Bimota Forum

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

Sooooo I finally started the job to take the engine out my SB6 and check the top end.
I had the engine tunned last year and all was well until about 500miles when I first used it with a bit of fizzz. It developed a tick in the top end at half time to the engine revs.
Anyway all I've done tonight is take the fairings off, drain the coolant and oil.

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oily · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 4788 Location: worcestershire

Not teaching you to suck eggs but have you checked you havn't got a blow from the exhaust headers?
It can sound for all the world like a top end rattle Wink

This has happend to me twice.......
bought a bike cheaply because it needed a top end rebuild which turned out to be a blowing header Wink

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

Yes - when it happened I pulled into a petrol station and that was one of the things I checked but it didn't really sound like that.

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oily · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 4788 Location: worcestershire

Both times I was convinced it was a noisy tappet or cam problem after listning to the engine Wink

one occasion it was a broken header bolt, the other occasion it just required nipping up the header bolts.
Worth checking because it's a cheap fix Wink

Fingers crossed for ya

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

Well I've dropped the oil which needed to be done anyway and because I didn't warm it first and theres a bit of sludge, I think I'll take the sump off and clean it inside. That will mean taking the rad and Downpipes off so if I find a loose bolt I'll take a view before dropping the engine
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Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

Well it's not good news

You can see the dark grey of the vavle stem .... and the bright silver round shape which I think is the valve punched through the head.
I've got a man picking it up on Wednesday evening, he'll tear it down and tell me the news.
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oily · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 4788 Location: worcestershire

Big ouch

Never seen a valve head the wrong side of the seat before.
Not many miles on that engine is there?
did you have any head work done?

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

I don't really want to see that side of the valve at all, yes the head was flowed and it had about 500miles on it.
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sapila racing · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 67 Location: Athens, Greece

That's a shame.
I hope whoever dod the work on the head, will be responsible enough to get it fixed at his own cost.

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

Ha !!!!!!

I doubt that's going to happen.
No offence to the guy but it took foooorking ages to get the engine done (over 6 months), and the best I could hope for would be free labour but because he's a one man band I can see this sinking to the bottom of the pile ..... so I've called the guy I wanted to do the work originally and he's picking the bike up on Wednesday. He'll take the bike rather than the engine strip and sort it. I've got a spare standard head but of course I'd sooner use this one, if it's salvageable.

I'll let you know the reason it let go and report back. Feel free to place your bets.
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bluedog59 · Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 37

That is not good and I would say that head is toast. If one has gone after 500 miles are the rest far behind ? I would have a long chat with the guy that did the head to find out why it has failed if nothing else.

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

I spoke to the man today - not good news.
Luckily I have a spare cylinder head.
I was under the impression the head had been flowed ... turns out otherwise. Cam timing was out and valve tollerances were very wrong. So, what happened - the cam foller on that valve broke, the valve dropped and the rest (as they say) is history.

From here I've asked the man to port the head and rebuild the engine as he see's fit. He'll have a look at the cam and see if it's usable, repairable or toast. Hopefully the other half of the cam foller will show up in the sump.

Hey ho.
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oily · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 4788 Location: worcestershire

And I thought I had problems Crying or Very sad

Question is, who did your cam timing

Evilchicken0 · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 2996 Location: London

Well I know who did it .... but then again I don't know how I can do anything about it. At the end of the day there won't be much come back other than he'll offer to rebuild the engine with free labour .... and would you want that ???? I certainly don't.

I might wander down there and give him a picture of the damage, but as far as anything else is concerned it will be my word against his.
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GeeKay · Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 1767 Location: West Yorkshire

are you doing this on purpose to extend your already extensive media coverage (it's approaching soap opera status on the PB forum) or are you really so unlucky? Very Happy

Top tip to improve viewer ratings - when you get it completed and running sweetly, arrange for an aircraft to crash on your garage...... Wink