Congratulations on getting your bike back on the road again! I gather that you concluded that the original failure was that the #2 exhaust valve separated at the head/stem weld. This is consistent with other incidents I've seen. This seems to be one of the most common catastrophic failures that occur in multi-cylinder motorcycle engines, and usually occur during long road trips. For what it's worth, here's what I think happens. #1 - Insufficient cooling of the "inner" exhaust valves in the cylinder head. What I mean by that is that the exhaust valves for cylinders #1 and #4 are exposed to the cooling jacket on two sides - the front face of the head, and either the left side or the right side depending on if we are talking about #1 or #4. On the other hand, the valves for cylinders #2 and #3 are buried in between the other exhaust valves and have less exposure to whatever provisions are made for cooling. #2 - On a long road trip, we tend to run up to "cruising speed" and stay there. This causes more heat to build up during the ride - especially on exhaust valves #2 and #3 as explained above. (Note that the same thing occurs on air-cooled inline V-Twins such as Harley Davidsons or other Harley-like cruisers, but in this case it's because the rear cylinder cooling air flow is blocked by the front cylinder. So what do we do to prevent this? It seems that frequently varying our cruising speed may help, as well as running at lower RPM's. Keep in mind that the exhaust valves can only transfer their heat to the cylinder head when the valve is closed. So by running at lower RPM's allows the valve to stay closed a little longer, and thus permit more heat transfer via conduction. Let me know if you agree?
On my particular case I believe it was a failure waiting to happen. Something I believe on a previous valve adjustment was done wrong or something like a shim was left in the spring chamber. It was an intake valve that failed and intake valves don’t get the heat like exhaust valves. These engines are touring engines and are made to run in all extreme conditions and have run for hundreds of thousands of miles. This failure in my opinion was a human error prior to me acquiring the bike. I can show this on my first video where I did a synchronization on it, number 2 cylinder was low on vacuum compared to the rest. In order to achieve equal vacuum on #2 cylinder I had to screw the adjustment way in and even then it wasn’t holding steady vacuum like the other 3. Apparently I bought a problem that was waiting to explode. So in my case I do disagree with you. Thanks for the comment though
I'm happy for you, man. I'm not sure maybe you've tackled something that major before, but that must of felt really good to accomplish that repair. Well done, sir!
@@Skipow10 Thank you so much!! I’ve done lots of different and difficult things in the past so I wasn’t intimidated at all. I just knew it was going to be a lot of work and I wasn’t even sure that the engine was any good. When it actually started and ran so good I was pleasantly surprised to say the least! 😁 After a good long ride it burned out all the oil in the exhaust system and it quit smoking. Today you would never know anything even happened, it runs like a new one. Thanks for the comment and encouragement!
That sense of relief when you first start an engine but add in the stress of the sabotaged big trip that makes for enhanced relief. Great work, thanks for sharing Your experience. Just breathe now….. ahhhhh….. soon you will be able to add in some wind therapy!
@@herbiesgarage681 Awesome man! That's about what I average on MPG, higher or lower depending on how I ride. I am watching your test ride video as we speak 😎
Man! That sounds AMAZING! Great work by Gods grace! Hate it had to happen this way, yet glad you got a replaced engine in there and it sounds wonderful! Happy riding and hopefully you are able to get back down to LA soon.
Thank you Jeff, I was blessed in so many ways throughout this experience that although it was a ton of work it was much more bearable and rewarding because of all the positive things. God bless my friend!
@@MarksGarage17 Thanks Mark, it was definitely a difficult time for sure but I had a lot of good experiences along the way and I got to know the bike really really good in that time. It’s all behind me now and the enjoyment of a great running fjr is ahead. Thank you
that is AMAZING, just got caught up on the whole thing. what a fast turnaround! I would a thought parts for these would be sky high. a whole new engine! im still pooping around with these tires! LOL it's crazy i am an ebayer, I mean for over 24 years in sales. i just checked that out . I just looked up my engine for my bike and with freight i could replace mine for about 120 more than you paid. LOl and it;s a 6 cyl! Yikes. mines good though thank goodness! just g et her back together now is all. you are the man for sure. LOL killer deal!
Just caught this on the FJR owners forum, absolutely fantastic! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. If ever around the Black Hills in SD don't be a stranger.
