DIY Fix: Fan fuses blowing/Rocker Boxes leaking! *BIG*

[TPEHAK]

Ho did you remove the velocity stack? I have 2009 Buell XB12Scg. I loosen the metal ring and applied zip tie but I still can not pull the stack. I feel I can just brake the intake manifold before I remove the rubber stack. But anyway I am not strong enough to pull it out. Is there any trick? Should I use heat gun to soften the rubber? I tried to use flat screw driver to lever the rubber, but had no success, just scratched the plastic parts around the intake manifold and intake manifold itself. Also I was rotating the stack and pulling it simultaneously but again with no success. I'm not sure why is this metal ring here, it is just impossible to remove this rubber without this ring.

I hope this is the most difficult thing in engine rotation because I'm stuck. I'm nearly the decision to cut the damn thing off and just buy new stack for cheap instead of spending a lot of time and effort trying to remove it http://www.ebay.com/itm/P0025-1AAA-...ash=item3d2999e263:g:b70AAOSwFnFWDWGO&vxp=mtr

Is it necessary to remove the intake manifold velocity stack to rotate the engine? Is it necessary to remove the intake manifold velocity stack to detach the intake manifold and replace the intake manifold gaskets?

 

[user_deleted]

^^^^^google "spring ring pliers" some call them water pump pliers....ring puller pliers. the tool is a long handled pliers with a large round grooved slot in each tip. typical vendors all sell them. the collar ring on the factory boot is extremely stout. if your photo is depicting an attempt to adequately compress the collar ring to remove the boot, forget it. not even close to working. with this pliers you squeeze the ring, move it up or down as far as it will go......your choice....then wiggle the boot and it comes off. no heating required but correct pliers is.

 

[rchuff]

^^^^^google "spring ring pliers" some call them water pump pliers....ring puller pliers. the tool is a long handled pliers with a large round grooved slot in each tip. typical vendors all sell them. the collar ring on the factory boot is extremely stout. if your photo is depicting an attempt to adequately compress the collar ring to remove the boot, forget it. not even close to working. with this pliers you squeeze the ring, move it up or down as far as it will go......your choice....then wiggle the boot and it comes off. no heating required but correct pliers is.

The correct tool makes all the difference!

 

[TPEHAK]

That is what I did, I moved the metal ring all way up with no issues, I have pliers. But I can not pull the rubber out anyway. For me it looks like the rubber is too hard and too thick to pass the groove easily.

 

[TPEHAK]

Here is another picture to show haw far I moved the ring

 

[Chicknstripn]

Combination of pliers, the kung foo grip, and some manly aggression should pull it right off.
The ends of the spring ring have to be nearly touching so there's no pressure on the throttle body. Wiggle it back and fourth while pulling up and it should come off.
I think this is the first post I've ever seen where a velocity stack has been "stuck".
good luck man

 

[TPEHAK]

I did it! http://www.buellxb.com/forum/showth...velocity-stack-With-Pics!&p=578667#post578667

 

[TPEHAK]

I have rotated the engine on my 2009 Buell XB12Scg with 16500 miles! It took me a week.

It is easier than replacing the starter and less messy than changing the oil so. The most difficult thing is removing the velocity stack. The engine rotation process for 2009 Buell XB is slightly different so first of all always follow service manual and use this thread only as reference.

Also I have not seen in the BuellXB forum guides the very important step. You have to remove the right side foot peg bracket and loosen the rear isolator bolt before rotate the engine! Otherwise you will damage the rear isolator rubber and delaminate it and it will be broken in the future.

Here is what I found under the hood

 

[Silverrider]

Great job!!!!!! on the write!!!!! up pics and all !!!!!!!!

 

[Chicknstripn]

A week!
Wow, you sure you didn't take too many short cuts to get done that quickly?
That step you mentioned, is in the service manual. Always use the service manual. It will never steer you wrong. Write ups and DIY vids tend to over estimate the mechanical ability of those watching/reading. Use DIY videos and write ups and pics for a different point of view/reference.
Manual can be found at www.buellmods.com
BTW the engine rotation process has a sticky in the DIY section of the forum. However, seeing that new members don't like looking anything up, this might help some Google challenged folks.

 

[TPEHAK]

A week a few hours per day. But I feel it can be done in one hour if you have experience, remember all steps and have all tools and place for comfortable work. Also you don't need to remove the rear wheel axle if you have chain conversion and you don't need to remove muffler if you have shorter muffler and a rack to hang the engine.

 

[TPEHAK]

2009 Buell XB12Scg rocker cover is fastened with 4 screws. There are washers with rubber inserts under the screws. The James Gaskets kit has 8 fiber washers and 8 copper washers. There are no similar metal washers with rubber inserts in the James Gaskets set. Which washers should I use to install the rocker cover? Only fiber washers? Only copper washers? Or both fiber and copper washers sandwiched together? Also the screws have their own washer.

