poorider

I purchased a 2004 Firestorm this year in march it had done 2.5 k now 3.5 k.miles
Out last week a loud ticking appeared from the front cylinder. Into the dealer who says the cam bearing seated in the head has 'burnt out' and damaged the seat in the head itself. The route cause still under investigation but definitely a new cylinder head is needed- it may be that insufficient oil has been reaching this bearing. Perhaps a blocked oilway. I dont need to say how much this is going to cost you can well imagine. Anyone ever come across a fault like this before??

hawxter996

wheelies are prob the biggest culprit.
other than that its a new one on me.

8541Hawk

It sounds strange and also there are no "cam bearings" as the cam runs directly in the head, so that kind of makes me wonder what the dealer is talking about.....
http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/200_03...0&parent=13160

nuhawk

Failed CCT?

poorider

So today I went to the dealer to view the problems with the bike. As you say Hawk the bearing is indeed the head itself. On the exhaust side this had severe scouring and the head itself needs to be replaced and the camshaft. The cause is oil starvation. It seems incredible that the oil supply comes up a 1/4" channel through the 'barrel' part of the engine until it reaches the head gasket. Here the pressure is controlled by reducing that hole to less than "1/16" and that hole had become blocked. The substance blocking it I have seen and it looks like a hardened burnt deposit. It is not metallic e.g. swarf but will crack under pressure by the finger nail. So the whole engine needs to be flushed. The parts and labour quoted are c2k GPB (Gulp). I did consider scrapping the bike but it cost me (somewhat over the odds) 4k in March and I had only just got the thing as I wanted it -lower fairing, Zero Gravity screen etc . and this was one of the last models relesed in UK.
Of course there is the worry that this could recur but I suppose the odds are against it. ( I hope).
I'm no engineer but it seems odd there is no liner or shell in these bearings but I am told this is common practice and not only with Honda.
Also so it seems a miracle such a small whole for the oil flow doesn't block regularly.
Commiserations and crying on my behalf would be appreciated.

Hawkrider

The oil goes through the filter before it goes to the rest of the motor. Check your filter for damage and if it failed then sue the crap out of the manufacturer.

JamieDaugherty

This is one of the biggest falsehoods I've seen. The oil supply comes from one point and is a pressurized system. There is no difference between the front head, rear head, crank etc with both wheels on the ground or when doing a wheelie. The only effect a wheelie can have is by moving the oil away from the pump pickup thereby dropping pressure in the entire system.

This failure does sound like a blocked passage. I'd try to get Honda to pick up some, if not all, of the cost as this can only be from a manufacturing defect. It's possible, Honda isn't perfect. For example, when I replaced my thermostat I found a huge aluminum chip from the drilling of the thermostat housing trapped inside. It was so big that it couldn't go anywhere, luckily! It might explain why my temperature was sometimes a little erratic! I'd at least investigate this with Honda and see what happens, it certainly can't hurt!

poorider

Thanks for these replies

redman