a tip for new builders

[crassius]

many years ago, I was doing a build with engine in frame, but no spark plug in it so I could feed chain thru - continuing the build, I was putting gas tank on and dropped one of the nuts

I immediately realized that I could not start the motor until that nut was found, and looked for quite a while for it with no luck dragging a magnet all around the area & looking under stuff with a flashlight

opened the head and saw piston was down leaving exhaust port open and realized that the tinny sound I heard after the drop, was probably the nut bouncing off the piston into the muffler - took off muffler and turned it upside down and nut fell out and all was good

since then, I always keep a rag over the head while feeding chain and replace plug as soon as chain is on

Yesterday, a poor kid came back with new motor locked up after 20 seconds of run - once I hammered the piston out, the broken pieces looked a bit like one of the lock washers from the gas tank fell in, but it was hard to tell - sold him a brand new motor for $50, since I can sell mag & clutch & side covers and some of the other parts as still new out of the one that was destroyed, but I'll lose hours of labor getting it all out.

short version is:

DO NOT WORK ON THESE WITH THE SPARK PLUG HOLE OPEN

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Good advice, crassius.

I once did something stupid with the spark plug out of the middle cylinder of a Yamaha XS-850 engine. The end result was that a small handful of road debris went right into the spark plug opening.

I knew what had happened the moment it happened. What a horrible feeling as I said to myself, "I have to push my bike into the garage right now. Then I have to learn how to tear down and rebuild an engine. And I have to take the bus to work until I get all of this done!"

Actually, it was a fine learning experience. It's only the fact that I force it upon myself that sticks in my craw.

But I don't keep an open spark plug port anymore!

 

[2door]

Back in the days when cars had carburetors and those big round air cleaners held on with a wingnut, I heard several stories of guys dropping that wingnut down a carb. It was common practice to lay the wingnut on top of the air cleaner and then when the mechanic reached for it to slam it back on in a hurry the wingnut would fall right where you least wanted it to go. Big four barrel carbs would swallow a wingnut with ease and guess where it would end up.

Tom

 

[sbest]

Back in the days when cars had carburetors and those big round air cleaners held on with a wingnut, I heard several stories of guys dropping that wingnut down a carb. It was common practice to lay the wingnut on top of the air cleaner and then when the mechanic reached for it to slam it back on in a hurry the wingnut would fall right where you least wanted it to go. Big four barrel carbs would swallow a wingnut with ease and guess where it would end up.

Tom

I had a brother in law do this with my 1978 Dodge 360 2bbl truck.
Drove it 10 miles with the engine hammering.

I was upset, but after I lucked into and installed a 360 4bbl out of a police car, all was forgiven. Not only would that baby fly, gas mileage was better too!

Good advice, crassius.

I once did something stupid <THE REST SNIPPED>

Whew, I only WISH I could say that...

Steve