@@zeke2566 Thank you, actually it was on eBay, I guess these motors don’t get replaced enough for there to be a high demand for it so it keeps the price lower. I was very fortunate with mine it was Gods blessing in my opinion. Hopefully you can find a good one at a reasonable price too. Sorry you have to go through it all. If you need anything let me know since I’ve already been through it. 😊
I know what you mean, it’s just a shot in the dark sometimes, you never know what you’re getting. It’s a pretty big job changing the engine out but it can be a rewarding experience
Congratulations on turning this thing around and not losing your composure. You deserve a great running bike, and it sounds like you've got it, now.
Thank you, I really got to know the bike pretty well 😂
IT’S a YAMAHA! Sounds AWESOME! So happy for you. Now get out and ride that beast! Ride safe…
@@bcuzicancuellar5478 yes sir 😁 Thank you!
Congratulations on getting your bike back on the road again! I gather that you concluded that the original failure was that the #2 exhaust valve separated at the head/stem weld. This is consistent with other incidents I've seen.
This seems to be one of the most common catastrophic failures that occur in multi-cylinder motorcycle engines, and usually occur during long road trips.
For what it's worth, here's what I think happens.
#1 - Insufficient cooling of the "inner" exhaust valves in the cylinder head. What I mean by that is that the exhaust valves for cylinders #1 and #4 are exposed to the cooling jacket on two sides - the front face of the head, and either the left side or the right side depending on if we are talking about #1 or #4. On the other hand, the valves for cylinders #2 and #3 are buried in between the other exhaust valves and have less exposure to whatever provisions are made for cooling.
#2 - On a long road trip, we tend to run up to "cruising speed" and stay there. This causes more heat to build up during the ride - especially on exhaust valves #2 and #3 as explained above. (Note that the same thing occurs on air-cooled inline V-Twins such as Harley Davidsons or other Harley-like cruisers, but in this case it's because the rear cylinder cooling air flow is blocked by the front cylinder.
So what do we do to prevent this? It seems that frequently varying our cruising speed may help, as well as running at lower RPM's. Keep in mind that the exhaust valves can only transfer their heat to the cylinder head when the valve is closed. So by running at lower RPM's allows the valve to stay closed a little longer, and thus permit more heat transfer via conduction.
Let me know if you agree?
On my particular case I believe it was a failure waiting to happen. Something I believe on a previous valve adjustment was done wrong or something like a shim was left in the spring chamber. It was an intake valve that failed and intake valves don’t get the heat like exhaust valves. These engines are touring engines and are made to run in all extreme conditions and have run for hundreds of thousands of miles. This failure in my opinion was a human error prior to me acquiring the bike. I can show this on my first video where I did a synchronization on it, number 2 cylinder was low on vacuum compared to the rest. In order to achieve equal vacuum on #2 cylinder I had to screw the adjustment way in and even then it wasn’t holding steady vacuum like the other 3. Apparently I bought a problem that was waiting to explode. So in my case I do disagree with you. Thanks for the comment though
@@herbiesgarage681 Oh! I thought it was the exhaust valve. My bad.
@@tpelle2 No problem at all!
I'm happy for you, man. I'm not sure maybe you've tackled something that major before, but that must of felt really good to accomplish that repair. Well done, sir!
@@Skipow10 Thank you so much!! I’ve done lots of different and difficult things in the past so I wasn’t intimidated at all. I just knew it was going to be a lot of work and I wasn’t even sure that the engine was any good. When it actually started and ran so good I was pleasantly surprised to say the least! 😁 After a good long ride it burned out all the oil in the exhaust system and it quit smoking. Today you would never know anything even happened, it runs like a new one. Thanks for the comment and encouragement!
That sense of relief when you first start an engine but add in the stress of the sabotaged big trip that makes for enhanced relief. Great work, thanks for sharing Your experience. Just breathe now….. ahhhhh….. soon you will be able to add in some wind therapy!
Thank you Ken, wind therapy is exactly what the doctor ordered. And I’m going about noon for a ride.
Congrats mate. Glad you're thrilled by the outcome. Shiny side up, rubber side down. Enjoy the miles ahead of you. :)
@@Paul-cc5rp Thank you very much!
From the unluckiest guy to the luckiest guy , man you did well. What an awful thing to happen to such a wonderful bike.
