learning the hard way
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:15 pm
Why would I suggest a strictly written and adhered to "pre-flight checklist" routine ?
Not to cause Rob grief, certainly, but rather a case of BTDT and ain't goin' there again !
100 years ago when I was running a '65 Sportster XLCH 900.
I had just had the top-end apart to do some work, and was reassembling the heads
when I realized that I didn't have the two gaskets that fit the external oil feed lines to the heads ...
Being that I was anxious to make the rounds with the gang that night,
and being somewhat MacGyveresque when the situation presents itself –
I used SILICONE to seal the lines. Good enough, it really could have worked ...
So, 4 or 5 bar hops later, fairly short runs with spaces in between to swill beer, now it's closing time,
and after returning to Curt's garage for a last beer and a joint, it's time to head home.
One kick, the bike lights up as usual – and then suddenly bang seizes to a dead stop.
In my haste to get on the road, I did not check to see that oil was actually being fed to the heads,
you guessed it, the silicone sealed both fittings quite nicely – AND one of the feed lines as well.
The "post-mortem" revealed that the exhaust valve had broken into bits,
one of which jammed between the head and piston, shattering the piston
and punching a hole into the dome of the combustion chamber about the size of a penny ...
Moral of story: Don't go riding off without thoroughly checking your work.
It can very easily be an expensive mistake / lesson !
I'm sure Rob will concur.
Not to cause Rob grief, certainly, but rather a case of BTDT and ain't goin' there again !
100 years ago when I was running a '65 Sportster XLCH 900.
I had just had the top-end apart to do some work, and was reassembling the heads
when I realized that I didn't have the two gaskets that fit the external oil feed lines to the heads ...
Being that I was anxious to make the rounds with the gang that night,
and being somewhat MacGyveresque when the situation presents itself –
I used SILICONE to seal the lines. Good enough, it really could have worked ...
So, 4 or 5 bar hops later, fairly short runs with spaces in between to swill beer, now it's closing time,
and after returning to Curt's garage for a last beer and a joint, it's time to head home.
One kick, the bike lights up as usual – and then suddenly bang seizes to a dead stop.
In my haste to get on the road, I did not check to see that oil was actually being fed to the heads,
you guessed it, the silicone sealed both fittings quite nicely – AND one of the feed lines as well.
The "post-mortem" revealed that the exhaust valve had broken into bits,
one of which jammed between the head and piston, shattering the piston
and punching a hole into the dome of the combustion chamber about the size of a penny ...
Moral of story: Don't go riding off without thoroughly checking your work.
It can very easily be an expensive mistake / lesson !
I'm sure Rob will concur.
