Downtime again.
The mechanical seal issue sorted out, I had high hopes for having the engine back in the frame this weekend. But no, it's not going to happen. The culprit this time: the two small O-rings that seal around the collars which transfer coolant between water pump and cylinders. Yes, I said it...O-rings.
Here is the story: I got everything cleaned up and ready for reassembly. The two O-rings in question were busted, so I went to my huge O-ring box, and found two different sizes that should work. One was 22mm x 1.5 mm, the other 22mm x 3.0mm. The slimmer ones allowed too much room to make me comfortable, while the thicker ones were just a tad too tall in the recessed opening. Well, it should compress right out, I said to myself. I opened my new Honda gasket that goes between the rear cover and the block, cleaned everything, lined it up, inserted collars and guides, lube my new oil seals and corresponding shafts, and put the rear cover on. All bolts got a bit of blue Loctite on them, and things went smooth for a bit. Then I installed the impeller, lubed the mechanical seal with soapy water, torqued it to spec. So far so good. Then, torquing all the bolts to spec, I went around the rear cover until I made it to the last two long bolts going through the pump cover to the block. First bolt torqued, I moved onto the second, and then I noticed the new gasket coming out from between the seam. What the... I took it apart again, pulled everything off, and discovered that the 3mm thick O-ring did not compress as I thought it would, but rather pushed on the paper gasket and ripped it right in the middle of the hole. Same on the other side. Shit, my new gasket was ruined. the culprit...well, the O-ring. Honda, for some reason, decided to go with a 2.8mm O-ring, and the 3mm was just thick enough not to squeeze in there.
I was stupid and in rush, trying to avoid having to wait 2 weeks for OEM O-rings. Well, guess what I'm doing now: waiting for two O-rings and a new rear cover gasket.
This bike must hate me. Or, I'm out of touch with it.
Lesson learned: There is no substitute for OEM in a critical application. And, just because it fits now, does not mean it will work when torqued. Also, take your time and get all you could possibly need ahead of time.
About Me
- Henry Martin
- Henry Martin spends his nights writing fiction and poetry, which predominately deals with the often-overlooked aspects of humanity. He is the author of three novels: Escaping Barcelona, Finding Eivissa, and Eluding Reality; a short story collection, Coffee, Cigarettes, and Murderous Thoughts; and a poetry collection, The Silence Before Dawn. His most recent published project is a collection of Photostories in five volumes under the KSHM Project umbrella, for which he collaborated with Australian photographer Karl Strand, combining one of a kind images with short stories and vignettes. He is currently working on his next novel narrated in two opposing points of view. He lives with his family in the Northeast.
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