@@mikewild8639 Thank you, yeah it was an experience
Outstanding Herbie! Oh man, the look on your face when that bike fired right up! Congratulations buddy, now go and enjoy that FJR!
Thank you Michael!! I will, I’ve been on a 153 mile ride since and averaged 41.9 mpg and ran great. I appreciate your encouragement, thanks
@@herbiesgarage681 Awesome man! That's about what I average on MPG, higher or lower depending on how I ride. I am watching your test ride video as we speak 😎
@@MichaelJones-ir3cc cool
Happy for you, Bro!!!
Thank you, it was definitely a lot of work, although I enjoyed most of it 😊
I'm happy for you, glad everything is turning out.
Thank you!
Man! That sounds AMAZING! Great work by Gods grace! Hate it had to happen this way, yet glad you got a replaced engine in there and it sounds wonderful! Happy riding and hopefully you are able to get back down to LA soon.
Thank you Jeff, I was blessed in so many ways throughout this experience that although it was a ton of work it was much more bearable and rewarding because of all the positive things. God bless my friend!
Wow- I am so happy that this all worked out. You are amazing to tackle this. Kudos to you!
@@MarksGarage17 Thanks Mark, it was definitely a difficult time for sure but I had a lot of good experiences along the way and I got to know the bike really really good in that time. It’s all behind me now and the enjoyment of a great running fjr is ahead. Thank you
What a week!!!
It definitely was, not any rest on this vacation 😏
Can't wait to see the riding video. Great job!
Thank you!
Engine sounds good, job well done !
@@flexjay87 Thank you, I appreciate that 👍🏻
that is AMAZING, just got caught up on the whole thing. what a fast turnaround! I would a thought parts for these would be sky high. a whole new engine! im still pooping around with these tires! LOL it's crazy i am an ebayer, I mean for over 24 years in sales. i just checked that out . I just looked up my engine for my bike and with freight i could replace mine for about 120 more than you paid. LOl and it;s a 6 cyl! Yikes. mines good though thank goodness! just g et her back together now is all.
you are the man for sure. LOL killer deal!
Thank you Mike, I appreciate it! It was a great deal
waoo the engine sound seems super smooth su su su su su 😍😍
Thank you, it is running really well
Herbie your back in business, good job! That sure started easy hoping it lasts...
Thank you Harold, yeah I’ll be ready for another road trip before you know it 😁
Just caught this on the FJR owners forum, absolutely fantastic! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. If ever around the Black Hills in SD don't be a stranger.
Thank you Bill, I really appreciate that! I would absolutely love to go to the black hills sometime soon, if I go I’ll try to let you know
Talk about a quick turn around glad you were able to get it back so fast.
Yeah, I was determined to get it back up and running, now I need to rest for a week, unfortunately back to work tomorrow 😂
What a fast recovery for this Yamaha! It sounds good. Great job!
Thank you Captcraig, yes it was a lot of work but now I get to reap my rewards 😂
Awesome! Sounds great! Take another week off and come on down. 😂
Boy, I’d like to, I’m so tired I’d probably fall asleep on the way though 😂
that has never happened to me....... there always seems to be something that needs adjusted!
I guess I bought a lemon but I made lemonade out of it 😂
nice.
Thanks
Good job. Now you can sleep at night.
Thank you, I sure could use some sleep, my body is sore all over
Great job! Where did you find a motor like that for so cheap? I need one,thanx
@@zeke2566 Thank you, actually it was on eBay, I guess these motors don’t get replaced enough for there to be a high demand for it so it keeps the price lower. I was very fortunate with mine it was Gods blessing in my opinion. Hopefully you can find a good one at a reasonable price too. Sorry you have to go through it all. If you need anything let me know since I’ve already been through it. 😊
Herbie how many miles were on original engine before it messed up glad you got a good
Replacement engine ride safe 😊
Hello Carl, only 37,000 miles unfortunately
🇺🇸👍🏻🇺🇸
Thank you Jim!
I been thinking about getting another motor for mine just to have but I'm afraid of getting a bad one or one with a million miles on it.
I know what you mean, it’s just a shot in the dark sometimes, you never know what you’re getting. It’s a pretty big job changing the engine out but it can be a rewarding experience