84 honda ascot

[joyride20]

i blew the head gasket last summer and bike has been sitting since. i guess they are notorious for this.

my question is where would be a good place to get a replacement motor?
any upgrades to avoid a blown gasket in the future? (i already fixed the faulty thermostat that caused this) and also put in a switch to manually kick the fan on/off

what years of the honda shadows engines would be a direct fit?

any help with this would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance,

[J6G1Z]

Have you considered just repairing the original engine?

Is the Cylinder or Head warped?

I don't know where you would find another engine other than eBay and/or a motorcycle recycler/salvage yard.
You might also try a "WANTED" ad on your local Craigslist.

I have a service manual that combines the 1983-84 Ascot engine with the 1983 through 1986 Shadow, so I'm thinking those are the years that you are looking for.

You might also try the Yahoo VT500FT Ascot Owners Group located at: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ascotvt500enthusiasts/info

Good luck
J.

[J6G1Z]

If you do find a Shadow engine donor, you might want to consider picking up the drive assembly also. The Shadow has a 16" rear wheel & is geared slightly higher than the Ascot with the 18" rear wheel. Several Ascot owners consider this swap to be an upgrade, especially on the open road.

Good luck
J.

[joyride20]

thanks for the replies. i took it to a local shop a few months back and they wanted $900-$1000 to fix.
i would have to look at the paperwork to remember exactly what they said, what was warped and whatnot but the front cylinderr had a blown head gasket and the rear cylinder was messed up as well. dont remember what was wrong with it however.

i figure it would be cheaper just to replace myself. I have heard of the driveline upgrade and would definitely consider doing that. thanks for posting the years of the shadow too, thats a tremendous help. 

this bike is super fun to ride and cant wait to get it up and running. i guess ill put the word out and see what pops up

is there a company that makes aftermarket cylinder heads/ gaskets?? i haven't been able to find one

[J6G1Z]

There is very little after-market support for either of the Ascot models. The FT500 has some support due to its relation to the Honda XR/XL models. I can't think of anything for the VT500FT other than there is an after-market exhaust system from MAC & there are some higher performance camshafts available from one of the cam grinders (can't recall which one right now).

Unfortunately eBay is probably going to be your best source of parts. If I was you, I think I would keep my eye open for a slightly beat 500cc Shadow. I've seen a few sell in the $500 range. A WANTED ad on Craigslist will probably be your best bet. Strip the Shadow of the parts that you need & then sell the rest on eBay.

Good luck
J.

[joyride20]

j6g1z,

thanks for the feed back its really appreciated. its good to be able to bounce ideas off you guys. its definitely going to increase my confidence when working on this project.

ill be posting a wanted ad on craigslist ( ive never used ebay) and keeping my out for a 83-86 500cc honda shadow, thanks yall

[J6G1Z]

I just did a quick & dirty search on eBay & look at what I found.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/84-Honda-VT-500-FT-VT500-500FT-Ascot-engine-motor-/400608359742?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d461e753e&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-VT-500-Shadow-and-Ascot-1983-1986-Top-End-Gasket-Set-Kit-/400585695292?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AHonda%7CModel%3AVT500FT%7CSubmodel%3AAscot&hash=item5d44c4a03c&vxp=mtr#ht_1211wt_867

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-ASCOT-VT-500-OEM-Front-Cylinder-Head-67B81M-/170607184361?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27b8fb09e9&vxp=mtr#ht_1258wt_916

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-ASCOT-VT-500-OEM-Rear-Cylinder-Head-68B81M-/160550212494?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item256189d38e&vxp=mtr#ht_1258wt_916


Good luck
J.

[joyride20]

dude you got some skills! i appreciate that...the complete motor seems to be more cost effective than buying the heads at 200 a pop and then the gasket set . and the motor its for a decent price. looks like ill be learnign how to use ebay.

have you had a good experience using ebay?

again thanks for this info!

[joyride20]

another quick question...

has any one put a honda shadow vt700c into the ascot??

[J6G1Z]

I've had good luck with eBay. If there is a problem, eBay usually sides with & protects the buyer.

I don't know about the larger Shadow engines. I think the heads are layed out at a different angle.

J.

[J6G1Z]

...the complete motor seems to be more cost effective...

Look at those engine pics very closely. That engine isn't complete. The left side case & guts have been removed.

What part of the country do you live in? You can reply by PM if you don't want to broadcast where you live.

Good luck
J.

[Buddy]

I'm going to pick up two shadows this weekend. One parts bike and one runner. Might have a usable engine left I could help you out with if you're close enough. Where are you located?

Buddy

[J6G1Z]

Oh good, you found a couple of donors. That's great.

I'm not looking for any engines or parts right now. I was just wondering if you were near any motorcycle recyclers.

I'm in the Pacific Northwest.

J.

[joyride20]

Hey Buddy,

Would you still happen to have that engine lying around? My circumstances have changed and im back in the market to get my 84 ascot up and running again. Sorry for such a late response.

Let me know it would be greatly appreciated,

Jory

[Bucko]

I've never heard these engines were notorious for blowing head gaskets.  Maybe I haven't been listening....

[Buddy]

Deal fell through on one so I only got one. It has low compression on the rear cylinder so I can't be any help right now.

Sorry.
Buddy