Piston to cyl clearance for VN1500

RACNRAY · 12-10-2020, 02:36 PM

Anyone have the service manual that covers a 2002 1500 that can look up the standard piston to cylinder clearance. NOT the service limit. I am resleeving and boring the new sleeves. I have an idea what range but Kawi specs are fool prrof.

THANX
RACNRAY

DragonLady58 · 12-10-2020, 04:00 PM

1500 bore dia. is 4.0157-4.0162....
1500 piston dia. is 4.0135-4.0140....
Piston to cylinder clearance is 0.0017-0.0028....
There are mfg.'ing tolerances....the bore of the cylinder is bored withing .001, with .007 to be honed...using the piston dia. as the controlling dimension. Thats with cast pistons.
Forged pistons run with more clearance (follow piston clearance from mfg.'er). Usually .0055 to.007 on street engines, with ,0065 to .008 on some race engines, depending on skirt coatings/lack thereof, and or the cam grinding/turning of pistons....

RACNRAY · 12-10-2020, 04:19 PM

THANK YOU...I was thinking .0016"!

BTW....I werked at for years was South Florida's only complete motorcycle machine shop and for over 10 years did 99% of the boring, decking, sleeving, honing and o-ringing, prolly over 5000 cylinders. My goal in honing was to keep my taper and roundness perfect but max at .0002" variation. These types of cylinders on this 1500, the ZX10 ,ZX11 and some Yamaha sportbikes that only support the sleeves at the very top and bottom of the cylinder casting require a honing procedure very different than cylinders that fully support the sleeve thru it's entire length.

When I opened my own shop I admitted to myself that I had had enuff and did not acquire the machinery, good thing as most skoots nowadays run coated cylinders that require even more specialized machinery.

Again thanx so much, VERY MUCH appreciated!

RACNRAY

DragonLady58 · 12-10-2020, 05:01 PM

The sweetspot on the 1500s is .0018/.0022....thats a good compromise between having to break the engine in like a new and a hi-perf. rebuild....especially when boring with our old Van Norman.
Sometimes when I'd try to hone with the CK10 and hit exactly .0015/.0016, sneaking up on it, years later, I'd see a little alum. scrubbing in the cylinders caused by the cam turning of the pistons....
Honing to .0002, last finish hone to .0001 with correct crosshatch, that alum. shedding stopped....

Peg · 12-10-2020, 08:38 PM

RACNRAY · 12-11-2020, 10:50 PM

Good stuff, I decided on .0018". I am so happy I was able tp get new pistons and rings, this engine ran without coolant for who knows how long and I have never seen pistons so cooked! I told the owner I could garrantee the rebuild with new pistons but could not using the old ones.
Again thank you so much for providing the specs.

DragonLady58 · 12-12-2020, 04:37 PM

.....

....

12-10-2020, 02:36 PM	#1
RACNRAY Sr. Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SOUTH FLORIDA Posts: 1,210	Piston to cyl clearance for VN1500 Anyone have the service manual that covers a 2002 1500 that can look up the standard piston to cylinder clearance. NOT the service limit. I am resleeving and boring the new sleeves. I have an idea what range but Kawi specs are fool prrof. THANX RACNRAY __________________ "TRUE HAPPINESS IS IN THE HEART, NOT IN THE OUTSIDE FIXES" WITH OVER 46 YEARS AS A MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN/HI-PO SHOP OWNER I AM A PURVEYOR OF FACT NOT FICTION! "WE LIVE OUR LIVES IN CHAINS NEVER KNOWING WE HAD THE KEY" Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

12-10-2020, 04:00 PM	#2
DragonLady58 Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Somewhere South of Alaska.... Posts: 2,351	1500 bore dia. is 4.0157-4.0162.... 1500 piston dia. is 4.0135-4.0140.... Piston to cylinder clearance is 0.0017-0.0028.... There are mfg.'ing tolerances....the bore of the cylinder is bored withing .001, with .007 to be honed...using the piston dia. as the controlling dimension. Thats with cast pistons. Forged pistons run with more clearance (follow piston clearance from mfg.'er). Usually .0055 to.007 on street engines, with ,0065 to .008 on some race engines, depending on skirt coatings/lack thereof, and or the cam grinding/turning of pistons.... __________________ --------------------- Don't start no schit, there won't be no schit.... My Sarcasm is directly proportional to the amount of Stupidity involved --------------------- VBA#03239 VROC#37400 VRA --------------------- 2014 Vaquero 2001 Nomad FI 2003 Street Glide (sold) 1500 Meanie, fresh rebuild (sold) 90s BUBF Bobber (sold) 2001 UltraCycle FatPounder (Sold) 1975 HD ElectraGlide (Sold) 1982 Kawasaki Z1 Chopper (Sold) Suck It Up & Ride! Last edited by DragonLady58; 12-10-2020 at 04:04 PM.
	0

