Reply With QuoteThere is no half-assing an engine with a missing piston.
For parts, or total teardown only.
Sorry you got hosed
Well, I can't post the videos, because I actually don't own something that can read a micro SD card at the moment. However, I can say for certain the this engine will not run. The rear cylinder and piston look all good, but the front piston is completely missing, and the rod has scratched some deep grooves in the cylinder walls.
I might open up that side and see if the damage is only limited to the cylinder walls first, but if the piston was penetrated, I'm thinking pieces likely made their way into the bottom end.
There is no half-assing an engine with a missing piston.
For parts, or total teardown only.
Sorry you got hosed
I don't consider myself hosed. I can remove the front and rear isolators at least, and part out the rest, probably making back the original $250, don't you think?
But I might just decide to rebuild it. I've attempted an engine rebuild before on an old Honda, and never was able to complete it due to moving around frequently during college and not having a stable place to keep it, much less a garage. Now that I do, this may be the best time to try again. I see there are oversize kits online. Do you have any experience on if something like that would be worthwhile?
Sure! Re-building it yourself could be a satisfying project. They are one of the simplest MC engines to do, not counting anything 2-stroke
But IMO, go stock or the mighty 'might-as-wells' can bury you so deep it won't ever see daylight.
You could ask Mike Lowery if you can get a little extra out of it.
LOL
Seriously Cooters suggestion is golden. Do a stock rebuild and if the head is damaged look at some of the performance rebuilders that specialize in these heads there’s some potential gains available without going down the rabbit hole of custom tunes and exotic parts.
I think that's what I'll be going for. Nothing too crazy, just a nice relaxed rebuild. No doubt, you'll hear form me on this subject at a later date. Appreciate the advice, Gentlemen!
How DARE you call me names!
Keep us posted! It would make a cool coffee table base either way
"But IMO, go stock or the mighty 'might-as-wells' can bury you so deep it won't ever see daylight. "
So is stock considered the best bang-for-the-buck setup for power? I'm too old now to spend a bunch of $ chasing HP (I'd be better off losing some weight!), but I'm curious about this. HD engine / Buell engine world is still new to me.
Sir: I respect you....your intelligence...your work ethic and initiative....and the fact you're one of the few active people still remaining on this board. Buell built close to 20,000 units for the 2003 model year.
Consider this:
Early 2003 engines had some teething problems and weaknesses
Your engine very early in the model year run
A major component grenaded and is scattered throughout the engine
You'll need several "specialty tools" to rebuild...none of which you have
You will need the cylinders....heads....crankshaft attended to by a professional along with the contemporaneous costs
The heads...engine covers....drive pulley....ISO mounts....clutch components....complete primary drive...stator....all combines valued at approx 2X your buy-in costs.
Part it out accordingly and keep the balance for posterity.
Totally, yes. Eric and the Buell motor minions did such a good job of squeaking out max power out of that 50's engine architecture that Buell has been the cheat code for Sportster power for a long timeOriginally Posted by motoguy
Keep in mind they did so, and Buells still have a rep for amazing longevity.
Of course there are speed parts available and you can balance their cost vs. something you'd need to buy anyway but I don't know of any easy tweaks for big gains.
Can you get more power? Yes! Should you?
Barrett is right, but only if you look at it financially. If you want a hobby/project/learning experience, well heck, It's better than wasting away watching other people do it on YouTube. I can't think of a more satisfying feeling than starting a basket case engine that you built yourself.
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