Engine trashed from Glamis sand (pics)

[azdragoon]

I ran my 400f last weekend at Glamis. On the second day it started running bad. It still had a lot of power but was starting funny. I ended up wipng out hard and the eng was totally locked up after we lifted up the bike. I originally thought it starved for oil, but while removing the exh pipe, handfuls of sand poured out. I was running a Uni 2 stage filter, oiled, with the lip greased. I couldn't find any intake leaks. From the looks of the carboned up sand in the head, it looks like it was sucking in sand for a while. Maybe I should have been running a prefilter like a filter skin. Anyone else seen this? Also I've been kicking around the thought of boring out to 420, anyone done this with good results?, I've been researching this on TT and it soulds like Wisco has had some problems. Does JE make the kit as well? Anyone know of a good shop to rebuild the head, crank and bore/sleeve to 420? sand on head sand in bore sand in exh port sand inside exh pipe

[Bigcr]

You have a MAJOR leak somewhere.

[ripntear]

It looks like you had a head gasket leak. I see no way that a properly maintained airfilter would even come close to allowing that type of sand in. It looks like the intake valves are rusted also. This sucker has been sucking air for quite sometime.

[azdragoon]

I don't know about a head leak. If there was coolant would have been leaking either internally or externally. Also bike had gobs of power and plug was tan and never ran hot. There is also sand jamming up the throttle slide and sand in the carb to air filter boot. I don't have a good explation either, there was an amazing amount of sand in that pipe. Also thats sand not rust on/around the intake valves.

[Johnnyaggro]

Glamis is brutal on the equipment. I cannot believe all the sand in the exhaust!

[theclone]

Someone poured sand down your exhaust pipe. All that sand could not have gone through your engine. It had to have entered through the exit.

[matt113]

Someone poured sand down your exhaust pipe. All that sand could not have gone through your engine. It had to have entered through the exit.

yea.. i agree.. there is no way all that sand went through your engine, mabey someone sabatoged it..

[NAFLASH]

i agree that someone might have poured sand down the exhaust but i think it would have been blown out as soon as it was started. before doing anything i would find how the sand got in the motor and then go from there.

[theclone]

You dont think it would have blown out if it went through the engine?

[theclone]

. I ended up wipng out hard and the eng was totally locked up after we lifted up the bike.

Was it really running that badly before you dumped the bike? Maybe the sand got in the exhaust when you wiped out.

[racer8]

Ck for sand on the in side of the uni stage foam filter,

any sand in intake boot,carb???

There has to be a BIG tear some where!

????Any small children around to fill the exhaust up for ya???

Keep us up dated!

[azdragoon]

Guys, when I wiped out I fell down a 12 foot razorback with the bike landing on top of me. I have no idea how long it was on its side or how it landed. I thought maybe sand got into the pipe from the end but there is carboned up sand in the head. I ended up going to the hospital while someone waited with my bike until we found someone who could ride bikes to get it out of there. When we got a bike rider there he said the eng was siezed and wouldn't budge. They left the bike overnight and we pushed it out the next day. Some ahole messed with my bike before we got there, as it was pushed a little ways off. I don't think they sabataged it because the sand that came out of the pipe was all the way into the header and saturated with gas or oil, meaning it went through the engine. Also the head was caked with sand and sand is completly throughout the intake system. I have the snorkel off the airbox maybe the bike slide on its side and a large amount of sand went into the airbox and the filter sucked it by locking the bike up. The bike was siezed after that point. I'm stumped at this one as well but I definetly know sand went through the engine when it was running. I'll let you guys know more as I dig deeper.

[SureBlue]

Sorry to hear, I love riding in sand and am very intrerested in knowing from where that much sand really has entered your engine. Please keep us informed.

[odlaw19]

There is no way all that sand went through your engine! Your bike may have seized but all that sand didnt go through it first! I think someone has stuffed with your bike when it was left there.

Waldo

YZ426

[Chris_from_Oz]

When you wiped out, the crankcase breather tube could possibly have sucked in a large amount of sand, (if it was jammed in the sand) in the same way they can suck in water during river crossings. Short of sabotage, I can't think of another explanation? Anyone have any other ideas?

[Chris_from_Oz]

DAMN!!! Just looked at the pic' of the exhaust. That is a LOT of sand!!! Maybe sabotage isn't out of the question.....

[bg10459]

When you wiped out, the crankcase breather tube could possibly have sucked in a large amount of sand, (if it was jammed in the sand) in the same way they can suck in water during river crossings.

…..I have no idea how long it was on its side or how it landed. …..the sand that came out of the pipe was all the way into the header and saturated with gas or oil….. and sand is completly throughout the intake system…... maybe the bike slide on its side and a large amount of sand went into the airbox and the filter sucked it by…..

Maybe a combination of all these things resulted in so much sand throughout the engine. You have no idea how long it was on its side or how it landed, so the sand could have poured into the exhaust. The oil or fuel could have leaked through the cylinder into the header. The breather could have sucked up some sand, and some could also have poured into the airbox and passed the filter.

Sorry for your misfortune. Hope you're OK. Things like this usually happen to me.

[XR_RON]

Dude,Im no rookie,Ive rode glamis back in the early 90"s when I was stationed in San diego,I did every precaution an avid weekend warrior motorhead could do to a bike to prep it for the sand,and Ive never seen that much sand come out of an engine One thing that does come to mind is an ex-wife or some one that is highly urinated off at you,I think some one dumped that sand in your bike by hand,My friends ex poured a 5lb bag of sugar in his gas tank while we were shooting pool,it was a mess,.I hope im wrong.

[deej]

Ok guys, you gota promise not to laugh, I haven't been in the off road ridding game for almost 20 years, and it's been 12 years since I have had a road bike, but looking at the photos I had a question. On the first picture of the head, am I seeing things, or are there 5 valves? Again, I have not seen this type of thing before, so I have been out of touch with the new technology, but it looks like there are 5 valves in the head. Please don't razz me too bad, LOL, but is there a site or somewhere that could show me an exploded view of the new motors? Thanks guys.

deej

[azdragoon]

The more thought I put into it I'm cetain it wasn't sabataged. All that sand came out the header. Hardly any came out the silencer. If someone was to stuff sand into the exhaust I have a hard time seeing how it got so far inward. As you can see in the exh port pic, its even in the cyl port. The cyl walls all scored up and sand is jamming the carb slide. Just the fact the bike was seized just after lifting it and soon after as we found another rider. He used to race 400fs and he was quite knowledgeable, he told me he got it to roll over twice then jammed up. I'm doubtful as well but after seeing all the other sand in the eng and intake system I'm now quite certain it went through. I also belive the sand didn't get blown out the header because it basicly pushed it out the cyl ,then stalled due to the remaining sand jamming the piston. I'm not upset with any of my misfortune, the bike basicly landed upside down on my back breaking a rib and tearing my shoulder bone off my collor bone (ACL). If the bike would have landed any differerent It could have put a footpeg or handlebar into my spine. I''m grateful to have walked away. This was my first trip to Glamis and the last I'll ever do on a bike. I'm making a mini rail for next time, I consider this my warning. I'll let you know how it goes from here.