Buying FZR1000 with busted transmission

[rgmr250]

Are you sure you have the coils wired correctly and its not sparking on the wrong cylinders?
Also have you tried to spray a small amount of gas straight in?

I've double checked that I have the right plug wires going to the right cylinders, and that the orange coil (from the igniter box) wire is going to the coil that drives cylinders 1&4 and the grey wire (from the igniter box) is going to the coil that drives cylinders 2&3. I have not yet tried putting gas directly in. I took the carbs apart and cleaned them when I got the bike -they have been sitting, but without gas in them, so I would suspect that they are still clean - doesn't mean that they are metering fuel properly, though.

[rgmr250]

It should start In neutral with the stand down and without the clutch pulled in
I sometimes fire mine up like that when working on the clutch side

Good to know, I was pretty sure I recalled when I started the bike (back in October) before I took the engine apart that I was able to start it on the sidestand, in neutral, without pulling the clutch in.

Oddly, when checking the wiring, I found that the previous owner had jumpered the two wires going to the clutch safety switch. I haven't tested the switch yet, but am assuming that the clutch switch isn't working, so he jumpered the wires leading to it.

[Stig]

Switch should be ok as its started up albeit for a short time but you could always bypass the switch again to make sure

Also swap the coils over and see if the lack of spark follows the coil

[kolederacer]

I usually like to loosen all the drain plugs a little on the carbs and cycling the ignitions until fuel comes out of all 4 carbs on the carb drains.

[rgmr250]

I usually like to loosen all the drain plugs a little on the carbs and cycling the ignitions until fuel comes out of all 4 carbs on the carb drains.

I think much the same way. I drained the fuel from all 4 carb float bowls and about the same amount of fuel came out of each, so it appears that fuel is getting to the floats. I'll try putting a little fuel down the throat of each carb and see if that makes a difference. Then, pull the plugs and see if they are wet or not.

[rgmr250]

Switch should be ok as its started up albeit for a short time but you could always bypass the switch again to make sure

Also swap the coils over and see if the lack of spark follows the coil

Previously, I wasn't getting spark from any of the 4 plugs. It's time to pull the (new) plugs again and check for spark.

[rgmr250]

So, I had 12.88V at the battery, which seemed enough, but put the voltmeter on it when it was cranking and only had 8V at the battery when cranking. I jumped it with another motorcycle battery and it started up. So, obviously it's bad battery. The Voltage at the battery doesn't tell the whole story, as I've experienced before. Again, it started the bike before, and I've had in on/off (swapping the battery tender every few days between 4 motorcycle batteries) a battery tender since I got the bike, so I figured it would still be good.

Real bad news is a 'clacking' noise coming from the engine. I'll have to isolate where it's coming from with the mechanic's stethescope, but likely will end up pulling the engine again to investigate.

[kolederacer]

Yep, dead cell in the battery. They wont spark at all if the voltage gets to low.

And that does not sound good.
Usually in these bikes its one of only a few things
- Chipped or broken primary or clutch ring gear tooth.
- Rod knock
- Broken clutch basket.

Those are the bad ones.
Less bad could be
- Exhaust leak.
-If it is a cali model exhaust leaking from the air injection ports.

[rgmr250]

A very short video that with it starting, so you can hear the noise. I'm hoping it's an exhaust leak, but doesn't really sound like it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ0Z8e0 ... e=youtu.be

[rgmr250]

Yep, dead cell in the battery. They wont spark at all if the voltage gets to low.

And that does not sound good.
Usually in these bikes its one of only a few things
- Chipped or broken primary or clutch ring gear tooth.
- Rod knock
- Broken clutch basket.

Those are the bad ones.
Less bad could be
- Exhaust leak.
-If it is a cali model exhaust leaking from the air injection ports.

While I had the engine apart, the clutch basket was in good condition, and I didn't notice any chipped teeth on any of the gears. It's possible that I missed something, though. One of the trans gears had a chipped tooth and one tooth was missing (found it in the oil pan). I replaced the gearsets with (what appeared to be) good used ones from ebay.

Rod knock is possible, but I didn't have this sound (for the few minutes that I ran it) before taking the engine out to fix the trans, and the process of fixing the trans I was able to leave the pistons attached to the con rods and the rods attached to the crank, and the crank left in place.

Not a cali model. I'm really hoping for exhaust leak... It sounds a little too deep for that, but still not deep enough to be something like rod knock - it's a lighter, higher pitched sound, but not quite the 'ticking' that I usually associate with an exhaust leak at the header.

[kolederacer]

Sounds like exhaust leak to me

[rgmr250]

Here's a better, closer video. I've used a mechanic's stethescope but can't pinpoint the source, but it's definitely something inside the engine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HiVNl4 ... e=youtu.be

[kolederacer]

Do you have the service manual to see how the starter altinator and hyvo chain system is laid out inside?

[rgmr250]

Do you have the service manual to see how the starter altinator and hyvo chain system is laid out inside?

Yes, I have a service manual. Based on the noise, it does sound like it could be in the oil pump/water pump or alternator drive.

One tooth had chipped right off one of the transmission gears, so I'd thought maybe it caused some damage inside, but this tooth was chipped off, per the PO, before I got the bike, and when I started/ran the bike after I got it, it didn't make this noise. So, I'm trying to narrow it down, first, to things that could have happened with the removal/disassembly/reassembly of the engine. Noise doesn't change if I pull in the clutch, put it in 1st, neutral, 2nd etc. so it doesn't sound like the replacement transmission gears are the fault.

My brother suggested removing the clutch/clutch basket, since it's fairly easy to do and doesn't involve removal of the engine to do so. then start it and see if the noise persists. Process of elimination.

[kolederacer]

Yeah that would be ready to narrow it down