GETTING LUCKY!

Second post of the day!

I went back to working on our TLR200 engine, I just have to share this with you as it is something we see on a regular basis. The title of this post could say "HOW TO KILL A HONDA" or "WANTED CAM AND HEAD!" We are asked for cams and heads at least once a week because they are trashed from lack of oil. This is most often caused be the use of the wrong type of sealer or coating a gasket with it.

Silicone sealers are good for some things but they are not good for your Honda. As you can see in the first picture there is a great deal of squeeze out (or in). This excess sealer can break free and lodge itself in an oil passage causing catastrophic damage, usually to the head and cam.

Sealers are available in a more liquid form that were designed for this application. They are available from us, Honda, Yamaha or most bike shops.

So why do I think we were so lucky? Take a look at this next picture.



Yes that is a perfect mould of the passage that provides oil to the cam. We feel very fortunate that the one who worked on this engine last did not know how to properly install the cam chain tensioner. The engine jumped time and would not start, so they were unable to damage it, no matter how hard it seems they were trying!

Bottom line! If you see a silicone base sealer has been used on your engine, take it apart and repair it properly. If all you have is a silicone based sealer in your toolbox, don't use it for this application, go get the right sealer for the job.
You may not be so lucky!