A grown man cries....

[Arfur_Guiness]

undo small bolts inside the camchain tunnel first, then all of the head bolts.

guess you've taken on board the lessons learnt (the hard way) but mind you don't drop those little feckers down the hole! It can sometimes be useful to jam a snot load of grease up the socket - holds the bolt in place whilst withdrawing. Plenty of paper towelling/ rag stuffed into open holes has saved my butt a few times too!

Just recently lost a CCT on the front cylinder of my Storm and I feel your pain. I count myself very lucky to have got away with no damage but dropped the head off to be sure. Absolutely hate performing "open heart surgery" in situ, the luxury of a nice clean work bench is preferable but hey, needs must.
and I'm too bloody old for crawling around on my knees! What I wouldn't give for one of them hydraulic lifty jobbies....

There was a cheap engine on Fleabay in Cambridge that had headgasket problem on rear cylinder - might be good source of valves/ pistons or whatever? Dunno how close that is to you....

Any hoo - good luck, hope the damage is not too bad.
Bart

[sonofpat1969]

Still not had a chance to have a look yet.... hoping by mid week will have been able to get head off and maybe swapped (royal mail willing).... As I said above.... I am feeling a lot more confident with mechanical jobs on the firestorm.... so in an odd way its done me a favour (Christ I must be feeling optimistic) .... am looking forward to riding rather than fixing tho.
One more question; should I be able to buy valve shims over the counter? And where should I be looking ...motorbike dealer... car spares shop...? Or i need to get them mail order..?
Once again thanks for all the help/support ... without this site I would have been well and truly in the sticky stuff!

[tony.mon]

You can order from your dealer, they might even have some in stock. The correct size (9.48mm diameter) also fits a number of other mnfrs, Triumph for one.

But they're also on EBlag, you bid on the number you need and then tell them the sizes you need.

The Haynes manual sets out the measuring process fairly clearly, but you need a metric micrometer or vernier, if you're going to buy one a cheap digital vernier is only a tenner.

Or you PM Benny Hedges and he'll sell you some from his sets, which I have at the moment but could post out.

[sonofpat1969]

Thanks (again) .... there's a triumph dealership nearby in Leicester.... and a Honda dealership Notts or Derby way.. I will have a phone around. Also got a Maplins just down the road, so should be able to pick up some cheapish electronic calipers .

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

[Jazzscot]

Thanks (again) .... there's a triumph dealership nearby in Leicester.... and a Honda dealership Notts or Derby way.. I will have a phone around. Also got a Maplins just down the road, so should be able to pick up some cheapish electronic calipers .

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

you not got a lidl near you dude????

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl ... _19198.htm


Jazz

[sonofpat1969]

Bargain... I will get myself down there tomorrow, cheers

[sonofpat1969]

Ok.... another day off work so managed some progress....

Had a favour to do for the folks, but that gave me a chance to pop in to Lidl and pick up the digital callipers.... and saved some cash!!

The gods of parcel delivery were smiling today as both cylinder head (thanks tony.) and gasket arrived at the same time with me at home to receive them.

Weather was a bit shady looking, but stayed dry all afternoon.... just.

Anyhow got the old cylinder head off, both exhaust valves sitting about 5mm above their seats.... that would explain the lack of compression!! Was very greatful to not find a view of the sump through the piston crown, just a slight bit of scuffing.

So after a bit of a clean up... new head on, cams on, feeler gauges at the ready.... valve clearances measured, calculator out and thinking cap on.. required shim sizes worked out and bike packed away just before it chucked it down.

Overall a productive day. Hopefully pick the new shims up tomorrow, day off again on Thursday (weather permitting).

A few more hours of tinkering and I might even have a working 'storm.

[benny hedges]

But was very greatful to not find a view of the sump through the piston crown, just a slight bit of scuffing.

hopefully it's not damaged the big end or mains....

[tony.mon]

You can tell if the valves are bent by looking at the height the buckets sit compared to the head casting around them. 5mm seems about normal for bent ex valves.
The old head can be reconditioned by just fitting two new ex valves, and lapping them in.
Guides are normally ok, but are quite simple to replace if necessary.

Then you can pass it on to some other unfortunate.

At last you're getting somewhere- good luck finding shims in stock.

[sonofpat1969]

I really hope there's no further damage.... I was going to fit the scorpion cans whilst I had the exhausts off, but think I will wait till I have had the chance to have a paranoid listen to it running.

[sonofpat1969]

Ok...... So here is the latest and maybe final installment in this epic battle between man and machine..... will the machine win and the intrepid (should that be stupid) hero have to resign himself to a summer of driving a fiat punto, or is there a better ending.....?

Here's how I got on; after a local bike dealer tried to charge me a tenner per shim I found some on eBay.... 8 for 22 quid.... and delivered next working day.. result.

So another day off work, sees valve shims changed and everything else back on.... even managed to remember to turn the fuel tap back on...Only slight mishap was losing two exhaust stud nuts, but bike was back together enough to try and start.

Fingers crossed and a couple of hits of the starter and I have a running storm..... woo HOO. Sight whine from front cct.... that sees a bit of knuckle scraping and wishing I had not been so generous with the threadlock, but soon get that sorted... and bike started again... bit of noise from the blowing exhaust and unable to take it for a proper test run till I get the exhaust nuts, but no other nasty noises... I think I have a working bike!!!!! And that feels great!!!!!!!!
What has this taught me? well if you are tired or in a hurry have a break. Also that engine repairs on the 'storm are not that scary if you have patience and that this site and the people on it have saved me a lot of money and head aches... Once again THANKS.
Oh one more thing I am picking up most of a spare engine tomorrow,thinking about a bit of a tuning project.... I am sure I will be making some more posts soon.

[Jazzscot]

Well done mate. Im glad you managed to get it going. I had my cct go on me last year and with the help of the folks on this site I managed to become more intimate and have a good working knowledge of the storm engine. I learnt that much I was able to pass my new found knowledge to a local fellow storm owner who was having problems.


This is a great site and the people on it are a really helpful bunch, so share the love and help a fellow biker.

Jazz

[benny hedges]

lol with your luck the missing exhaust nuts will have gone down the exhaust port and are waiting to drop inside and wreck the head and piston again

[sonofpat1969]

lol with your luck the missing exhaust nuts will have gone down the exhaust port and are waiting to drop inside and wreck the head and piston again

That did cross my
mind, but am sure they are lost in the long grass somewhere (not a euphemism, I just have got round to mowing the grass yet this year)

[tony.mon]

Any nut of the correct thread and pitch will do, even if they're not as long as the original.
If you want to you can use a standard nut with another one behind and lock them together.
If you use plenty of copper grease they won't rust on, and two small nuts are easier to undo, as they put less strain on the stud and so are less likely to break or snap it.

Well done, now get out there and ride it