Holy CRAP! Broken engine saga.

[mullethunter3]

So I'm trying to replace my engine in my 1992 GS with an engine I bought from a 2004 for $150 (basically 150 for most of a bike). I took out the old engine and put in the new one. New one doesn't start. Why you may ask? Well, the left piston isn't connected to the crankshaft! It has 3700 miles on it! WTH? How is that even possible?
Here's why I'm pretty sure it isn't connected to the crank. The engine will turn manually clockwise but not counterclockwise- it just gets stuck. Stuck a long screwdriver in the spark plug hole while the engine was being turned. The left piston never moved until it was hit with the screwdriver and then it fell in the cylinder.

Now, after taking apart the old engine completely, here's a list of things wrong with it.  I should probably post pics because I'm amazed that this thing was still running.
- All of the bearings were stripped of the copper on the wear side
- It almost had Goat's
      -I say almost because it hadn't lost power let, but pieces of the magnet were found in the oil pan
- The clutch plate had SEVERE stress fractures at every hole in the plate
- I found a lot of different shavings in the oil pan/filter in the pan, from what they are remains to be seen

So I guess 42,000 miles is about the end of life for a GS engine.

Wish me and my boyfriend luck on rebuilding / combining these two engines to make a working one! This GS will never die!

[DoD#i]

So I'm trying to replace my engine in my 1992 GS with an engine I bought from a 2004 for $150 (basically 150 for most of a bike). I took out the old engine and put in the new one. New one doesn't start. Why you may ask? Well, the left piston isn't connected to the crankshaft! It has 3700 miles on it! WTH? How is that even possible?

Very simple - if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

As for exactly how the piston fell off (rather than the fact that a defunct engine is likely in a $150 bike, especially with low miles) take pictures (when you take it apart) and we can probably guess more intelligently. Stupid guess - 11000 RPM heading for 12000 - perhaps with low oil. Perhaps while sitting still. Or shifting from first to neutral and wailing on the throttle when the bike doesn't pick up. Some people do dumb things to bikes.  

My '90 evidently has 121,000 on it, though I haven't paid CARFAX to see if there was a 100K mistake on the title. If anyone on here has one of those bulk accounts, I'll shoot you a VIN in a PM. The countershaft sprocket seems consistent with high milage, though.

[mullethunter3]

As for exactly how the piston fell off (rather than the fact that a defunct engine is likely in a $150 bike, especially with low miles) take pictures (when you take it apart) and we can probably guess more intelligently. Stupid guess - 11000 RPM heading for 12000 - perhaps with low oil. Perhaps while sitting still. Or shifting from first to neutral and wailing on the throttle when the bike doesn't pick up. Some people do dumb things to bikes.  

The thing is, everything looks perfect as far as I can see. Granted, I've only taken apart the stator cover, valve cover and oil pan. There are no signs of catastrophic damage. This engine is so new that it still has wax marks on the camshafts from the factory. I'll post pics once I get time- I just upgraded to Windows 7 and getting everything back in order is a pain.

[The Buddha]

Now, after taking apart the old engine completely, here's a list of things wrong with it.  I should probably post pics because I'm amazed that this thing was still running.
- All of the bearings were stripped of the copper on the wear side
- It almost had Goat's
      -I say almost because it hadn't lost power let, but pieces of the magnet were found in the oil pan
- The clutch plate had SEVERE stress fractures at every hole in the plate
- I found a lot of different shavings in the oil pan/filter in the pan, from what they are remains to be seen

So I guess 42,000 miles is about the end of life for a GS engine.

Wish me and my boyfriend luck on rebuilding / combining these two engines to make a working one! This GS will never die!

@ 48K mine had goats that was fixed completely and it got goats cos well the buddha ignored a clanging starter clutch for a year. No idea about the bearings, but my clutch was great, no sign of cracks in it and had meat on the plates too, and it used oil, a lot, a qt in 300 miles or less, but it was still very much alive.

Maintenance is key if you want to get to higher mileages.

Cool.
Buddha.

[mullethunter3]

Maintenance is key if you want to get to higher mileages.

I will admit, I lent the bike to my boyfriend over the summer before this happened and I don't think either of us were very up on the maintenance. Guess that came back to bite me...

[Andy13186]

As for exactly how the piston fell off (rather than the fact that a defunct engine is likely in a $150 bike, especially with low miles) take pictures (when you take it apart) and we can probably guess more intelligently. Stupid guess - 11000 RPM heading for 12000 - perhaps with low oil. Perhaps while sitting still. Or shifting from first to neutral and wailing on the throttle when the bike doesn't pick up. Some people do dumb things to bikes.  

My '90 evidently has 121,000 on it, though I haven't paid CARFAX to see if there was a 100K mistake on the title. If anyone on here has one of those bulk accounts, I'll shoot you a VIN in a PM. The countershaft sprocket seems consistent with high milage, though.

Ive done that.. the 1st to neutral and massive over-revving, luckly my bike survived.  It happens when your new to riding and dont have the throttle/shift instincts yet.  I wouldnt really let off the throttle enough when shifting.. and would miss 2nd often, ive since gained that skill and havent done this in a month or so. 121k miles is pretty ridiculous for a bike.

GL on the rebuild mullet

[O.C.D.]

I will admit I did it a few times this last summer.  I would plan a nice little redline run and then bam, missed the shift to second and land in neutral.  The redlines pegged and the valves floated.  I thought all three times that she was a goner.  But nothing happened.  From now on I am a., not going to do that anymore, and b., not going to do that anymore.

But like mentioned Mullett, lets see some pics.

[noiseguy]

OK, so what's Goat's? Some type of common failure?

[BaltimoreGS]

OK, so what's Goat's? Some type of common failure?

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=49758.0

[O.C.D.]

Goats, lol.  I would love to understand how that came about as a name for magnets becoming dislodged.

Goats, lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg

[DoD#i]

Goats, lol.  I would love to understand how that came about as a name for magnets becoming dislodged.

Same way starwalt's means starter clutch failure leading to exploded starter motor. Really not too hard to understand.

Herez ur lol goats.

[The Buddha]

Mu haha haha haha haha ...

I claim credit for this one ...

Diseases are named for the first patient that is diagnosed wiht them.
Lou Gherig's disease is a good example. There are a few others too. Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Aspergers etc etc.

So Since this was never before heard of till a GSTwinner called goat posted about this ... its called goats.
There is the starwalts - which actually is an off shoot of goats where a small chunk of the magnet comes off first and that itself is just a start of goats, but here it gets to a whole new class of ailment, that chunk finds its way into the starter clutch which is on the back side of the magnet really, and it locks that starter clutch.
That causes the starter to be carried with the motor, and lets see, starter spins at a crazy speed, and turns the motor at ~2-300 rpm. So if you're running the motor at 2,000 rpm starter is running at 10 X its intended speed ... booya starter disintegrates ... and you think its a starter issue, replace it, and the next one goes a few miles later ... so on and so on, till you find a locked starter clutch and clear it out.

Buddha's version is where the buddha ignores a dead starter clutch making banging noises and loses the rotor and stator ...

Ben2go's version is where the oil gets to the alternator case, and never gets out and eats starter clutches just by sheer submersion.

Cool.
Buddha.

[Beelzeboss]

So if you're running the motor at 2,000 rpm starter is running at 10 X its intended speed

Not only that, there is also quite a reduction between the starter motor and the crankshaft, so the starter spins even faster than the engine.

Not good.

[The Buddha]

Should have said its running 10X that ... so 20,000 rpm. Good point.
Cool.
Buddha.