WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! It LIVES!

[gui_tarzan]

I am doing a happy dance like you wouldn't believe right now! I finally got this engine to fire, except it ROARED (just for a half second) when I was just looking for a bark!!! LOL!!!

Damn, I'm tickled pink!

[cywelchjr]

Ain't that the biggest grin creating experience (next to things we don't talk about on a family friendly site) you've ever had?

[gui_tarzan]

OMG yes. lol!

Now that I know it runs I can start looking at maintenance items for the engine. I see three bad exhaust valve stem seals, they're leaking into the cylinders so it's time for those. I'll check the chain and adjuster, anything else on the top end to look for? I didn't hear any noises in the bottom end while cranking or with it's short burst of running so I think I'll leave that alone for now.

[cywelchjr]

OMG yes. lol!

Now that I know it runs I can start looking at maintenance items for the engine. I see three bad exhaust valve stem seals, they're leaking into the cylinders so it's time for those. I'll check the chain and adjuster, anything else on the top end to look for? I didn't hear any noises in the bottom end while cranking or with it's short burst of running so I think I'll leave that alone for now.

Before you go there, get the (I think I used motor honey) seal revitalizer from your auto parts store, about half the bottle (I figure it out based on crankcase volume compared to the cars it was intended for) and run it for an oil change. If they are not damaged but are just dried out (which can often be the case) this stuff will often fix them right up and stop them from leaking. It's part of my standard "put an old engine in service" routine anymore, as it has saved me from changing out seals so many times. It's really the same stuff they put in the oil to keep the seal soft and pliable, just more of it, to deal with seals that have hardened either from sitting dry or from age and abuse.

[BA80]

Before you go there, get the (I think I used motor honey) seal revitalizer from your auto parts store

I don't know how good that will be for the clutch Cy. It may not play nice with a wet clutch.

[cywelchjr]

I don't know how good that will be for the clutch Cy. It may not play nice with a wet clutch.

I used it on the engine I've got in the bike now, and I don't baby it. Almost 20,000 miles and the clutch works just fine. 10,000 miles on the engine that came out, and I'd used it on that one too, and that clutch pack showed no problems whatsoever, other than the slight slippage that it had even before the treatment. So based on this being something I use, and have not had any trouble with my clutch (no slippage, no grabbing etc) I feel pretty confident that it's not going to cause a problem. It's not a friction modifier, it a seal and gasket revitalizer, the same stuff that oil already has in it, even the MC specific stuff has this stuff it in, as it's what keeps the seals from drying out and cracking in 20,000 miles. This basically is like a tetanus shot for the seals, and seems from what I've seen, it's only needed once on an engine that has sat for a long time (by long time I mean several years) and it WON'T fix cracked or otherwise damaged seals, only those that are hard and dry, anything else it will NOT fix, I've not seen this stuff make them swell, at least not beyond where they were normally be if they've shrunk from being dry. I've seen the stuff not work, and I know mechanics hate the stuff, cause it's not "doing things the right way" but if it can keep you from having to pull the head, and stops the oil burning by making the seals work again, and doesn't damage the clutch, then IMHO I feel it's a good thing. BTW, I would NOT recommend it for regular use like the bottle says (it says to use it every other oil change, if you need it that often then the seals DO need replaced) but if a single treatment fixes the problem and keeps it away, it probably just fixed it faster than just normal operation, and may have prevented damage to the seals by softening them before then cracked.

I know I'm just an amateur mechanic, but I have rebuilt enough engines to have seen that often the problem with valve seals on engines that sat is they dried out and shrunk away from the valve stem and don't wipe it anymore. If this stuff can soften it back up and have it work again, what's the harm, and if it doesn't work, your out what, 6 bucks or so and a few weeks, and if it's going to work, it has always done so in a week or so of riding.

Think, even if it only buys the rest of the summer, then he can work on it over the winter instead of during riding season.

[justme1100]

I have been using STP oil additive and have never had a problem with the clutch slipping or sticking.

[Douglas Money]

It is fuel oil in a can. Kerosene or fuel oil will swell the seals. STP is just a thickening agent it doesn't help the seals just thickens the oil.