, before passing through the rest of the engine. There is also an oil pressure relieve valve so if the oil pressure get's too high, it is released back into the sump.

[@黑白浪愛七桃]

很高興看到了你的影片 你願意修復它 我想請問zx9R 的機油量 有包含換濾芯😅 我擔心我加了一加崙是不是太多了！ 謝謝你😊

[@motocrad]

The engine takes 3.3 quarts (0.6 gallons). If you've added 1 gallon then I'd say you have over filled it.

[@paulmcleod6061]

@@motocrad 3.5l Litre it is usually marked on the case, 1/4 litre for filter.

[@justinbustin677]

Where are we at on the rebuild?

[@motocrad]

Project has been on hold, but now the nights are drawing in it'll be starting up again. It's going to be a mission remembering what went where 😀

[@justinbustin677]

@@motocrad indeed on remembering. How are new parts gathering? Hard or easy?

[@motocrad]

@justinbustin677 So far, so good with parts, thanks. I think all I need now is the original exhaust with headers, and fairing infills. I'm sure there will be other parts as I start to put it back together, but most parts seem to be available on either eBay or Facebook marketplace 😀

[@anttihelin8820]

I would not paint it. Just clean everything. Engine cool down is better without any paint.

[@motocrad]

I'd not considered that, good point. Thank you 😀

[@myz06rocks]

Please don’t hone these cylinders I’m 90% sure these are coated