Hitchcocks Forum

Hi guys I have 2002 classic deluxe 500 Bullet had it since May and done the usual servicing and personal mods and done 955 miles, really enjoyed the experience of owning a Bullet.


Today I took out the front crankcase plug and found this on the mesh filter its magnetic and .29 mm thick,




So I drained the oil through the second plug found nothing on the mesh but found these in the oil.




Having drained the oil I removed the third magnetic plug which was covered in black sludge and this was there as well, it looks foil


The oil was black and seemed rather thick (20/50 Valvoline mineral) and I could see fine metal dust in it, the bike doesn't seem any noisier than when I first got it, I would appreciate all views.
Steve

the foil is from a oil bottle top by looks of it the small half circle could be just a bit of thread from drain plug hole in crankcase if it alloy non metallic. Have any of the drain holes been fitted with inserts by previous owner have a good look underneath.

the first is probably a piece of thread from somewhere.



second have no measurement, but a from the grain of the paper.

the size it seems to big to pass through the pumps.

hence i doubt i comes form the crank bush.



third is way to big to pass true the pumps, is probably a piece of casing which came loose.



you can find al kinds in these engines.

for example ones found a 5/16 nut in the crank chamber from an engine that was not previously openend.

must of had to many in the factory i suppose, so they threw an extra on in there.

That should of read. The small half circle could be just a bit of thread from an insert on one of the drain plug holes in crankcase if its not alloy and metallic. Have any of the drain holes been fitted with inserts by previous owner have a good look underneath.

Thanks for the replies here are some more pics with the head off hopefully will post some better pics of the barrel tomorrow if I get time to take it off, there is play in the piston I could get a .60 mm feeler gauge in between the piston and bore, there is no noticeable lip at the top but there s some light scoring

Oh yes and there weren't any metal in the filter

Sorry to be the bearer of sad tidings, but they are pieces of old shattered piston.





The bits of metal that you have found had a 1000 similar friends of varying sizes who were blasted through the main-bearings when the piston shattered.


The 500's are renown for shattering their OEM piston; the piston flexes, the oil-ring wears, then shatters, and the crown separates from the skirt at the Oil-ring groove. That there are bits of piston still inside the crankcase tells that the crankcases were not stripped and cleaned to remove ALL the alloy fragments, and in all probability, you can expect premature failure of the main bearings, timing side in particular.

Hi Tim thanks for your reply, so truth of the matter seems a full strip? Would it possible that big end should be ok or is it usually that you replace everything? Steve

bit of piston wil look like this, when you find them in the crank chamber.



there rounded and polished due to the washing machine action from the crank, in a manner of speaking.

Managed to get the barrel off today and it has a +20 piston, are the marks on the front and seizing or wear, all three rings have 0.80mm gap measured at the top, middle and bottom. I take it that the piston is scrap, I can't feel any movement on the small end or big end, but as Tim said it looks as though it's had a previous blowup and really it all needs to come apart. The bore has some light scratches, with the ring gaps does it look as though it needs a reborn? Here are the pics
Managed to get the barrel off today and it has a +20 piston, are the marks on the front and seizing or wear, all three rings have 0.80mm gap measured at the top, middle and bottom. I take it that the piston is scrap, I can't feel any movement on the small end or big end, but as Tim said it looks as though it's had a previous blowup and really it all needs to come apart

. I appreciate all replies as this is my first with a rebuild.