Oven cleaner. Thanks
teaboy Just a tiny bit on a rag was perfect for removing the last stubborn bits of carbon staining on the pistons.
Now for the what I fear is the trickiest part of the engine assembly which is assembling the two crankcase halves together, the last half over 3 pistons. Its the bit that's if not done correctly could at worse break a piston ring. Even the one of the manuals states this...
So I started the process by giving the crank case halves a nice clean over and prep.
Then I got the crank out from its hidy place under the table.
Gave it a good clean and as per advice I double checked for any burrs in the oilway holes. They were spot on. Very nicely finished all over.
Put the crank in the hole...
Note the smallish crank thrust washers...(edit- this is just one of them - there's another on the flywheel side but I couldn't get a pic of that one because the flywheel adaptor hub is in the way)
Rotation direction aside, this is probably the engines weakest spot in terms of being used as car engine, with a manual box that is. Good quality oil with snake oil ptfe treatments and don't sit at an intersection in gear with the clutch depressed etc etc will be the name of the game
However all is not glum because after some extensive bedtime scheming and designing I have a good idea as an extra precaution I might do.
Anyway- back to the build. Now I had to make some special Goldwing specific tools. Firstly are the piston ring compressors. Here's a pic of one of the Honda items ...
Basic and gets the job done. But expensive, especially combined with the other bits and anyway - I like to make as much as I can. I got a bit drainpipe from a local plumpers supplies. It was actually a perfect fit over the piston. Like 10 thou smaller in ID and it wouldn't have gone on. Fluke. Lady couldn't be bothered to charge me anything either
I chopped it into bits...
To machine such flexy plastic rings I needed a support. Luckily I had a lump of thick alloy tube leftover from removing a customers lpg setup. I skimmed it down...
Now I could turn a taper onto the rings and make lots of plastic mess...
The taper locates the compressors into a tapered lead at the base of each cylinder liner on the LH case, so guiding the compressors and stopping the chance they might flex out as the case is lowered down over the pistons heads. I had to get the taper angle just right.
Cut each rings in two. Now for some decent quality velcro. I found a meter pack of one side sticky, the other for sewing. Perfect!
I then bolted the clean, shiny pistons in place. First to go in were the ones for the RH case that the crank is bolted into.
Then the left hand pistons get bolted in place...
More tools. This time some woodwork. I searched in my wood supplies and found a nice lump of Eucalyptus. Firstly two support blocks made to measure according to sizes specified in the manuals. They are used to space the cases at certain stages.
Then a trickier bit which is used to hold the upper most piston straight and in the right location.
In that last pic you will note two white plastic supports for the two lower pistons. Honda sell these as part of the kit. Not cheap either. So I cut up a bit of plastic chopping board to suit. The velcro strips needed wire pulls as like the Honda items. I have no fine wire, or a piano to steal some from. But I have a fishing rod, now with a shorter line.
So it was all set up for the 'big lowering and clamshell manoeuvre'
Oil the bores, the piston CROWNs, carefully lower lh case. The top compressor slid down the piston, rings were inside the bore and the case sat on the upturned blocks. Remove the wooden piston support and then slide compressor down and remove by pulling on the fishing line loops.
Please excuse the lack of photos. I was a combination of being both nervous and satisfied and not thinking camera. Not until the block was over the next two remaining pistons and rings were in place. Then I took some pics...
Plastic chopping board supports removed..
Final two compressors pulled out...
Case faces cleaned one more time, dowels reinserted, 2 new O rings installed, lower surface gets a thin spread of 3 Bond sealant. Case is lowered then all these cleaned and pre-organised bolts go in and get torqued down. Job done. Phew !!!
I had a cup of coffee AND SOME CAKE
Then a little tidy up in preparation of the next stages. Its nice having a break from work and not having customers jobs cluttering up the space. Just the little spare Imp...