12-10-2020, 04:19 PM	#3
RACNRAY Sr. Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SOUTH FLORIDA Posts: 1,210	THANK YOU...I was thinking .0016"! BTW....I werked at for years was South Florida's only complete motorcycle machine shop and for over 10 years did 99% of the boring, decking, sleeving, honing and o-ringing, prolly over 5000 cylinders. My goal in honing was to keep my taper and roundness perfect but max at .0002" variation. These types of cylinders on this 1500, the ZX10 ,ZX11 and some Yamaha sportbikes that only support the sleeves at the very top and bottom of the cylinder casting require a honing procedure very different than cylinders that fully support the sleeve thru it's entire length. When I opened my own shop I admitted to myself that I had had enuff and did not acquire the machinery, good thing as most skoots nowadays run coated cylinders that require even more specialized machinery. Again thanx so much, VERY MUCH appreciated! RACNRAY __________________ "TRUE HAPPINESS IS IN THE HEART, NOT IN THE OUTSIDE FIXES" WITH OVER 46 YEARS AS A MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN/HI-PO SHOP OWNER I AM A PURVEYOR OF FACT NOT FICTION! "WE LIVE OUR LIVES IN CHAINS NEVER KNOWING WE HAD THE KEY"
	0

12-10-2020, 05:01 PM	#4
DragonLady58 Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Somewhere South of Alaska.... Posts: 2,351	The sweetspot on the 1500s is .0018/.0022....thats a good compromise between having to break the engine in like a new and a hi-perf. rebuild....especially when boring with our old Van Norman. Sometimes when I'd try to hone with the CK10 and hit exactly .0015/.0016, sneaking up on it, years later, I'd see a little alum. scrubbing in the cylinders caused by the cam turning of the pistons.... Honing to .0002, last finish hone to .0001 with correct crosshatch, that alum. shedding stopped.... __________________ --------------------- Don't start no schit, there won't be no schit.... My Sarcasm is directly proportional to the amount of Stupidity involved --------------------- VBA#03239 VROC#37400 VRA --------------------- 2014 Vaquero 2001 Nomad FI 2003 Street Glide (sold) 1500 Meanie, fresh rebuild (sold) 90s BUBF Bobber (sold) 2001 UltraCycle FatPounder (Sold) 1975 HD ElectraGlide (Sold) 1982 Kawasaki Z1 Chopper (Sold) Suck It Up & Ride! Last edited by DragonLady58; 12-10-2020 at 05:06 PM.
	0

12-10-2020, 08:38 PM	#5
Peg Sr. Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: West Coast, North Island, New Zealand Posts: 1,375	<whooooosh> __________________ Nothing screams poor workmanship like wrinkles in the duct tape '02 1500 blonde Nomad (Sold) '97 800 burgundy Classic (Sold) Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

12-11-2020, 10:50 PM	#6
RACNRAY Sr. Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SOUTH FLORIDA Posts: 1,210	Good stuff, I decided on .0018". I am so happy I was able tp get new pistons and rings, this engine ran without coolant for who knows how long and I have never seen pistons so cooked! I told the owner I could garrantee the rebuild with new pistons but could not using the old ones. Again thank you so much for providing the specs. __________________ "TRUE HAPPINESS IS IN THE HEART, NOT IN THE OUTSIDE FIXES" WITH OVER 46 YEARS AS A MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN/HI-PO SHOP OWNER I AM A PURVEYOR OF FACT NOT FICTION! "WE LIVE OUR LIVES IN CHAINS NEVER KNOWING WE HAD THE KEY" Last edited by RACNRAY; 12-11-2020 at 10:59 PM.
	0

12-12-2020, 04:37 PM	#7
DragonLady58 Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Somewhere South of Alaska.... Posts: 2,351	......... __________________ --------------------- Don't start no schit, there won't be no schit.... My Sarcasm is directly proportional to the amount of Stupidity involved --------------------- VBA#03239 VROC#37400 VRA --------------------- 2014 Vaquero 2001 Nomad FI 2003 Street Glide (sold) 1500 Meanie, fresh rebuild (sold) 90s BUBF Bobber (sold) 2001 UltraCycle FatPounder (Sold) 1975 HD ElectraGlide (Sold) 1982 Kawasaki Z1 Chopper (Sold) Suck It Up & Ride!
	0