Hi again. Trying to fix the bike up after the highside and I keep discovering new things that have gone wrong! Took off the right panel to change the crash bung bracket (GSG, similar to the T3Racing / GB Racing ones) over for a new one. On removing the bracket, I discovered: a) a bit of oil on the inside of the bracket b) a slight indentation in the cam cover where the bracket was resting c) the bolt on the cam cover (behind the bracket) having gone skew-whiff d) the seal around said bolt wet with oil I've ordered a new bolt and seal. Questions: 1. Can I just remove the bolt and seal and replace? Is the bolt doing anything (like holding anything up inside) that I need to worry about? 2. Do I need to worry about the oil? Doesn't seem to have left any puddles anywhere... 3. Do I need to worry about the indentation? If so, is it simple to remove and replace the cam cover, or is it a mechanic jobbie? Thanks Jo
Update: it's the bolt on the cylinder head. Turns out the old bolt yanked on the hole and as a result the hole is skew-whiff and the new bolt is not sitting flat. Found out when I lost half the oil in my engine after a short 20 min ride. Now settled for putting two seals (rather than one) with the new bolt in, and it seems to be holding up ok, but there was a bit of oily residue around after a 40 min ride. No spillage though. Am worried as I'm on track next week so will be riding a bit harder than the last two test rides. Any ideas as to what I can do to repair it? I was thinking putting some silicon there before replacing the seals and the bolt might help, but silicon might create "too much" of a seal and the engine heating up too much. Anyone?
it ain't ideal but i'm sure worse has been done on race bikes, i'd try the silicone and go for plenty of rides before and see how it goes. keep an eye on it throughout your trackday and take the silicone with you. what track you doing
What ever you do be careful with the silicone. In all honesty never use any sort of silicone on the bikes engine. A stray drop can block an oil gallery and end in disaster. People put too much on and lumps fall off into the oil. It creates all sorts of problems. Really you need to heli-coil the thread and make as new. I thought it was your bike that was in Jack Lils with a blown engine Thats what JL told Hazza.
St Marks - yep, nervous! Si - yeah, that was the first incarnation. Engine seized on my first ride out on that bike. Canon Motorcycles were pretty good about it and gave me a full refund, which I used to buy this one from JL. Tis not the thread that is gone; the thread is fine but the bolt hole has been yanked to one side so there is a bit of a lip (and consequently a bit of a gap because the hole is no longer flush).
It may be a bit extreme Jo, but if it were my engine here's what I'd do: Obtain a nut & long high tensile bolt of the same pitch & thread as the one in the casing. Thread the bolt (with the nut already on it, halfway up the thread) into the hole, enough that it is in just as far as the original one. Then lock to that length with the nut. Then use a Butane/Propane mix blowlamp to heat the casing et the point where it has been distorted, at the same time as levering the protruding shaft of the high tensile bolt to square-up the moulding. It's a bit extreme, and you run the risk of damage from warping, so I am NOT recommending that you do it, merely pointing out that I would (/have in similar situations). I could also really scare you about the perils of titanium implants combined with extreme sports, but I'm pretty certain you'll already have been made aware. So best I can say is do take care. Try to restrict Snerton to "just enjoying it" instead of "proving to yourself"! After all you want to be A1 for Portimao, you lucky, lucky, lucky.....
Hm! Does sound extreme so will perhaps only consider this as a final option. Silly question - can this be done whilst the casing is still on the bike? If I have to take it off the bike, wouldn't I be better off getting it machine- fixed by an engineer or something? Will be taking it easy at Snet bone isn't yet healed but I've been out for a short ride already and it seems ok. I deliberately chose not to plate even though that meant more discomfort for longer for that very reason - soft / unhealed bone is less risky than a titanium plate on the track!
Sorry, it's a bit of a "how long's a length of string" question, that one. Best answer is "probably"?? :roll: Seriously though, it depends on too many variables. Firstly my "advice" was a generic response to twisted alloy engine components, which I have used successful many times over the years. In your case the "nose in the robot face" ( ) is the cam chain retainer bolt. It doesn’t actually bolt into the casing at the point where the seal is leaking. If the issue lies with the root at the point where the bolt actually threads in, then my suggestion will not work; You will not be able to heat up the root up enough to manipulate it square again, as the casing is preventing you from accessing it. (although you could try NOT heating the casing, but heating the protruding high tensile bolt, and hoping that the heat transfer along it was enough to soften the root) If the issue lies in the outer casing being damaged where the seal sits, then you would be better using a steel tube that is a loose interference fit into it, again heating up the casing at that point, and using the tube to bring the bearing surface back to square with the back of the bolt. (does that make sense , I know what I mean, but..) Anyway, either of the above are fraught with dangers. So if in doubt hand it over to someone else, so you can blame them for messing up your engine.! (Something I personally am always very reluctant to do, to my loss occasionally, but you learn). Smart decision !
Best plan yet! Oh well, hope the double seal works... will keep an eye on it at Snet and decide afterwards.
