I sure hope so! I just can't wait to get back on the bike!

 

It's a machine. Mechanical things break....they do so more often with improper assembly and abuse. In this case, to search for a "definitive cause of failure", there is NO WAY to ignore the incorrect head-bolt Torquing nor the speed-shifting that could have exceeded the safe rpm range.

This "he said this, they said that" discourse isn't constructive. The facts are: you assembled it incorrectly (not only the sequence, but also the torque values) and you abused it (speed-shifting at redline...something you said was a bad habit), and it broke. That SHOULD be the end of the story.

This ill-advised internet psuedo-autopsy smacks as an attempt to implicate wrongdoing by the person that sold you the 351 kit. That's skating on thin ice.

 

No no...that's not it at all. I don't think it's anyone's fault buy my own. There are too many other factors to weigh to place it on an assembly issue. I'm simply regurgitating all information that I gather to this community. A lot of people speed shift without problem also. Bolts were torqued down correctly the second time through.

 

Yikes, this is the first I heard of this post. What I dont understand is how a lean engine will make a piston and valve look like they hit each other. doesn't make sense to me.

 

In a multicylinder setup? Possible: if the heat causes a valve in one cylinder to hang up in the guide and stick "open". In a thumper? I've not seen it...but, I'm no expert.

 

I didn't advertise it, but my first one was cracked, too. Bill stood behind it and replaced the cylinder.

Ron

 

Yeah, I hate to advertise it like this because the last thing that I want to do is make Bill lose business by making potential customers but due to my limited mechanic knowledge I feel inclined to weigh the opinions of other more knowledgeable KLXers.

If I can someone get the old sleeve from the machinist, I'll send it to Bill and see if he can tell if anything is wrong without the sleeve being in the jug. The machinist said that it was due to being pressed too hard whatever that means but he also said that there were other markings on the sleeve due to mechanical failure and because of that its unlikely that someone would attribute it to a assembly problem.

 

While I'm sure some maybe had a crack, many seized engines will crack the bore on sleeved or bore out engines (know way u could ever crack the stock 250 bore!). So if the crack is noticed only after failure I would never assume that was pre-failure and the cause.

As Blackheart said, so much depends on how it is built-up. Only when u know everything was to spec, nothing missed, broken in properly and not ridden stupidly can you only start to suspect part prem-failure. Anyway my 351 still going strong and am still breaking her in...

 

Ron, I know you're a meticulous mechanic, so could you expound on what developed in your case? What was the first sign of trouble, etc?

 

I've been following Jhoffy's adventures, but I haven't seen any posts where he tried to blame Bill or anyone else.

If you are going to accuse him (jhoffy) of such things, would you mind providing a link to which you are referring to?

Thanks!