Rebuild Questions

[assquatch20]

So my plated 04 200 blew up on me. Hole in the piston. It had been in storage before I bought it so I'm assuming it was a crank seal. I have a good local mechanic that says he'll rebuild the crank and all that but not sure on what parts to use for the motor. Stock where possible? Aftermarket? Who would you recommend? Any suggestions are appreciated.

Any other advice on the job that I could pass along would be great as well. He's hoping the swingarm bolt comes out easily to avoid extra labor.

Then as far as preventative stuff once it's rebuilt, I figure I'll get a leak down tester and test occasionally but is there anything else you would do? There's a fella a couple hours from here that says he'd walk me through a rebuild someday so I figure I might find a blown motor at some point to learn on.

[SS109]

I believe in using only OEM parts (bearings, thrust washers, seals, etc.) for anything inside the engine cases. The only thing I'll use not OEM is the connecting rod. I use Hot Rods kits for that. Anything outside the center cases isn't as big a deal since you can replace them without splitting the cases. Top end parts you can use anything without issue but, again, I do prefer the OEM gaskets over the aftermarket stuff as it just seems to fit better.

A compression tester is better to have than a leak down tester as it allows you to keep an eye on how the piston/rings are wearing over time. A leak down tester is really only good to find out if you have an air leak.

[KDXGarage]

Read up on the left hand threads on the KIPS system. Be sure your mechanic is familiar with the service manual.