So this past weekend I pulled the heads, split the case and removed the crank, rods, pistons, and tranny. The front piston was collapsed and the bore didn’t fare much better.

Rear cylinder was in better shape but the piston was starting to show signs of collapse and the bore was scratched, though no to the same degree as the front.

Enjoy the carnage

Front Piston and Cylinder

Rear Piston and Cylinder

 

Is that burned piston from a bad tune? What could have caused it? The bike certainly looks well maintained and not heavily modified....

 

I’m trying to work through that myself. Here’s what I know.

I picked the bike up with 4K on it June 2013. The dealer who sold me the bike never checked it out and told me the bike had low mileage and looked well maintained so therefore didn’t require an inspection. From day 1 it blew copious amounts of oil into the air box about 1 Cup every hundred miles. The dealer wouldn’t fix the problem so I started working through it myself.

The bike came with a basterdized exhaust, the factory pipe cut off and a big hideous can welded on the end along with no fuel tuner (lean condition?). At 6K mi after purchase I put on a D&D along with a TTS Mastertune and had it dyno tuned by a reputable shop in Denver. Bike was still spewing oil at this point and I continued to slowly work through different components to try and isolate the problem.

This year at 9K mi I got off the freeway and the bike simply died at the stop light. I ran through more test before preforming a compression test that came back with 130-150PSIG this was the first time I performed a compression test on the bike. After I threw a little WD40 into the cylinder, the pressure spiked to 225PISG thus prompting this rebuild to replace the rings, but I never imagined this when I cracked the motor.

So did the reputable shop put a not so reliable tune on the bike or was the problem there from the start and I somehow prolonged the inevitable? I don’t know, but

 

Sounds like the damage was done before you got it. Either way, sorry for your luck.

 

I wonder if it ever had a nitrous kit on it ... too much juice, too much timing, not enough fuel would make the piston melt like that...

 

Talked with Scott Fitzgerald this afternoon and its possible the motor was turboed at some point due to the presence of some Trask insignias all over the motor.

Lean conditions could definitely be explained by someone playing with the boost pressure and not tuning the motor.

 

That would explain a lot ... not enough fuel, too much timing, too much boost = melted pistons from detonation and/or too much combustion chamber temps because of the above.

I've got a piston on my desk (from the my turbocharged Grand National) that looks very similar from a failed second fuel pump on a high boost pass at the track (combined with wheelsman and over rev).

 

Hello.
I'm wondering if any of you fine street rodders can provide me with a decent photo or two of the fuse box held inside the bracket and a picture of just the bracket.

I'm taking my frame to the welder Friday and would like to provide them with a reference with which to repair my broken fuse box bracket.
Thanks

 

Frames done, motor still in pieces.

 

Interesting back story - hope the rebuild goes well dime bag.

I like the body coloured paint on the frame btw: the original light grey just never looks right on dark coloured bikes to me.

 

Looks nice. Go with the 1250 kit. I have and it is worth it! Joe

 

If you're going in, which obviously you are, I would go bigger than 1250. Not much of an upgrade over the 1130 and the cost well worth it. I think there is one around 1340 or so. I know for sure there is a 1430, but not nessesarily recommending going that big, however........ You don't open her up all that often.

Good luck with the build, make it fun, to me, that's a big percentage of the fun of owning a bike.

 

Thanks!

My plan with the motor is a 1400 just debating between a 1402 and a 1487.

 

If it was a Turbo, that is extra heat in the front cylinder.

Most likely stayed in boost way to long which created the extra heat.

I had a front piston that melted the lands together but did not damage the piston top.
The sides where pitted really bad.

Mine was tuned pretty good. Just operator error having to much fun.

If you are going to do just Big Bore the sky is the limit. If you want a racing engine check out Vreelands web page.

If you plan on doing a power added I would not build nothing over 1302.

If you want to spend tons of money a Low compression motor is needed for anything bigger then 1302.

something to think about. Plan ahead and get pricing Most importantly once you have your plan stay with it . Making changes mid stream can up the cost big time.


Love the vrod in traction. That is how I did mine the first time. Moved up from there now.

 

If you want to spend tons of money a Low compression motor is needed for anything bigger then 1302.

something to think about. Plan ahead and get pricing Most importantly once you have your plan stay with it . Making changes mid stream can up the cost big time.

Just out of curiosity what, besides the power adder and custom low comp pistons , are the additional expenses for building a low compression, big bore motor?

