Bad day at Blackrock

[msRandi]

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blew the base gasket on the Viva. can anybody tell me what I need to do to fix it? do they use O rings on the oil pasages? or is it all flat gaskets? can I get the parts to redo the top end? I want to be riding it not working on the motor all su.mmer or waiting on parts OHV 200. We have put in our motor request to viva motorsports since it should still be under warranty. We shall see what happens and let all of you know.

[ob1]

That is an odd gasket to blow, how did it happen?

[msRandi]

the bike had been sweating oil around the cyclinder base snce it was new. But today the gasket blew right at the oil feed to the top end. and oil came pumping out on the ground. It was a good thing my rack came lose and I had to head home, we were on our way to lunch. it would of never made the trip. I am afraid it pulled a head bolt. but will not know till it comes apart. Your right weird one to blow.

[liverchip]

Wow that is a strange one. I wouldn't thing there would be enough pressure to pop that seal. If the bottom seal was sweating oil already, that makes me think that there may have been a blockage in the system increasing oil pressure. I'm not sure there is a pressure relief on the oil system. Pretty sure there isn't, so a blockage in the upper head or to/in the passage within the valve cover supplying the rocker lube points might cause a pressure increase further back in the system.

[fatboy250]

Yeah, any information on replacement gaskets for the push rod or the OHC would be useful information for all of us. Like I mentioned in another post ours both have a small oil leak around the head gasket area.

Anybody?

[red2003]

Has anyone checked the head bolts for torque?? That's a bad gasket to have let loose at highway speed and drop all the oil under your rear wheel. Not good!!!

[ob1]

If it goes together the way my Hondas do, there may be an o-ring there.

Basic instructions; CLEAN THE BIKE FIRST! Of course, whenever you have the cylinder off, pack the open area around the piston/rod with a clean towel, arranged neatly, so if a part falls you can spot it easily. Also keeps crap from falling in the engine.

Push Rod Motor - Remove valve cover, remove rockers, remove push rods [dont mix them up], remove head, remove cylinder. Installation is the reverse of disassembly.

OHC motor- Remove valve cover. Remove the spark plug. Open the flywheel inspection window, and the flywheel nut cover. Put the engine at TDC, this should have a mark "T" on the flywheel, and the cam lobes should point to about 10 and 2 o'clock as compared to the valve cover mating surface. There should be a hole in the cam gear at 12 o'clock to the valve cover surface, If there is no "T" mark or hole in the cam gear, make one with a punch or dab of nail polish, but be SURE there is no mark or hole!

Now is the time to examine your cam chain tensioner. I do not know how the china bikes tension their cam chains. Proceed with caution. You need to release the cam chain tension, and understand how to re-tension it when the job is done.

The bolts holding the cam chain gear should be parallel to the valve cover mating surface. Rotate flywheel to access the small bolts holding the upper cam chain gear on the valve train if necessary to remove them. Attach a bit of wire to the cam chain to keep it from falling into the motor. Remove the head, remove the cylinder.

Reassemble as above, making sure the piston is at TDC and the flywheel is at the "T" mark, before installing the cam chain gear. Adjust cam chain tension.

Cycle the engine slowly with no plug to make sure you have not placed the cam gear wrong, and dont get a piston smacking a valve. This is the time to double-check the work... sure beats starting all over again.



Torque values as listed for the Honda XR200 87 to present

head - 20-22ftlbs
cam gear - 6-9ftlbs

[msRandi]

I don't want to pull it a part till I know what Viva wants to do about warranty. and how long its going to take to get it fixed or parts shipped. But I want to be riding againe soon. so we may just buy a new motor, or even one new Viva vx200.