hondafox440
06-26-2003, 07:17 AM
Gah, a big bore kit from hell. First, we (my dad and I) buy the big bore kit, with plans to do everything ourselves. So the kit comes, and we pull the cylinder and drop it off at a machine shop to have the new sleeve pressed in. They get it in and it looks fine, so we start reassembling the top end. Then, as we were sliding the cylinder down, one of the rings popped out and the cylinder came down crooked (and my dad kept forcing it, we didnt notice the ring had come out), and the sleeve cracked. After an attempt to fix it, we bought a new sleeve and dropped the cylinder off at a different machine shop to have it done. They tell us the first sleeve was incorrectly pressed in, and the shop ground the base down too much and it wasnt level. The good news was "we would be all set if we ran 2 base gaskets". So, we reassemble the engine, rejet, and try to start it up. We can't get it going, so we tear it down again and double check everything, then reassemble. The engine wasn't getting spark. My father is an electrical engineer, so he went off on a tangent checking the whole wiring system, replaced half the wires and got ready to replace the coil before my mom noticed the tether switch was disconnected. My dad will never hear the end of that one. So we put it together and start it up, and after about 15-20 minutes of run time, hardly above idle, the head gasket blows. My dad decided to use some of that gasket maker on both sides of the head gasket in order to make it seal better so we figured that was what blew it. Well, it wasn't, the actual gasket blew. So we replaced it and tried to get the quad started again but it wouldn't go. Sounded like a fuel problem, so I cleaned the whole crab out several times to no avail. Finally, we got so fed up we dropped the quad off at a local race shop (Robbs Racing Engines). Well a week later we get a call saying that the cylinder would probably have to be replaced since it was ground down too much by both machine shops. But then he thought it over, and had a special copper base gasket made in addidtion to 2 regular base gaskets. The we also had the heavy duty studs installed since all of you know how weak the stockers are. So anyways, after a month at Robbs, it is coming home today. I haven't rode it since December, so I can't wait. I'll post some pictures and give you a ride report after we get it home and broken in. Man, I hope it runs and stays running.. lol.