Topic: Oil pan bolt fell out, destroyed my engine after 2 miles

[choppergirl]

I just did an regular oil change on my motorbike, and the next day, after driving 25 miles the oil pan bolt rotated itself out from vibration.  !@#$%^  (I swear to god I tightened in there, and have been cursing ever since that they don't put Cotter pins in these things to keep them from spinning out.  My poor beloved 25 year old motorbike that ran like a swiss watch, in the space of less than 5 minutes is now shot out.  And all because I thought I was doing a good thing for it, giving it a nice oil change.)


Two miles further after where I assume the bolt fell out, I noticed a clicking sound coming from the engine (probably the camshaft not getting enough oil) and I shut the engine off immediatly, only to discover what had happened real quick. 

I trekked back 2 miles to find the bolt, but only found the oil puddle where I had parked the bike at a taco bell.  If only I had seen it then :-(  Bought a replacement bolt of right threads at auto parts store and oil, trekked back, refilled, and rode home.

Now my bike belches out white smoke out the right exhaust pipe and eats through oil.  I'm guessing the rings are shot or the cylinder has been scarred, and / or the camshaft also wore out some from heat/friction.  Which means I need to rebuilt the engine.

Everything I read on rebuilding engines, is complicated and involved as hell and so incredibly far out of my league.  I can do everything else to maintain a motorbike, but I don't know a thing about rebuilding engines.  What should I do?  It looks like a nightmare in understanding physics and mechanics.


I consider my motorbike out of action of course, and maybe the best thing I can do is save up money and buy a whole used replacement used engine off of ebay.  Just replace the whole thing as a single unit, as I don't understand or have the tools to work on the stuff that is on the inside.

:-(


So depressed. 

[fastbroshi]

  Oh that is horrible, I'm sure we all feel for you.  You've most certainly starved some rotating pieces of some oil and this probably caused the bearings to heat up, expand, and get carved out by thousandths.  Since you admit to not having the means to rebuild I'd say yes another motor is in your future.

  My buddy and I were riding one day, me on the CB550 and he on his R1, he did the same thing.  He'd just changed his oil and swore he'd tightened it after he backtracked to get his bolt.  Luckily I don't think he killed his motor, how I don't know.  Maybe he did as he sold it soon thereafter. 

   What bike, by the way?

[cookindaddy]

Bummer!

I know it is too late, but you have just illustrated the importance of using a torque wrench to get bolts to the recommended tightness.

I've had a few bolts come loose and lost a few, but not the oil plug, fortunately. I've also broken a few by over-tightening.

I bought inexpensive torque wrenches (small and medium) and I make a point now of looking at Honda's recommendations in the manual.

I don't suppose I should be encouraging you to rebuild the engine at this stage. +1 on the advice from fastbroshi. Maybe when you get your bike back on the road might be the time to tear into your damaged motor as a learning thing? There's looks of help here in the forum for you.

[Dr.VanNostrin]

Hey Choppergirl

I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your bike. I would really like to help. Could you tell me a little bit about your ride. What make, model, and year please. Also, what are you thinking about in terms of repair? If you change your own oil, that means to me that you might like to turn wrenches? Is that right??

It was a very good idea for you to shut the engine down when you heard the unusual noise. You may have saved the bottom end of the engine. But I'm sorry to say that you likely killed the pistons and the bore. The cam/cams maybe ok.... But I wouldn't count on it...

So.... Let me know what you would like to do. I'm pretty good with the two wheelers.

Take care.

Don't be too sad. It can be fixed.

Denis


www.barbermuseum.org

[cb650PK]

Sorry, that certainly blows big time, and getting used engine is probably the fastest and cheepest way. What bike?

[Hush]

I've always wondered if that stuff they put in car engines (motor-up) would work on our bikes?
You see the advert where they remove all the oil from the car engine then run it and it doesn't seize!
Sorry about your bike, tell the forum what your bike is and maybe we can help with some real advice on repairs/parts/help/etc.

[Uncle Ernie]

You have no idea what's going on with an engine you get on eBay.  I don't care what he says.  If you try to do as much work as possible, you will learn a lot, but it will take months.  Or more. 
If you leave your bike at a shop, it will cost a lot more, but you should be riding the bike in 3 weeks.

[Alan F.]

I'd avoid an engine from ebay too, maybe one of us has a useable engine for sale not too far from your location, but nobody knows what bike you've got.....it'd really help to know.