I only have myself to blame
05-11-2010, 01:02 PM
#1
Blaaahhh!!!
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 10
I only have myself to blame
So I am putting on my APE CCT's with my father-in-law, who is a retired mechanic. Everything is installed and adjusted... all is left is to tighten down the locking nuts. I proceed to tighten down the rear, my father-in-law the front. Take the bike for a ride down the road...beauty everything is bang on adjusted.
Next morning I hop on the bike to go to work...the death rattle occurs, valves, piston, cam chain, everything is shot.... front lock nut was not tightened down enough.
My fault, my bike, I should have checked the nut and not relied on someone else. Something that will not occur again. At least I found another motor at a decent price, and I will rebuild the old one myself... still sucks, out a lot of coin for a loose nut.
Next morning I hop on the bike to go to work...the death rattle occurs, valves, piston, cam chain, everything is shot.... front lock nut was not tightened down enough.
My fault, my bike, I should have checked the nut and not relied on someone else. Something that will not occur again. At least I found another motor at a decent price, and I will rebuild the old one myself... still sucks, out a lot of coin for a loose nut.
05-11-2010, 01:38 PM
#3
pragmatic anarchist
Superstock
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 380
Know how you feel. It's riding weather, but instead I am putting a head on my daughters civic because she just drove and drove and could not be bothered to put coolant in since $500 cars should not require maintenance or repairs ever! Like you said, lots of money and work for a few minutes or dollars saved or neglected. Look on the bright side, a spare motor and a nice springtime wrenching session. It's therapeutic for me as long as I'm not up against some unrealistic deadline. Good luck and hang in there.
05-11-2010, 02:01 PM
#4
Blaaahhh!!!
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 10
Never rebuilt a motor before, but I am pretty good mechanically (minus the last CCT install...lol) so this might be a good opportunity to learn more about the bike.
I am sure I will be relying heavily on this website to get me through the rebuild.
Funny thing, before I took the bike in the Honda dealership, they were asking how much I would want to spend on a 1998 Firestorm repair...etc...etc...one look at the bike and the mods, he said we had to get it back on the road. Ends up the head mechanic and his wife both ride VTR's as well and fell in love, asking where I got all the goodies. One thing they keep preaching to me is to go back to OEM CCT's. The head mechanic and wife both run OEM's and swear by them. Needless to say, The APE's are going back on, and the locking bolt will be tightened by me.
I am sure I will be relying heavily on this website to get me through the rebuild.
Funny thing, before I took the bike in the Honda dealership, they were asking how much I would want to spend on a 1998 Firestorm repair...etc...etc...one look at the bike and the mods, he said we had to get it back on the road. Ends up the head mechanic and his wife both ride VTR's as well and fell in love, asking where I got all the goodies. One thing they keep preaching to me is to go back to OEM CCT's. The head mechanic and wife both run OEM's and swear by them. Needless to say, The APE's are going back on, and the locking bolt will be tightened by me.
05-11-2010, 02:06 PM
#5
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 3,132
OEMs are fine if you replace them at valve check intervals. But I am very happy with my APEs.
Oh, and it might be easier to swap a head off your new engine than to swap the whole engine. (if your piston is still ok that is)
Oh, and it might be easier to swap a head off your new engine than to swap the whole engine. (if your piston is still ok that is)
05-11-2010, 02:11 PM
#6
Blaaahhh!!!
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 10
05-11-2010, 03:04 PM
#8
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Clemente, CA
Posts: 3,451
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Your father-in-law must feel like crap.
I always double check everything, or like to think that I do. When I was teaching vocational automotives, a group of my students mounted and balanced 4 tires on a 4Runner. I always checked their torquing of anything involving safety, such as caliper bolts, suspension parts, etc. But I never checked their torquing of the wheel lugs. They were supposed to look up the torque specs and check with me to make sure the spec was correct, then do it. Well, the left rear wheel of the 4Runner came off on the freeway at 80 mph that evening with 5 people inside. Luckily no one was hurt, if you can believe that...Whew! I still didn't have time to check 16 to 24 lug nuts on every car and truck that went through our 10 bay shop, but I started requiring the students to check each others work and sign off on it. Sorry that you learned that lesson the expensive way. Now get it back together and ride.
I always double check everything, or like to think that I do. When I was teaching vocational automotives, a group of my students mounted and balanced 4 tires on a 4Runner. I always checked their torquing of anything involving safety, such as caliper bolts, suspension parts, etc. But I never checked their torquing of the wheel lugs. They were supposed to look up the torque specs and check with me to make sure the spec was correct, then do it. Well, the left rear wheel of the 4Runner came off on the freeway at 80 mph that evening with 5 people inside. Luckily no one was hurt, if you can believe that...Whew! I still didn't have time to check 16 to 24 lug nuts on every car and truck that went through our 10 bay shop, but I started requiring the students to check each others work and sign off on it. Sorry that you learned that lesson the expensive way. Now get it back together and ride.
05-11-2010, 06:43 PM
#9
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 4,138
For as rough and hog-wild the Superhawk is, it's still built all Honda. These folks build strong, long lasting engines and they're not just in our motorcycles. Chop-saws, rock saws, chainsaws, polesaws, tillers, mowers, even a Billy Goat.
I have the same confidence in my bikes as I do with the rest of my equipment. Hack it down and roll it on.
I have the same confidence in my bikes as I do with the rest of my equipment. Hack it down and roll it on.
05-11-2010, 09:08 PM
#11
medium fast guy
Back Marker
Join Date: May 2008
Location: western MI, rust & pot hole capital of the world
Posts: 212
Take the MF to small claims court and confiscate his pension. That'll teach him to retire and not stay up on his certifications. Oh, that's right, it's your father in law, shoot him.
05-12-2010, 08:51 AM
#12
Blaaahhh!!!
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 10
Be honest, I didn't say a word to him about it. I didn't tell him what went wrong, as there is no sense making him feel like crap, and getting the wife all pissy (at him). Fix it and move on...
Appreciate the offer on the pistons, I may hit you up later about them. I first need to pay for the new motor and get it installed. The rebuild will be a winter project.
Appreciate the offer on the pistons, I may hit you up later about them. I first need to pay for the new motor and get it installed. The rebuild will be a winter project.
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