Best place to send cylinder for 444 big bore?

[stillsun]

For those of you who have experience with this, what are the best places to send your cylinder in to have it bored and nikasil plated for the 444 big bore?

I've talked to Luke at Luke's Racing and they seem pretty knowledgeable... any other suggestions or should I just go ahead and go with them.

Josh

[Birdy426]

I've had great luck with both Lukes Racing and Eric Gorr's Forward Motion. Price-wise, they are about the same. For turn time, I think Luke's is a little quicker, but knowledge-wise, I don't think there's anyone around smarter than Eric. Plus, he is always willing to answer questins...both about motors in general and his stuff in particular. My 444 kit came from Lukes and I've been really happy with it!

[stillsun]

I've had great luck with both Lukes Racing and Eric Gorr's Forward Motion. Price-wise, they are about the same. For turn time, I think Luke's is a little quicker, but knowledge-wise, I don't think there's anyone around smarter than Eric. Plus, he is always willing to answer questins...both about motors in general and his stuff in particular. My 444 kit came from Lukes and I've been really happy with it!

Cool deal, I'll probably end up going with Luke, I've been talking to him for a few weeks... prices seem good, and I've already got the Wiseco piston kit which I picked up pretty cheap.... I'll just get the boring/plating and gaskets from Luke.

I'm debating doing the 426 Hot Cams at the same time, what do you think? What do you all have done to your 444 bike?

-J

[Birdy426]

The hot cams make the bike rev a lot quicker...with more power on top and in the mid. No real decrease on the bottom. Plus, the "hit" of a YZ timed WR is mellowed out a bit. I found that with the hot cams alone, I tended to ride higher in the rpm band, and, oh by the way, the motor got there aq whlole lot quicker. I frequently knocked on the rev limiter door, which I hadn't done at all prior to installing the hot cams.

Now, when I installed the big bore kit, the "revi-ness" seemed to slow down a little, no doubt due to the heaqvier piston. Overall, it's great combination. While I haven't ridden a bike with just a big bore kit, if it made the same difference in rev quickness that it made with the hot cams, I would expect that you would have a very torquey bike that just loved to be short shifted, but didn't rev out well. More like an "old man's powerband".

I can't say enough what a great combination the Hot Cams and 444 kit are!

As far as what I have done engine-wise, 444 kit, hot cams, porting (Eric Gorr), JD jet kit, Power Now, Quickshot, ACV mod to the carb, grey wire mod, YZ exhaust with PMB spark arrestor and quiet insert, breather holes in the airbox, snorkle removed, and a Twin Air filter and cage. As far as the chassis, ESP has done the suspension (both ends), 3.4 gal IMS "YZ" tank and seat, Applied Top Clamp, Renthal fat bars, YZ rear fender with B-D tail light, Acerbis DHH hadlight, all the other necessary DS stuff, Utah Sport Cycle skid plate, DeVol radiator guards, Works Connection frame guards, AFAM chain and sprockets, 04 YZ450 rear master cylinder, ebc brake pads at both ends, CR style brake line, Trail TEch computer...umm, I think that's it...

[stillsun]

Yeah, I have the IMS 3.4 tank already (I think it's IMS it came with the bike) but I'd like to swap it out for a black one (mine is blue) but don't want to have to pay IMS another $225 just to change colors.

Anyways, I think I'll go ahead and do the big bore with the cams and then later on possibly send the head off to Eric. What all did you have him do to the head exactly?

Also on the airbox stuff, the top of my air box is wide open once you pull the seat off, does that mean something was already done to it before I got it? Or is the WR different than the YZ?

Since I didn't get this bike new sometimes I'm not sure if things came that way or if it was done before I got it.

J

[Birdy426]

He cleaned up the casting marks and runner flash, did a bit of recontouring to smooth flow around the valve guides and really sharpened up the "splitters" between the valve pockets (eliminates a flow stagnation point). As far as the airbox, the WRs have a snorkle thing screwed to the top to reduce intake noise. It really restricts the flow.

[Fastest1]

He cleaned up the casting marks and runner flash, did a bit of recontouring to smooth flow around the valve guides and really sharpened up the "splitters" between the valve pockets (eliminates a flow stagnation point). As far as the airbox, the WRs have a snorkle thing screwed to the top to reduce intake noise. It really restricts the flow.

To reduce noise? How about to deflect water so air only enters the airbox in deep crossings hence the reason it is called a (snorkel).

[Birdy426]

To reduce noise? How about to deflect water so air only enters the airbox in deep crossings hence the reason it is called a (snorkel).

well, it won't help much there...as the intake is only about 1/2 inch higher with the snorkel installed. It might prevent a little bit o'splash, but the biggest contribution is minimizing intake noise.

[Ga426owner]

http://www.lukesracing.com/

http://www.langcourt.com/

these guys do it and are very reasonable :thumbsup:Langcourt did my 478 kit

[stillsun]

To reduce noise? How about to deflect water so air only enters the airbox in deep crossings hence the reason it is called a (snorkel).

Snorkels really do quiet down intake noise, that is why many cars have them on their air boxes, it surely doesn't have to do with water in a car.

Thanks for all the help guys.

J

[GreenKLX]

Does anyone have any experience with Thumper Racing?