mybrainmelted
Just got it firing!
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2011
- Messages
- 8
bought my first bike a bit ago, very clean '79 v50 ii with only 6k orig miles (supposedly the bike used for the road test/photo shoot for september 1980 issue of cycle world). previously it had been sitting in some guys "museum" for 20 or so years in montana, then was bought off ebay by an older (retiree age) gentleman in a wealthy area of scottsdale, arizona. he put up an ad on craigslist, and i checked it out the next day... i was sold the second i laid eyes on it.
the fella i bought it from had kept it about 8 years in the garage, putting 22 miles and $2k worth of work on it from 2 local dealers w/ invoices (new engine seals, oil pump, carb clean/adj, tires, etc.. etc..)
i was an airhead, to be frank. the oil pressure light would come on sometimes at low rpm but go away at higher rev's, i figured the switch was dirty and reading wrong. and im not even sure when he changed the oil last, but the bike started and ran fine, almost perfect even. and the oil color in the engine looked fine. so i basically did nothing to the bike and put 200 miles on it. i had been meaning to get it in the shop for a checkup, but was putting it off.
so on the freeway i was trying to pass someone, and near maxing it out at 90+ mph. the engine made a hell of a racket and shut down. diagnosis from the dealership mechanic said i had melted the plain bearing to the crankshaft, which in turn broke rod bearings.
--- how could this have happened, exactly? the mechanic said the oil pump looked fine (as it should since it was replaced from prev owner).
im curious as to whether me not changing the oil could have affected this.
ive attached some pics the mechanic sent me... third one shows sediment at bottom of sump... could be metal shavings from engine failing? or dirt and grime?
one of the other employees at the shop mentioned something about the possibility of bearings getting rusted over time due to condensation in the oil tank from weather (temperature changes).
i just feel like a bonehead and am wondering if anything i could have done would have prevented this... (short of a total engine tear down and resto)
and where im at now, is that there are no crankshafts or connecting rods available from the factory.
does anyone know where i can find these parts? i may be able to have the crank machined, but the mechanic said the rods were in pretty bad shape and needed to be replaced.
if im unable to find these parts relatively soon, my only other option is to buy a used motor off ebay. id hate to put an engine with 48k on a bike with 6.
any and all feedback/input is greatly appreciated.
the fella i bought it from had kept it about 8 years in the garage, putting 22 miles and $2k worth of work on it from 2 local dealers w/ invoices (new engine seals, oil pump, carb clean/adj, tires, etc.. etc..)
i was an airhead, to be frank. the oil pressure light would come on sometimes at low rpm but go away at higher rev's, i figured the switch was dirty and reading wrong. and im not even sure when he changed the oil last, but the bike started and ran fine, almost perfect even. and the oil color in the engine looked fine. so i basically did nothing to the bike and put 200 miles on it. i had been meaning to get it in the shop for a checkup, but was putting it off.
so on the freeway i was trying to pass someone, and near maxing it out at 90+ mph. the engine made a hell of a racket and shut down. diagnosis from the dealership mechanic said i had melted the plain bearing to the crankshaft, which in turn broke rod bearings.
--- how could this have happened, exactly? the mechanic said the oil pump looked fine (as it should since it was replaced from prev owner).
im curious as to whether me not changing the oil could have affected this.
ive attached some pics the mechanic sent me... third one shows sediment at bottom of sump... could be metal shavings from engine failing? or dirt and grime?
one of the other employees at the shop mentioned something about the possibility of bearings getting rusted over time due to condensation in the oil tank from weather (temperature changes).
i just feel like a bonehead and am wondering if anything i could have done would have prevented this... (short of a total engine tear down and resto)
and where im at now, is that there are no crankshafts or connecting rods available from the factory.
does anyone know where i can find these parts? i may be able to have the crank machined, but the mechanic said the rods were in pretty bad shape and needed to be replaced.
if im unable to find these parts relatively soon, my only other option is to buy a used motor off ebay. id hate to put an engine with 48k on a bike with 6.
any and all feedback/input is greatly appreciated.
