Geoff Hastings wrote:I can't see why aluminium brazing won't work or even take the case to a competent aluminium welder, I've had magnesium cases welded successfully after so called specialists told me it couldn't be done. Changing just the top half of the casing may be a no go as usually cases are bolted together and then line bored making them a pair. If you do end up getting it welded you should bolt the fully stripped cases together to help avoid distorting one half of the casing.
1966 CB77 Restoration Project
The cases for these 250/305 HONDA engines were not line bored and you CAN use any top to any bottom as the casting/machine work is that good. ......................lm
Sorry to hear that. Thankfully it wasn't worse. Heal up! Seadog
Sorry to see that you hurt yourself. I've been thinking of building myself myself an 'engine crane' as I had a similar accident last year. G
'60 C77 '60 C72 '62 C72 Dream '63 CL72
'61 CB72 '64 CB77 '65 CB160 '66 Matchless 350 '67 CL77 '67 S90 '77 CB400F Thank you both, Geoff & LM for info about brazing/welding and cases. I haven't given the case problem much thought as I've been trying to free those stuck pistons, but I'll have to get to it sooner or later. Now I have a broken head fin to add to the pot.
Thanks to jkv357 and G-Man for your kind words. I'm healing up. The stitches came out today, so my rugged good looks are preserved. The inside of my mouth is a bit sore and swollen, but healing quickly. I spent some hours today working on the motor. I split the cases and stripped out everything. In the gunk around the oil pump I found the kick start pawl, spring and cap and an as yet unidentified piece of aluminum. It almost looks like a piece of fin. I'll figure out what it was at some point. The transmission gears look good at first glance, except for first gear on the start spindle. The teeth on the starter side are very worn and it should be replaced. I made up a frame of landscape timbers to support and hold the top crankcase and cylinders and tried once again to free the pistons with a 4 lb. sledge hammer and blocks of wood. No movement at all of the pistons or crankshaft. I'm just splintering wood. I'm thinking a piece of pipe might be required to replace the wooden blocks. But I'm also wondering if it's more than stuck pistons. When I was removing the shift drum, I found the shift forks to be solidly stuck, even though neither they nor the shift drum were rusted. They were coated with dried oily mess that stuck like glue. I applied PB Blaster, tapped them lightly with a small piece of wood and they slowly freed up. The same dried oily mess is all over the crankshaft weights and piston rod ends and I'm wondering if it's part of the problem. In case it is, I've flipped the case over and liberally applied PB to the sides of the rod ends. If I could just get a little movement they'd be free. More work on the mess tomorrow. Any thoughts on freeing those pistons would be appreciated. I really don't want to get into cutting the sleeves or drilling the tops of the pistons if I don't have to.
stuck enginesIt is hard to comprehend how strong the rust scale can be but it is. I once bought six stuck engines and began the laborious task of tearing them down. In some cases they came apart quite easily. The extreme case was one that just would not budge. I was determined to separate the parts so I suspended the whole eng/trans above the floor by a chain wrapped around the block. I have a 1 3/8 socket that fits in the cylinders. Next came the 6 lb maul to drive the piston loose. The rust was so stubborn that the top flange broke off and I drove the sleeve out of the block on both holes. On yet another the next better alternative was the drill. I haven't tried it but a hole in the top and a saws-all out to steel would relieve the pressure enough to get movement. Likely as not you will probably need to re sleeve any way you go. Just some food for thought. Good luck Dog, Rusty
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
