Had my 440 kit on for 3 days and had problems. Would like some advice.

I was riding in high heat weather, running 93 octane with 11:1 compression piston. No signs of detonation and wasn't riding real hard. Well all of the sudden i heard the sound of scraping for a second than a phewwwww. The motor stalled and I noticed a small bit of oil coming out of the head gasket. So i didn't try to start it again just took it home.

After pulling the motor apart i noticed 3 of the 4 head bolts were now pretty loose (little more than hand tight). The head gasket is in good coniditon. I then noticed the cylinder has scoures marks on it and so does the piston. These marks are on the intake side of the cylinder and are only about 1" wide but go all the way up and down the cylinder. The cylinder doesn't appear to be gouched very bad, just some marks up and down it from the piston.

Anyone know what could of happened? I could post pictures of the cylinder and piston if it would help. The plug seemed good with tan color to it. One other thing, the bike has smoked white smoke since I put the kit in. But I couldn't figure out why. I could of been the valve seals, since I didn't replace them when i did the kit (and the motor ingested dirt which is what wore out the cylinder before i put this kit) so maybe the dirt wore out the valve seals also.

My stepdad thinks we should first hone the cylinder to see if the marks from the pistons are just light, but I think maybe I should just take it to a machine shop and have them bore it. The hone marks from when i installed the kit are still clearly visible, so the cylinder seems in good shape except for where the piston contacted it.

Anyone know why this could of happen? Low oil? Poor gas? Head bolts just loosened up and caused it?

 

sounds to me like you didn't do your rings right. And maybe on popped out and caused the damage.

Maybe your oil rings were in wrong?

thats my 2 cents

 

I agree with Aaron I'm pretty sure it was your rings too. Next time you put your engine back together (i know i'm gonna get roosted on but this is what my engine builder does and told me to do) put just a dab of oil on the stud threads. Not a lot just enough to coat them because he told me you get a more accurate torque reading from them. I've done it before and he is right.

 

the only thing I can think of that would of been messed up with the oil rings is there was a piece of wire that went 1/4 way around on the middle oil ring. It appeared to just keep the ring together while in shipping. We took that wire out. Everything was followed by the book for the rings.

 

If you removed that wire from you oil ring - You just found out your problem.

 

that wire was supposed to be there what posesed to take it out? that is what holds the ring on

 

xc is right you dont remove that wire ....plus you need to replace your valve stem seal's ,hondas run hot ,they harden quickly ..also when you install the cam ,remove the decomprestion assembly..unneeded ...my 2 cent's

 

really,,that wire seemed fragile. It only went around the ring about 1/4 of the way, and fitted in holes in the middle of the ring (sorta appeared to hold the ring together) So we were suppose to put the ring on and then insert the wire through the opening part of the ring that would be touching together when on the piston?

What does this small wire do?

 

not you dont take it out to install it what you do is pull the ring apart and put it over the piston and slide it down when you pull it apart dont pull it so far that the wire pops out just far wnough so the ring can be lowered into thr ring groove and the secondary oil rings are next one goes on top of the thing with the wire and the other goes underneith it what this wire does is it holds the ring together and keeps it from expanding to far and messing stuff up hope i helped i recenlty have rebuilt my motor so i know ok

 

well thanks for clarifying that up for me. I cant believe the instruction said nothing about that wire and the 400ex manual mentions nothign about it cause they dont have it on their oil ring.

I guess thats why i was losing oil and what blew up my motor?