KR-1S.co.uk Forum

Clever people please help!
I'm currently building a standard engine and the cylinder head looks like this-


One side is ok but the other is a bit pockmarked-


Is this still usable? The engine is being left standard. Is there anything I can do to improve it or would I be better looking for another head?

Many thanks,
Mike

Hi BM,

The damage can be repaired & I would have it repaired. There are companies out there who can fill the damage then skim it to original spec. However this may cost more than finding a good one on say 'Ebay' (ha ha ha, whats the chances of that eh? ) If the head is definately flat & square (check with a mirror by laying the head on it then use a set of feeler gauges all around the head, or another way is to lay a bit of paper on a flat surface & I do mean flat, then paint the underside of the head with an easily removable paint (I use poster paint, very very fine coating) then just gently lay the head on the paper & I do mean gently! After a couple of minutes remove the head & if you have a near perfect copy of your head (the Kr's not your actual head) then you are pretty much there.

If it is square & good then have it repaired!

I have two heads which look brilliant but are so warped its unreal

Hope this helps?

Howie

Ooh there is one on ebay as we speak, not sure how to do the linky thing here but if you just tap KR1S into the ebay search thingy, I'm sure you'll come to it?

Just don't bid too much BM, this one could be worse than the one you have!

Hope this helps,

Howie

It's not easy to find a decent head nowadays. I had a head just like yours but with the pocks a bit more towards the plug. I didn't have any problems with it, used it for about 600miles (then I ruined the plug thread by using a faulty compression tester )

Charles

looks like a foreign object has found its way in to the engine. On a standard compression, its probably Ok, I've done the odd race with head like this and taken out the worst with wet and dry (but soon had it repaired afterwoods).
Had a piston break up once, head was badly damaged, but got the deep pits welded and reground

A lot of people would still happily use that head as-is if it's still flat. If it's not flat (or you just want to clean things up a little better), you can take/send it to someone like BDK who can machine the pock-marks out while correcting the squish band, and skim the head flat again. It shouldn't cost too much to have done, and youll struggle to find a head that dosn't have this sort of minor damage.
You'll also find that haveing this done should give you a little more power as the standard clearance between the squish band and the piston crown tends to be about 1.3mm, almost double what is required. For raceing purposes 0.7mm is about right, but for road use you'll want to open the gap a little more to something like 0.8mm or so.

Mike

If you want I will swap that for a good stock head if you cover the postage

MJ

It's a deal!

I'll stick it in the post with a fiver attached for the postage.

You don't want to slice this up as well do you?

Thanks again,

Mike

No but as I am going to re-profile it the damage will be removed may as well do it to a damaged head rather than a good one

Howie wrote:Ooh there is one on ebay as we speak, not sure how to do the linky thing here but if you just tap KR1S into the ebay search thingy, I'm sure you'll come to it?

Just don't bid too much BM, this one could be worse than the one you have!

Hope this helps,

Howie

How about this one "brand new" http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kawasaki-KR-1-KR- ... 45f0a1f486

£159
I bought the whole bike for less than that!
I think Mj has offered me a better deal

Mike

Less than £159 for the whole bike

Bugger me! (no not literally, I'm happily married )

Well you tight fisted git, you can afford to but a new head then

Less than £159 for a Kr1, I can't believe you got one for less than £159!

I fall asleep at night dreaming about things like this

I think I hate you BM

Howie

When I said "whole bike" what I meant was "most of a bike, stripped down and in several boxes with not a single part labelled"
This is why I have put off doing anything with it for three years....
I'm very fortunate to have a fully assembled bike to look at, otherwise I wouldn't have a hope of reassembling it correctly.
Mike

Howie wrote:you tight fisted git,

How did you know I'm originally from Yorkshire?

Mike

Its your sense of humour

Howie