TOPIC:

Well, I finally got my block back from APE today.

You would think I would be happy..

However, the package must have been dropped, and despite the very professional-looking packageing (the block was wrapped in another piece of cardboard inside the box) the block got jarred I guess.

I first noticed that the #2 cylinder sleeve was about 1/32" to 1/16" of an inch above the FRESHLY MILLED block mating surface. I then noticed the spot where a section of #2, and #1 as well, punched through the cardboard, the foam padding.. and #2 even made it through the outside box wall slightly.

The sleeve seems to have moved evenly.. I can't imagine it would have moved at all otherwise. So, I am hoping there is no major harm done. I didn't noptice any visual damage, just that the sleeve moved.

I will call APE but they are on lunch right now. The declared value says $800 on the invoice.. but I hope it doesn't come to that.

My neighbor works at a machine shop and I will walk over there after I talk to APE this evening. Maybe he can help me out. Anybody have any suggestions?

this thread might help it even has replies from ape
kzrider.com/component/option,com_joomlab...ew/id,48226/catid,2/

Get a really big hammer!
naw just kidding. It really sucks to pay good money
just to have to send it back. I would call them and
ask to see if the sleeves will move back down once the head is torqued down. if ya get a idonno? send it back.

There is no way I would just stick the head on and torque it down. I seriously doubt it would move back into place, and if it did move, it probably wouldn't go all the way.. just overly compress the gasket in that area or not allow it to seat properly in other areas.

I called them, it's obviously not their fault, but my first step is to go to UPS about it. It was insured at $800 value. However, I would rather just fix it if I can, for free. If it is fixable, somebody local should be able to do it. However, I don't want to pay money.

The bitch of it is, say it is easily fixable (just heat the block and true it back up, I'm hoping) but it will cost me any amount of money at a machine shop or something. Well any amount is too much, and I wouldn't want to have to wait for the hoops to be lined up so I can jump through them with UPS.

Fuck UPS. I have been using FedEx exclusively for other reasons the past few years, and I believe that will continue.

But anyway back to the task itself. Should I be able to heat the block up in the oven, and then tap the sleeve back down, say with a 2x4 (the 4" across the bore) and a hammer?

Warming the block in the oven will help the sleeves go back into place.I found this out while baking my freshly painted cylinder block in the oven at 200 degrees.The two outer sleeves were sitting on the edges of a cooking sheet and after about half an hour to my horror, i noticed that one of the sleeves had slid out of the block about an inch. I quickly grabbed a pair of wifey's oven mitts, picked the block up and the sleeve slid back in flush on it's own. It works.

Yep, just stick it in an oven at 200F for an hour or so and the sleeves will probably fall into place, no hammer needed.

thats why ups is more commonly known as ooooops

I don't think you have a problem. The sleeve just needs to be pushed back down. That is what we would do if we got it back. Put it in the press and push it back down. It won't take much pressure.

Someone suggested heating it up. DON'T DO THAT!! Just push it down cold. It will come right down perfect like it was when we surfaced it.

There is a thread on here about loose sleeves in KZs. It is quite common.

Call and ask for me personally if you have anymore questions.


Jay

Post edited by: APE Jay, at: 2006/06/02 02:29

Alright, why DON'T I want to heat it? as that seems like it would work easily for everyone else who has mentioned it here?

I guess the main reason I asked is that seems somewhat contradictory to what you said in the other thread about the sleeves being an 'interference' fit, but everybody calls them a 'press' fit, even though they are not pressed in. (or something like that)

Not trying to be a dick or anything, just trying to get my information strait!

The guy on the phone I talked to (TJ) seemed to be like *gasp* when I told him about it, and he seems to know enough generally about this sort of stuff, but he also seemed to think it was a really big deal.

This is hard to explain in a few short sentences. When you heat the block to install sleeves, the aluminum pills away from the sleeve flange as it cools. The blocks then have to be put in the press and seated after it has cooled.

If you heat the block, you would have to press all of them to make sure they were seated. You press them to seat them after the block has cooled, just like your block is now.

I believe your's is one that the sleeve moved up like that when we honed it. Happens all the time with air cooled Kawasakis. We just pushed it back down and surfaced it like you requested.

Like I said, call me about this.

Jay