Cylinder #2 Not Firing

[pgilliam1]

I would not turn the engine at all anymore as you can damage it more.
Get the inspection camera to see what is inside and prepare to take the head off.
It should not be that difficult

Precisely what I was thinking. Thanks -

[daves79x]

You either bent a valve or hydrolocked #4 and bent the rod. Have a look with a scope if you want, but you may as well get the engine out and the head off.

Dave

[pgilliam1]

You either bent a valve or hydrolocked #4 and bent the rod. Have a look with a scope if you want, but you may as well get the engine out and the head off.

Dave

When you say "hydrolocked", could this occur with the spark plug removed? The engine ran fine before I removed the spark plug and then started it (even with #4 not firing).
I'm quickly reaching the end of my mechanical abilities with this and have done more than enough damage already. My confidence is waning. Anyone have an estimate as to how much $$$ a shop would charge to fix a bent valve ?

[daves79x]

Hydro lock occurs when gas fills up a cylinder and compresses the rod. Not likely in your case, from what you've said.

Stay away from 'a shop'!!. Don't let anyone touch your engine that isn't intimately familiar with the CBX.

It might cost more in time and trouble for you to take the engine to someone that can do the work, but will be cheaper in the long run, as I guess you've already found out.

Dave

[pgilliam1]

Thanks Dave. If I can find a bore scope I would still like to take a look inside. I am studying the manual to see if I want to remove the head (and carbs) myself. There is a shop here in St. Louis that specializes in older Hondas, so I may give them a call to see what they would charge. If I can get my mojo/confidence back, I may go further with the mechanical repairs myself. I have removed spark plugs many times on many engines without any trouble, but causing this problem has hit me square in the short hairs.
Thanks again to all for the support!

[EMS]

Hydro lock occurs when gas fills up a cylinder and compresses the rod. Not likely in your case, from what you've said.

Dave

Also, that would be the first time I heard of a No 4 cylinder having hydro lock

[tevan]

As Dave has said in the past you will spend around a thousand dollars to fix this head if you have several bent valves. Once you get the head off and access the damage you might be better off finding another good head somewhere. Surely you didn't bend a rod. I guess you wont know till you start taking it apart. Good luck to you.

[pgilliam1]

As Dave has said in the past you will spend around a thousand dollars to fix this head if you have several bent valves. Once you get the head off and access the damage you might be better off finding another good head somewhere. Surely you didn't bend a rod. I guess you wont know till you start taking it apart. Good luck to you.

Hopefully I have only 1 or 2 bent valves in cylinder #4. There are no other restrictions felt when turning the crank except when cylinder #4 is at TDC. "Hope Springs Eternal" - until proven otherwise . Maybe my luck will change soon?

[tevan]

You might be right and I hope you are. It really isn't too bad to pull motor and pull head. Some say you can pull head with just tilting engine. If you do pull engine I would put motor on engine stand. You can adapt a bracket to a reg. motor stand and work on the engine without it rolling around on your bench.

[pgilliam1]

You might be right and I hope you are. It really isn't too bad to pull motor and pull head. Some say you can pull head with just tilting engine. If you do pull engine I would put motor on engine stand. You can adapt a bracket to a reg. motor stand and work on the engine without it rolling around on your bench.

When you say "pull motor" it sends shivers up my spine. I was just looking at Mike Nixon's manual on the carb rebuild, and tilting the engine doesn't sound too bad, but pulling the engine sounds like too much for me. If I didn't like riding this bike I'd be tempted to just dump it. But I can see this bike being a long term bike for me and I'd hate to give up on it.
Onward then -

[tevan]

I didn't mean to scare you..The main thing is take your time and you will get it done and you will win at the end. You have a nice bike and it would be a shame if you let it go. You would kick yourself in the ass if you sold it as is.

[EMS]

You can take the head off the motor after you tilt it. It is not necessary to take the whole motor out of the frame, although it hangs only by one axle bolt after you tilted it. It is better to have two people to lift it off, especially if you have (most likely) the front end still in the bike.

[pgilliam1]

Yes, the bike is whole right now. After I find/buy a bore scope and survey the damage, and if reading through the manual hasn't convinced me I'm beyond my abilities, I will decide to tear into it - or not. This operation will be further than I've gone before on any bike. I can't imagine what that 1X2 is for?

[pgilliam1]

I didn't mean to scare you..The main thing is take your time and you will get it done and you will win at the end. You have a nice bike and it would be a shame if you let it go. You would kick yourself in the ass if you sold it as is.

I'm already kicking myself for screwing it up, but I think you're right about being sorry if I let it go. I ride because every now and then I experience moments of bliss that I don't feel doing anything else but riding. I don't get those feelings from every bike I ride, but I have had them when riding this bike and I really look forward to those moments.

[EMS]

I can't imagine what that 1X2 is for?

The piece of wood slides through the cam chain and prevents it from slipping back into the motor.