Triumphrat

2008superduke

Hey guys
Well, I did a compression test, and these are the results.
Left side cylinder 1 about 50 psi, cylinder 2 about 90 psi, cylinder 3 about 55 psi and cylinder 4 120 psi.
So hence my starting problems, and the strange oil flakes on the fuel/air side intake.
Used engine or do I dare try to replace the rings myself. I read the manual and it looks like you have to replace the cylinder selves too? or it just makes it easier, or can you just remove the head, replace the rings and put the head back? The rings are expensive, 90 bucks a cylinder. Anyone have a after market site.
Any ideas. If I go used, I should be able to put the 650 engine in my 600 right? same size?

D41

Yikes!....sounds complicated. Can't really help other than to say yes, the 650 engine will fit just fine, they only differ internally....stroke is longer hence the extra 47cc.

2008superduke

Thanks D41
I'm bummed, the guy I go the bike from lied I think. Not sure but he said the bike had 8000 miles(on clock) but it had been down and things had been replaced, maybe clock.

2008superduke

I'm assuming the compression should be 150-160ish. I did not do a wet test, I will do it in the am just to see.

kubbie

If your going to do it "right", the way to do it is new cylinders, pistons and rings (you probable could keep the pistons) and have the head gone over/cleaned up. I know I'm leaving out some stuff (bearings, pins etc) but you get the idea.

The cylinders do come out individually, so no need for machine work to the engine block.
The cylinder sleeves cost me somewhere in the ballpark of $170 for one, you'd need 4.
Rings were expense too, again you'd need 4.
I had to replace my head and that cost me $500 for a used one, I pulled the valves and cleaned the valve seats myself.

Looking back it would have been cheaper to buy a used motor, slap it in the frame and run with it. If you go that route, you'd have a nice parts engine at your disposal.

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kubbie
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2008superduke

Wow! yeah I did the math and for 500 for a used engine is way better than 1000.00 for just parts alone.
So is it possible the bike has more miles on it than 8000. It seems so strange to go like that.

kiwifour

Does seem a bit odd at that mileage. Mine has done nearly 100,00kms and doesn't blow any smoke, uses no oil between services and starts first touch every time. It has a mixture of Penske and Ohlins and Racetech suspension and I use it as a back road scratcher and the odd track day so it gets used "properly". My experience is not that unusual so I suspect someone has been telling you porkies.

2008superduke

Thanks Kiwifour, yes big porkies lol... Its funny I should of know, the bike seemed extra dirty.

2008superduke

I don't think the bike ever had a valve job, don't think that is the reason right. I never really saw the thing run so I don't know if it ever put out black smoke

Will

Mileage shouldn't kill a Triumph engine. My guess is that somebody ran it without oil or did some other completely boneheadedly abusive thing to it. I flogged the living crap out of my 2001 TT600, including changing the rev limit to add another 1500 rpm, which I used often enough. I even missed the odd shift and ran it farther up past what might kill an R6, but it still lasted 50,000 miles before the bottom end let go. It never used oil, never had compression problems, and never blew smoke. What it got was fresh oil regularly, and it was never run without the proper amount of oil. It never sat for more than a week or so without being run, so it didn't have any kind of metal deterioration from condensation inside the motor.

If a bike has sat in a corrosive environment, like the sea shore, I can see how a low mileage engine might actually be in worse shape than a high mileage engine. Otherwise, I would expect a decently (it only takes decent since these things are tough) maintained Triumph supersport four to last a very long time without the kind of problems you are seeing.

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