As i've been reading and talking with folks, one of the biggest differences between building a 1402 and 1487 is that with a 1487 the transmission becomes a limiting factor. The 1402 can be build on the edge, but within the tolerance of the stock transmission. The 1487 on the other hand requires additional components like output shaft support bearing, gearing reworked beyond a straight cut 2nd gear, and the dog ears to be reworked for better lock up, as the NA1487's power output will exceed the limits of the stock transmission.

This is just an example but i'm drawing this comparison trying to determine where the component limits are, and as you said find a plan and stick to it.

 

I love carnage , except my wallet. I have melted pistons from my RZ350 racebike for ash trays in the garage ;-)

 

FYI after reading the rest of the thread those pistons look just like the RZ pistons (2 stroke engine) running on the ragged edge of too lean. Not sure what was on your mill prior but that isn't "stock" damage for sure. You're a nice guy to not tear the dealer a new a-hole on this sale imho.

John

 

You're a nice guy to not tear the dealer a new a-hole on this sale imho.

John

Everyone's gotta eat, besides when all this happened I was looking for a project bike just didn't have to look to far.

Recent progress

 

Nice work on the rehab.....

 

Dimebag, I see the thread is older, but I'm wondering how your rebuild went.
What did you end up deciding to do for the engine?

 

Rebuild went great. I moved +2000 miles for work so the need became to get the bike road worthy asap. I swapped in a used 07 AW motor and have been puttering around on that for a while now. It’s given me time to amass parts including some goodies like a falicon full circle billet crank 3/8” stroke with pistons and rods, jones cams, built heads, slow steady progress towards rebuilding the original motor. It’s going to take far longer to build the bike I want but for the mean time I can motor around town on the AW motor.

Earlier this year got my D&D welded with exhaust bungs and swapped the factory ECM for a Daytona Twin Tec VRFI4. Didn’t realize how bad my tune with the AW motor was until a I Dyno’ed it and had a slight panic attack. Now a days it's running great and a lot more fun.

Had a recent set back in the last month with a 14yo delinquent who decided to sit on the bike, couldn’t handle the weight and dropped it into a pole. Kid’s mom is a great person and getting the airbox replaced along with one other cosmetic piece that was damaged, which was the only damage sustained thanks to that pole. No damage to the power coated frame, id of lost my mind if that happened.

Other then driving around with a big ass dent in the air box the bike is still a work in progress.

 

Another great reason not to have kids.

Nice build, sorry to hear the scumbag dealer wouldn't nut up. That's why I buy EVERYTHING with a credit card and or pursue such jerks through my state's office of consumer affairs, especially on a business.

 

Dimebag, looks like things were going well......until Yikes! Shite happens!
Hey any idea where that custom trunk like unit is from that replaced the passenger seat on your bike?
Hope you were able to get the bike fixed up again and continue on with the engine build!
keep the StreetRod alive!
Cheers
Tom

 

Dimebag, looks like things were going well......until Yikes! Shite happens!
Hey any idea where that custom trunk like unit is from that replaced the passenger seat on your bike?
Hope you were able to get the bike fixed up again and continue on with the engine build!
keep the StreetRod alive!
Cheers
Tom

It's a Corbin Smuggler trunk. < unobtanium :banghead:

 

Yea figured that was probably the "case". pardon the pun.

 

Aye. Corbin smugglers trunk. Bikes still alive and parts are still being acquired when permitted. Painfully slow but steady progress

 

http://i.imgur.com/f3SKKLi.jpg
what madel air breather you got there?
I really like that
I assume you must run topless with it ??

 

Motohooligan: http://www.motohooliganperformance.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=81

 

ouch almost 500 for an air cleaner ?
I can make one for less in my shop and probably will.
I dont see why MC parts are always on the high end of the dollar.

 

A Hooligan cleaner deserves a transparent airbox cover..
Wonder why nobody started a small scale production?
Showing off plenums too...

 

So a quick little update and a treat of whats to come.

So 2018 was a decent year, head and transmission were sent out for the Fitzgerald treatment. Race ready heads and a fully built transmission, not just the straight cut 2nd gear but a full build reputed to handle 300hp.

definitely needed to accommodate this.

No too many pictures of this gorgeous machined art as its will get buried deep in the motor.

This year i plan to punch the block, add pistons and rods (of bigger diameter than those shown), then machine everything to fit.
i personally will not be machining but a well known V-rod builder will.

Don't know if 2019 will be my year but i'm inching painstakingly close...

On a side note, i picked up a side project, stupidly cheap from a co-worker who just couldn't dedicate the time.
I enjoy taking shit apart so there's no money lost for my time.

plan to use the funds from flipping this to assist with my Street Rod build.

https://imgur.com/a/fowPUMS