SuzukiSavage.com - donor bike questions

Kirill Timofeev

Ex Member

donor bike questions
02/09/14 at 21:04:19

Hi folks,

today I bought donor 2003 savage, 7k on the clock, not sure what actually happened to it, you may see current state of it's piston. Cylinder has some couple of scratches and surface in the area of damage feels different. I have 1986 savage with 14k on the clock.

Questions:

1. Does it makes sense to put engine from 1986 to 2003?
2. From your experience does it make sence to repair 2003 engine?
3. I've got title. If I'll decide to never ride this bike do I still need to do paperwork with DOL?

Thanks,
Kirill.

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DSCF8735.JPG

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Kirill Timofeev Ex Member	Re: donor bike questions Reply #1 - 02/09/14 at 21:04:55 Another piston view.
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Re: donor bike questions
Reply #2 - 02/09/14 at 21:38:48

Wow, that's some serious piston damage! It would seem to me that a check of the lower end would be a good idea. If your cylinder and heads are good on your '86 I don't see why you can't just swap your good top end onto the bottom end of the other if it is in good shape. From what I've seen here a top end can be good for well over 100,000 miles if it is maintained well. It might be possible to hone and put new rings in the damaged cylinder but you'd want to get it measured to see how damaged it was.

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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: donor bike questions Reply #3 - 02/09/14 at 21:43:01 Swapping the starter on to your existing bike might be a good idea. The techies can explain why.
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28658 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: donor bike questions Reply #4 - 02/09/14 at 21:51:01 Yikes!... You win the worst piston I ever saw award... ... You'll have to decide what parts are worth swapping with what... I wouldn't trust anything from that piston's engine... I would go ahead and title it in my name... (you can't legally even throw it away if it ain't yours)...
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Re: donor bike questions
Reply #5 - 02/09/14 at 21:59:36

jcstokes wrote on 02/09/14 at 21:43:01:

Swapping the starter on to your existing bike might be a good idea. The techies can explain why.

Yep, my thoughts too. The starter limiter gear and side cover are a couple things to swap onto the '86 for sure, they might be worth the cost of the donor engine alone. Just be sure you take the limiter gear out in one piece (it will come out if you remove the starter gear first). DO NOT take it apart to get it out, you'll create a can of worms. Be sure you pay attention to the washers and where they go when you remove the gear from the newer engine.

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: donor bike questions Reply #6 - 02/09/14 at 22:48:43 I'd keep the '86 take the newer goodies why title it if it scrap
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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: donor bike questions Reply #7 - 02/09/14 at 23:44:04 And you might get the beautiful chrome covers off the head
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Dave

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Re: donor bike questions
Reply #8 - 02/10/14 at 05:28:44

The only thing that I can think would beat a piston up that bad would be if the piston somehow got into the counterbalancer or crankshaft, and the only way that I think that could happen is if the rod broke. Pistons normally can't hit anything, and damage is usually just scoring or siezing when you run the engine out of oil or overheat it.

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LANCER Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Savage Beast Performance Parts Posts: 10664 Oklahoma Gender:	Re: donor bike questions Reply #9 - 02/10/14 at 05:38:28 I may be on the fence here, but after looking closely at that piston I'd have to say that it is probably just a WEEEEEEE bit beyond repair. I suppose that performance was compromised somewhat ? Yes ? ?
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Kirill Timofeev

Ex Member

Re: donor bike questions
Reply #10 - 02/10/14 at 07:49:07

Can't say anything regarding performance. Previous owner told me he suspects something was wrong with oil.

LANCER wrote on 02/10/14 at 05:38:28:

I may be on the fence here, but after looking closely at that piston I'd have to say that it is probably just a WEEEEEEE bit beyond repair.
I suppose that performance was compromised somewhat ? Yes ? ?

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Michael L

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Re: donor bike questions
Reply #11 - 02/10/14 at 10:17:30

darn that piston is seriously fried..! Some kind of meltdown must have been going on for sure.. Shocked

I agree with the others..

But another thing that would be worth swapping to the newer engine is the 5 speed gearbox.. I have never ridden a 4 speed myself, it might not be worth swapping to 5 speed..

I didn't know there was a difference with the starter system from the old to newer engines? Can someone explain?

Another thing.. Why does the site auto change "d a m n" to "darn" ? Grin

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: donor bike questions
Reply #12 - 02/10/14 at 10:33:23

With that much junk knocked off the piston I wouldnt trust anything in the engine. Id save the engine for parts, but everything would need a very thorough inspection before it went into an engine. Ive only seen that kind of damage in hot rod engines. That was running wide open when it went south. & I agree with the balance weight/piston conflict idea..
& using the starter gear upgrade would be a great idea. I wouldnt title the thing,unless you think you have to to sell the frame, I dont know,,IDK the cost of titling, or value of having a title on a junker..I hope you didnt give much,,

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: donor bike questions Reply #13 - 02/10/14 at 11:30:44 Michael L wrote on 02/10/14 at 10:17:30: I didn't know there was a difference with the starter system from the old to newer engines? Can someone explain? http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1288911670
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Tempted YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 48	Re: donor bike questions Reply #14 - 02/10/14 at 12:17:16 Your 86 is a 4 speed, the 03 is a 5 speed.
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