Boats For Sale:
Disaster!! |
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Tomski 
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Joined: October-19-2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 227 |
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 Topic: Disaster!!Posted: April-10-2007 at 5:14am |
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Being good and thought I'd gap the plugs yesterday before starting to use the boat this year. PO said they were new at the end of last season and they looked it - gaps a bit off though. Got to the 7th plug and put the socket on it and light pressure (3/8 ratchet) and snap!!! Lots of swearing and cursing.
So now the head is off and going to the shop today, hopefully get the gasket set this week and get it back on next weekend. I should have stuck to "if it ain't broke don't fix it" |
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Posted: April-10-2007 at 5:57am |
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Did the plug break or did the threads strip? I've encountered striped treads in aluminum but never heard of breaking a plug. The way you described it it sounded like the plug broke.
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Tomski
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Posted: April-10-2007 at 6:29am |
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Yep, snapped in two! external part and electrode came out and the rest stayed in the head.
I had always assumed that the metal part of the plug was all one piece, but it looks like the insulator is "glued" to the threaded part. I was too mad to look at it carefully and in a hurry to get it stripped down and the head off. I'll have a better look tonight. I have seen them break before with too much force, but not like this and not with one hand on a 3/8 ratchet. Clearly I don't realise my own strength. |
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Posted: April-10-2007 at 7:27am |
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Tom, This sounds stupid but can't you get a easy-out in it? You have to pull the head?
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Tomski
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Posted: April-10-2007 at 8:19am |
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Is an easy out a stud extractor - sort of backwards threaded thing that tightens as you try and undo? If so, no - tried it and it would have snapped that too. I was also worried about dropping bits of metal into the bore from it as well.
Head is off now and the shop have just rung to say they've got the bit out and think it must just have been a weak plug because it wasn't very tight. Just waiting for gaskets now. I thoungt about doing a bit of a recon on the heads, but I think I'll just get it back together and use it. |
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JoeinNY
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Joined: October-19-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5698 |
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Posted: April-10-2007 at 9:07am |
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Yes to once again break the commandment of if it ain't broke don't fix it so soon after your last reminder would definitely be tempting fate, make sure the push rods all go back in the same place and you use a good torque wrench/sequence on the head bolts and we will see you on the water.
I was once given a honda goldwing because years ago the owner had broken a spark plug in the head, removed the head to have it removed, got it removed and then never put the bike back together again. Quickest 2000 I ever made was clean the tanks and carbs, free up the brakes, assemble and get that thing running again, was sold by the next weekend. Moral of the story.. get it back together and in use as soon as possible |
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mackwrench
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Joined: February-25-2005 Location: Gone Status: Offline Points: 190 |
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Posted: April-11-2007 at 12:06am |
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Get some Neverseize for the replacement plugs....
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NO LONGER A MEMBER
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Tomski
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Posted: April-11-2007 at 4:40am |
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Joe, my father has a kawasaki in his garage that suffered the same fate as your goldwing - head came off about 15 years ago to do the cam bearings and it's never gone back on!
Picked the head up on my way to work this morning, gaskets should arive today. So I'll make a start on putting it back together tonight. Might even get it wet at the weekend. Mack, the plugs will definitely be copperslipped before they go back in, but I don't think it was actually siezed. The thread is good, no corrosion or distortion,. I think it must have been overtightened at some point or it was just a weak plug. |
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Tomski
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Posted: April-16-2007 at 5:15am |
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Got it all back together yesterday.
Took ages to get the dist back in and I was convinced the timing would be way off, but it started up almost instantly from stone cold, no choke just a couple of presses on the accel pump. Will check the timing tonight. Bit annoyed to have missed out on a fantastic weekend weatherwise, but I guess the water will still be cold. Better to get the problems out of the way now I suppose. |
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