Alright you monkey

 

Oh God, you mean Forest is back!

09KLXowner, without a KLX, that knows everything about a KLX.

I mean really how embarrassing!

 

Alright, I'll agree with Iowa. A steel sleeve does possibly have the chance of moving. It comes down more to the person doing the machining than the actual steel liner being in the cylinder though. Bill Blue does excellent work and I don't think that he would put a sleeve into a cylinder that he took .001 to much off of. He doesn't strike me as that kind of guy. If a compentent shop does the sleeve job the chances of it going wrong are probably slim to none. With that said, I wouldn't just take it to any old machine shop and have them fit it. Slimey contact Bill and he should be able to hook you up with a sleeve kit for a 331 or a 340. You can also contact thumper racing they might sell you the sleeve, piston and gaskets. I am pretty sure that is where Bill directly buys the 340 ones from.

 

Here is a perspective from Kustom Kraft Performance...and just so you know, Kustom Kraft warranties the nikasilcoating for 1 year, and the sleeving for 5 years...

Quote:

Now let’s look at a person’s choice of repair or rebuilding methods for their Motorcycle, ATV, Snowmobile, Personal Watercraft, or Outboard. You can have your Nikasil or other plated cylinder re-plated (or some called it re-coated). This includes the composite types.

Or you can have it sleeved with a hardened alloy steel or cast iron (when you add alloys to iron its considered steel). If your cylinder has an iron sleeve already, whether it’s cast-in or not, you’re only real choice is replacing it with another sleeve or a sleeve liner.

Let’s assume you’re an avid racer and race 25 weekends a year, you’re going to need a rebuild of your cylinder by the end of the year no matter what type cylinder you have. If it is a plated type cylinder you have three choices. 1- buy a new cylinder for $500-600 for the top end and expect to do the same next year. 2- re-plate it for about $300-400 with piston kit and gaskets and figure on doing it again next year. 3- have it sleeved for about $250-350 with piston kit and gaskets and next year have it bored (most models) to the next size for about $55 plus piston kit and gaskets.

A properly sleeved cylinder will perform as well as any plated cylinder. A properly sleeved cylinder is one that has the proper interference fit, proper pre-sleeve bore finish, accurate flange machining, and sleeve made from the proper alloys. The most popular sleeve is the Moly 2000 chrome-moly iron. The proper boring and honing to match the piston clearance requirements goes without saying.

Pros and Cons

Re-Plated Cylinder Bore
Pros

Small advantage in heat transfer
Slightly better wear factor
Somewhat lower co-efficient of friction
Weighs a few ounces less [/ul]
Cons

Costs slightly more
Can’t be bored when damage occurs
More fragile
Can flake and peel [/ul]

Iron Sleeved Cylinder Bore
Pros

Costs less
Boreable for future over sizes
Honeable to keep bore true and proper ring seal
Can be worked with common tools
Can be replaced when needed [/ul]
Cons

Slightly slower heat transfer


The Bottom Line[/ul]

Both systems perform equally well when professionally done, so it really comes down to economics. You can expect a sleeved cylinder to give more life for the money. Re-plated cylinders are as close to original as you can get. So if you’re happy with your OEM plated cylinder you should have it re-plated. If not have it sleeved by a company that has the reputation, experience, and warrantees to protect your investment. http://kustom-kraft.com

 

Tom nice write up, I would have posted the pro's and cons but sometimes here I feel like its not worth it. I really don't think you can go wrong with either.

Kevin

 

As long as it makes the power your looking for,DO IT!!! Sleaved ,bored or stock, you can have failure in any of them or never have any problems.Do what you can affordIMO

 

exactly, that was my point all along. it's just that up til now no one has ever said thata sleeved cylinder would fail except for me. thanks

 

I think you misread, I never said that a nikasil coated cylinder has never failed. I asked just the opposite of the sleeved one.

 

Tom, thanks for the factual analysis of the pros and cons.
Only dilemma left on my part is sourcing a better priced Nikasil re-coater.
Lee

 

if you get the 340 you have to get a bigger carb right? so like whats the total price from bill blue for the whole shebang carb and all, anyone know by chance? i'd like to either go the the 300 or the 340. its almost time for a new top end on the klx i feel... i mean i ride it every single day... so what i'm thinking is... go to the 300 then when its time to have that rebuilt (probably next summer) then i'll just go the the 340... plus it give me time to get a pumper in their so i dont have to buy it all at once i guess. i dont know, just seein what my options are.