Following my breakdown and the repetitive knocking noise in time with the revs, I've checked:
The compression (only cold), but all cylinders are equal.
The valve clearances, all ok.
Then I took the sump off and found lot of slivers of metal. All bits are around 0.25mm thick, ranging in size up to around 10mm square 
They look like bits of a shim.
Any one got any Ideas???
Rescued attachment IMG_1794.jpg
oh kak, sorry to hear that.
hope its not too bad for you
Looks like big end bearing shells to me
Phil
[Edited on 1-5-09 by Hellfire]
Bearing shells probably.
When the big ends went on my old 4XV engine, the oil had tiny flakes of copper in it. less than a millimetre in area and a tiny fraction thick. Your failure looks all together different. When I first saw the black fragments in your picture I thought it was gasket material. from memory, the sump gasket has a big area on it to act like a baffle.
When my big end went, the oil that came out was really metallic.
The bits of bearing itself were spun from the semi-circular bearings, so they were all curved round, if that makes any sense.
Now you have the sump off, can you have a look into the engine from below? Give everything a good shake and see if anything is loose. When the big
end went on mine, you could physically move the conrod on the crank shaft.
Hope it's not terminal.
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
When my big end went, the oil that came out was really metallic.
The bits of bearing itself were spun from the semi-circular bearings, so they were all curved round, if that makes any sense.
Now you have the sump off, can you have a look into the engine from below? Give everything a good shake and see if anything is loose. When the big end went on mine, you could physically move the conrod on the crank shaft.
Hope it's not terminal.
Mike
Cheers everyone, I think it is the big ends, turning it by hand, I've noticed a tight spot, and can just make out some jagged edges sticking
out.
Anyone know a good engine builder for a rebuild?
Speak to Andy Bates (AB Performance) about the rebuild he will be at the show on the Raw stand, maybe worth taking your engine to Stoneleigh and
asking if he can cast an eye over it for you.
[Edited on 1/5/09 by stuart_g]
Thanks Stuart.
George and I are going up on Sunday, are you planning to go?
Steve
Big ends have just gone on my XE and the slivers stuck in the sump and pump strainer look quite similar to that. Razor sharp and super thin.
quote:
Originally posted by amalyos
Thanks Stuart.
George and I are going up on Sunday, are you planning to go?
Steve
See you there.
That is definately the remains of your big end shells caused by a loss of oil pressure. you will need a minimum of a new crank and possibly some conrods if you intend to rebuild this engine.
Got confirmation today that my R1 is officially dead
Crank journals scored and rods gone.
Too expensive to repair, unless anyone has a good set of rods and Crank !!!
On the look out for a good carb'd 5JJ or may have to plunge for an injection.
If anyone knows of one please drop me a line.
Thanks to George for dropping the Engine into AB's and thanks to Andy for looking at it.
Steve
Sorry to hear that -had you done a lot of miles or to many high revs and missed gear changes. well good luck
hope you get it sorted soon
Paul
I have a 98 R1 motor if that's anygood I believe the rods/crank are perfect but wouldn't be able to confirm that until the motor was pulled
apart £120 for the lot, if you need things like the oil pump, etc will throw that in aswell for nowt
Cheers
David