A photographic journal of my life on two wheels. Later.... Kustom Jeff
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Not A Good Day for the Owner of This one!
A few weeks ago this bike had just been rewired and was being run to test the new electrical stuff. While it was running it made a funny clicking sound for a few seconds and then died. Today Spenser and I had a chance to tear the head off to survey the damage. It is NOT pretty.....
The poor beast that a guy is TRYING to resurrect.
The valve broke off, flattened the electrode of the spark plug and wedge itself over the sparkplug hole while beating a tune on the piston.
Another view.
What the remains of the stem still attached to the valve did to the piston, this is not a pretty sight. I feel bad for the guy because it seems to be one thing after another, but then again he IS the one who keep plugging along with it.
I like this shot, I used an l.e.d. flashlight to illuminate the piston so I didn't have to try and use the flash. I like how it came out.
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Clever idea with the flash light. Were you able to get the plug out of the head? I used to race Kawis back in the day and we shot a valve through a piston after hitting the nitrous button. I still have it on a shelf in my place.
ReplyDeleteNeil...AKA...Neil
Your use of the LED flashlight is becoming sso common I'm starting to see them on the market as flash units. I just got myself an LED ring light for closeup work. The best part is it is on continuosly so I can work behind the lens and see down on the object fully lit. Good discovery Bro!
ReplyDeleteNeil, the plug came out right after the engine died. The electrode was crushed, but it screwed out easily enough.
ReplyDeleteChet, I used the light because the piston hole was so small and the bikes frame so close to the engine that I didn't thing the camera's flash would work. I just got lucky with how it came out. I may have to do some experimenting with using the led as a lighting source. First I have to scrape up some money for a new camera, mine is trying to die on me.
makes me wonder how long is "a few" seconds? 2or3, 30? it makes me wonder what the wrist pin and the big end of the rod look like with the valve stem beating on the piston like that. if it ain't one thing...
ReplyDelete8 ball, It wasn't very long, I was there with them. It made a ticking noise for about 10-15 seconds and THEN the noise got bad suddenly and died quickly. The first sound didn't sound like a failure happening.
ReplyDeletecool, i ask, because I have seen idiots still riding with a rod knocking figuring they could "limp it" home. good thing it died when it did...it could've been so much worse. so at least he isn't looking at a complete rebuild, just a top end job. which I am sure is still gonna hurt a bit.
ReplyDeleteI've seen those folks too. Not the brightest in the chandelier. In this case I think the motor is toast just because of the costs involved PLUS the bottom has to come apart to find all the chunks that were knocked out of the piston. It'll probably be cheaper to find a new motor than to fix this one.
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