reminder to check for loose mount

bluegoatwoods

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Good morning all,
Last night my daughter came home and told me that my wife's bike had stopped running. This morning I went out and had a look. It was just a quick look, but in that time I found 3 drive shaft bolts had loosened and lost their nuts and lock washers, rear engine mount had loosened and fallen off somewhere on the road and the spark plug had backed out. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to admit that I had slackened up on my inspections a bit. But everything had seemed to be holding fine. On the other hand, the bike had been parked for about 4 hrs locked to a fence. Maybe someone had been trying to steal the engine? Or just sabotage?

The spark plug brings up another issue; I had been thinking of having a look at it for a couple of days. The reason is that this engine has, from the first, needed more choking than my other engine. Twice I've pulled the carburetor off, checked that the O-ring is seated right and siliconed the outside of the intake. Yet that spark plug is looking like it's been burning a bit lean. Symptoms of an air leak, yet I really don't think that air is getting past the filter assembly. Seems a bit mysterious.

Anyway, checking constantly for looseness is obviously a very good idea. You'll see folks in here who say that they check these things every day or every ride. Looks like they are not overdoing it. So I thought I'd throw out a reminder.
 
Good post,
My habit is when I warm up the bike,
give it a rev and check that the engine is not vibrating.
seems obvious, but when I did what you describe above and forgot to check my nuts,
the engine would rock and roll heaps.

My only Idea on leaks is the Beer Can trick, its here somewhere.
 
My rear mount always used to come loose, so first of all swap those nuts for M6 (the size) nylon thread locking nuts (they have a little blue or plastic bit in the top of them). Then use a split washer (they look like a washer which has been cut, so they are slightly sprung). After all that give it a good soaking with locktite!
 
A bolt on my rear mount broke last week and yesterday the spark plug jumped out of it's hole. That was a fun ride back trying to finger tighten a hot sparkplug when you dont have a sparkplug tool nor pliers and the only gloves you have are fingerless bike gloves. I tightened it down enough to ride 1 more block and then it popped off again and then tightened it down better to last the remaining 10 blocks home. At first I thought one of the guys at work was messing with me by loosening the sparkplug but I'm sure it's just because I havent checked it since it was installed last year. Live and learn I guess.
 
...and yesterday the spark plug jumped out of it's hole...Live and learn I guess.

My plug did that once too, and the black High-Tension cable snapped internally and I had to ride by pedal power 5kms to work.
AND Wait Two weeks for a new cable...
My plug is now tightened in, and its also rusting...weird.

I Live and Learn, but stay just as Dumb.
 
You know, you'll also see people here singing the praises of Lok-Tite. And I certainly didn't doubt them; it sounded like a good idea. And I figured that sooner or later I'd get around to it.

But maybe that was a mistake. Maybe using lock tight Immmediately is the way to go. I think I'll go get some.
 
Ya know... I lost my engine mount bolts and the nut & screw man gave me a few extra Grade 8 bolts.

I just tightened them down 'til they were snug & I haven't had a problem yet. I think having Grade 8 and making sure the bolts are secure is more important than the loctite.

And *DO NOT* use red loctite. Use green! If there's something coming loose that you don't have to remove often... then use blue! But NEVER red!
 
Dont use Red loctite. Use Blue loctite to be able to remove the bolt later .

I goop all of my bolts. Even the motormount saddle. not a one has loosened yet.
I use blue locktite on my clutch cover , drive sprocket cover, and carb. I do maintenance on these items.
 
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