I think, at last, I am on to something

[Kool_Biker]

I'm curious what the clutch pressure plate is going to look like?

Jeff, here are the first pics of the dismantled clutch.

P1070558.jpg

P1070559.jpg

I have not taken it through the degreaser plus brake cleaner spray treatment yet, and cannot see nor anticipate anything wrong there yet.
Can anyone see something I might be missing?

Aris

[Jeff Bennetts]

Any scoring would most likely be on the surface of the pressure plate or the drive center hub, can't tell from that pic.

[Kool_Biker]

Thankfully both seem 100% sound.
What concerns me though going forward, is glass which might have been trapped in the 'soft' clutch friction plates which could come unstuck in operation, in the future ...
I will change all 8 plates as a precaution, unless I can prove to myself they are 100% clean.
Thoughts anyone?
Cheers, Aris

[Kool_Biker]

Today I received my cylinder block back from a good machine shop in Athens.
Although I had measured bore dimensions and tolerances, they did too.
After confirming my findings, declaring all dimensions within specs , I requested to have the bores lightly honed, see how the glass induced scratch marks would play out. I opted to go this way rather than a rebore and new oversize pistons as compression was good before the engine was dismantled, and there was no oil out of the exhausts.
And here are the BEFORE & AFTER pics for cylinder no1, by far the worst of the lot:

P1070506 (1).jpg

P1070600.jpg

Now with my new found confidence, I will attack the pistons ...
Aris

[Jeff Bennetts]

I'm surpised they didn't crosshatch it for you, no biggie.

[Kool_Biker]

Not sure what you mean Jeff, here's a pic, digitally enhanced to better depict the hone pattern.

P1070601.jpg

Aris

[Jeff Bennetts]

Thats a better picture Aris, and I can see the cross-hatch now on your cylinder.

Cross-hatch = http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/m ... 447956.gif

[Kool_Biker]

Any thoughts WHY, my no 1 (remember? very sick) cylinder, exhaust valves, look so sick??

P1070645.jpg

All remaining exhaust valves are perfect, and all 12 inlet ones are perfect too.

Could this be caused by glass, and could glass have entered the combustion chamber?
Or may be that 1mm to ~1.5mm excess travel of piston no 1 hitting something, although there are NO strike marks on the no 1 piston, whatsoever.

Cheers, Aris

[ajs350]

Aris
Did you notice similar pit marks in the head when you took it off? If so it would suggest that something passed through #1 and out the exhaust header. Might be worth taking the exhaust, turning it upside down and giving it a shake and see if anything falls out.
Ross

[Don]

Aris,

Your #1 is an interesting subject, all around - Certainly more questions than answers. Luckily though, #1 acting up is what caused you to take apart the engine . . . . but for that, the entire engine would almost certainly have been destroyed

Usually when you have marked differences between the condition of intake valves and exhausts, it's in some way related to heat - Either the cylinder was running hot because of a lean mixture or the valve lash was too tight so the valve wasn't in contact with the head long enough to carry away the heat. In your case though, this all happened in only a hundred miles, so something would really have to have been 'off' for those valves to have got that way so soon

Are you 100% certain those valves were in perfect condition when you assembled the engine 100 miles ago? Possibly the engine had some sort of #1 problem in it's past and the condition of the valves may be left over from that

Don

[Kool_Biker]

Aris
Did you notice similar pit marks in the head when you took it off? If so it would suggest that something passed through #1 and out the exhaust header. Might be worth taking the exhaust, turning it upside down and giving it a shake and see if anything falls out.
Ross

Here's my no 1 head after a bit od cleaning. What do you make of it?

P1070660.jpg

Cheers, Aris

[Kool_Biker]

Aris,

Are you 100% certain those valves were in perfect condition when you assembled the engine 100 miles ago? Possibly the engine had some sort of #1 problem in it's past and the condition of the valves may be left over from that

Don

To be honest, no, I am not 100% certain and I would be amazed if the engine did not ' ... have some sort of no 1 problem in it's past ...'
While in my hands, valve lash was never a problem but I did run the engine, for very small intervals without an exhaust system, never revving it over say 3,000 RPM.
In any case, I will have them replaced. I am just curious (and fascinated by how much I am discovering every day) ...

Aris

[ajs350]

Aris
Did you notice similar pit marks in the head when you took it off? If so it would suggest that something passed through #1 and out the exhaust header. Might be worth taking the exhaust, turning it upside down and giving it a shake and see if anything falls out.
Ross

Here's my no 1 head after a bit od cleaning. What do you make of it?

P1070660.jpg

Cheers, Aris

Aris
Hard to see any pit marks on the valve seats from the photo but there does seem to be carbon build up on the exhaust seats which I imagine is unusual for just 100 miles? Maybe others who are more familar with what cbx heads and valve seats look like can give you more specific guidance.

[CopperCollar]

Are those the stock Honda valves?

Were these valves resurfaced?

Looks like the stellite coating is failing.

Mike

[Kool_Biker]

Aris
Hard to see any pit marks on the valve seats from the photo but there does seem to be carbon build up on the exhaust seats which I imagine is unusual for just 100 miles? Maybe others who are more familar with what cbx heads and valve seats look like can give you more specific guidance.

There you go ...

P1070683.jpg

P1070687.jpg

Any thoughts?
Aris