Engine rebuild or replacement engine??

[Goggles5122]

Hi guys my project zx7r P1 is coming along nicely and I'm up to the engine which I can go a few ways with, I am thinking of rebuilding my original engine myself using the Haynes and clymer manuals as guides, I'm not a mechanic and never done anything so involved so not overly confident but still would like to give it a go. I was also thinking of using the wiseco 779cc piston kit any one ever used these or have an opinion?, I have been quoted maybe upto $3000 for a mechanic to rebuild and that's above my budget so I was thinking I would do everything except the head ( leave that to the mechanic) but after quoting all the parts I need eg main bearings, pistons, gaskets etc its right up there also, is there a rebuild kit i can get from the states or something?? i was going to order majority of the parts from mrcycles.com. So my main point in posting this is to get opinions on whether I should just rebuild it myself, have the mechanic do it, or buy a second hand engine?? Also with a second hand engine what would I expect to pay for a good condition engine, best place to source one ( I'm located on the central coast NSW).

I currently have 2 engines both I have disassembled and if rebuilding myself would be the better option I do have a few mates that are car mechanics that are willing to give me a hand.

Still kinda new here, I've also posted this in model specific older bike section, hope this is allowed just wanting to get all opinions

[JimZXR]

You should be able to source a second hand motor for around the $2K mark from either Metropolitan or Victorian MCW!

[born green]

You should be able to source a second hand motor for around the $2K mark from either Metropolitan or Victorian MCW!

fark, for 3,500 u can have my 96 7R, all original, and runs quiet a ok , rape the engine, and have everything else for spares

[Gosling1]

.....You should be able to source a second hand motor for around the $2K mark from either Metropolitan or Victorian MCW!.....

well that is always an option, but these motors have a completely unknown history in most cases, and wreckers have never bullshitted about the condition of 2nd-hand motors they sell.....

Goggles - rebuilding a motor is pretty complex. You will have to farm out a lot of the machining anyway - and there are a lot of close tolerances that you need to ensure are right. Would you be confident in setting ring-end gaps ? What about checking piston-bore clearances ? Valve clearances ? Valve-to-piston clearances ? Do you have all the right tools to pull a motor apart and rebuild it ? It's not rocket science and the manuals will help but they are the most basic guidance you can get. They often gloss over complex sections......

Up to you in the end. Good luck

[Goggles5122]

Gosling1 precisely the reason I am not too keen on buying from a wrecker, but no not confident withe the jobs you have listed, any thing to do with valves I was going to get my mechanic to do, and yes the manuals make it seem quite easy,if I do buy a second hand engine ill probably over a very long time frame rebuild my other one and use it to learn what I'm doing and find out exactly what tools I need.

[dutchy]

I've got an engine here. It's in one piece, was running when removed, has done approx 70,000k's, but I'll sell it a hell of a lot cheaper than 2k