Hi all, New to this site, but am on it almost daily trying to get info about the savage.  I have a 1992 savage and when on the motorway the other day there was a loud bang then nothing, dead.  Managed to get safely to the side of the road, after several towtrucks and breakdown guys, we managed to remove the spark plug which was shredded.

A week later, havin taken the engine out and the full horror revealed, I have a piston I can get three fingers through, a very badly battered head, a damaged barrel and  a snapped valve that I guess was the cause of the damage, snapped clean off ...Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the piece of valve that's missing and really don't want the prospect of splitting the lower half of the engine....

So, firstly, with this level of damage...Is it worth repairing??  I am in UK, so anyone in UK know the sort of prices for repairing head and barrel etc...also, If I get all the work done, and don't retrieve that pice of valve...how much more damage can the darn thing do???

Failing all that, has anyone got a cheap savage engine they wanna sale, pref 5 speed????

Also, can anyone suggest what might have caused the valve to snap???  I had cam chain and tensioner done about a month ago, and the guy who did it said one of the rocker arms was worn...now I've seen it myself, it is pretty worn...will this mean a whole new rocker cover, or arer the arms available seperately???


Sorry to throw all these uestions in one post but I am way outta my depth here...I took the engine out mainly wioth the use of the advice on here and a downloaded Clymer Manual, I have never had to do more than change a cable or clutch before...Still, not bad for a girl I guess!!!  All advice gratefully welcome guys

I'd go with a new engine as well.
You are most likely going to be hiring out rebuilding and it will cost you a fortune.
A worn rocker is not uncommon, but a single one is.  As it's an indication of poor oil flow to the head.
I wish there was an easy was to know what caused this failure.  But we can only surmise either it was an issue prior to the cam chain replacement or caused by it.  I assume the cam chain was still properly in place?  Are the cam journals worn out?  Next possibility from a prior issue is a stuck valve.

used engines will be in excess of 100 lbs [45kg]

The engine sounded fine after the cam chainand tensioner were replaced.. did about 500 motorway miles on it before it went bang, and the cam chain and tensioner were still undamaged and in place when I took it apart...does make me wonder about the timing though...cam journals (are those guides??) different vocab US/UK lol..if you did mean the cam guides, the two black plastic things either side of the cam chain, they are in perfect condition....

Guess I gotta keep my eyes open for a replacement bike or engine  

Idhave a close look at the seats ( if theyre not mangled). These have been known to drop valves, tho. Might have just been one of the things that was about to happen, no matter what you did. Save all the good parts you can.Might sell or use them later.

I dont have much in the way of technical advice, but I can offer my sympathy.  Had the exact same thing happen to my Savage, less than 20 hours after I bought it.  Took it back to the dealer and they were awesome.  Swapped out the engine with another Savage they had, with about 20,000 less miles on it.  I'd have to go with group vote here, replacing the engine would be my choice too.  Of course I'd have never gotten as much done as you have. I know my limits.  Good luck, and keep us posted.  

Angie wrote on 08/30/10 at 17:50:41:



Angie, I never even dreamt of my limits until this happened!!!  Its amazing how much you can do with an online Clymer manual, the guys on this site, and a decent set of spanners and sockets!!!  I was WAY outta my comfort zone, but I've learned so much!!