 

[TPEHAK]

Crap! 2009 Buell XB12Scg 20000 miles. After just 3500 miles! after replacing engine cover gaskets with James Gaskets the front head leaks. So James Gaskets is not permanent fix.

Maybe just let it be? I don't want to waste again my time and efforts replacing the gaskets. What is wrong with this motorcycle?

It looks like it happened right after breather reroute mode. Is it possible that breather reroute generates additional pressure resistance to the PCV valves so now there is more pressure inside the rocker box and this pressure just blown the rocker cover gasket out? I believe those rocker cover gaskets are not high pressure gaskets.

 

[TPEHAK]

Removed airbox cover and found the rear cylinder rocker cover slightly leaks too, but not so bad as the front cylinder. The rear cylinder PCV valve grommet is nice and dry, but the front cylinder PCV valve is leaking. I changed both PCV valves grommets 3500 miles ago too. Everything was nice and dry before breather reroute mod about a hundred miles ago.

I feel this happened because of the breather reroute mod has too much air resistance, plus removing hoses from intake chamber eliminated sucking effect. So pressure in crankcase due to moving pistons blew rocker covers gaskets.

 

[Chicknstripn]

You sure all that oil isn't coming from the PCV itself?
Clean up the area so that there is no oil, disconnect the hose going into your catch can so that it drains to atmosphere, run the bike for a while(put a few miles riding on it) and determine exactly where the oil is coming from.
James gaskets are high quality gaskets. Many Buellers have been using them with great success.
Your problem is one of three things your catch can restricts the breather system, your PCV is bad, or the gasket/grommet to PCV is bad.
Also issue that you connections to PCV are good and not leaking.

 

[user_deleted]

TEABAG: what else will it take to convince you that your motor is shot? worn out. kaput. junk. on death row.
it consumes oil....your combustion chambers are saturated with oil deposits including valve heads and stems....your spark plug shells are coated with unburned oil....your spark plug ceramic insulators saturated with burned oil deposits.....your piston crowns coated with burned oil deposits.....and now this. it's called blow-by! it's combustion pressure working its way past not only your valves but mainly past the ring sealing areas and into the shrink-wrapped crankcase that all XB's share. where the hell is this pressure going to travel to? right up into all the spaces at the top of the cylinder head. guess what's there? the breather ports and rocker gaskets. guess what happens? they leak oil like hell. a simple "leak-down" pressure test done by a competent mechanic would confirm this. common knowledge.
DISCLAIMER: i know very little about buells or motors in general so feel free to figure this out on your own.

 

[Cooter]

The engine is just fine. All it does is burn oil, blow it past the rings and out of every orifice and gasket. That's totally normal?:black_eyed:

TPHAK, it's not a big leak and the gaskets should hold a little pressure (1-2psi) just fine but they will not hold the pressure of blow your if the PCV system is plugged completely.
pull one of the PCVs out of the rockerbox cover and use a hose to blow in it with your mouth. If you can... it's not plugged. perhaps the cone jammed in your hole in your box got clogged from oil/water mix? A sintered filter like that really doesn't like that stuff. Pull that out and see if it flows better without it.
You could put some cotton in your box to absorb your discharges instead, remember? Haha. The additional surface area will handle the output of your tired engine much better.

 

[Outlaw]

Tphak. Your bike looks nice. Treat it to an upper rebuild.

 

[TPEHAK]

Alright. It looks like I found the issue. I cleaned the top of the engine and PCV valve base with contact cleaner and found that after some time on the top of the grommet some oil appears, even I cleaned everything squeaky clean and did nothing with engine. I put small mirror under the PCV valve and blown into the breather hose and noticed how small oil puddle raised right on the base of the PCV valve on the glued line between left and right half's of the valve body right above the grommet. So now I see how the top of the engine have been flooded so dramatically. It looks like the valve cracked right on the parting line where two parts of the valve glued together when I installed the hose for breather reroute mod. The hose fits the valve nozzle so snug so I applied a lot of force on the valve to install the hose and levered the valve and cracked it along the glued line. So now the oil leaks down from the valve base even without any pressure. Crap!

And I noticed right after breather reroute mod installation that the valve start getting oil on it but I ignored it thinking that there is nothing big is going on.

So it looks like Chicknstripn is right and all this stuff flown down the top of the motor from the cracked valve and I was able to see the oil path from the valve down to the front of the engine.

How do I fix it temporary? Maybe just put RTV Black silicone on the parting line?

I am going to buy new valve and replace it. Is there a quick way to replace the front PCV valve without engine rotation? Maybe there is a method for partial engine rotation without removing muffler and disconnection a bunch of wires just slightly rotate to get enough clearance to replace the front PCV valve?

I have a couble new PCV valves from Americansportbike, but I feel they are wrong valves because of they do not have back direction air resistance, but the original valves do have back direction resistance. Probably they are bad units, or wrong units without umbrella valve inside. So I do not want to buy wrong PCV valves again. What is part number for correct PCV valve with umbrella valve inside?

 

[TPEHAK]

I also removed metal sintered air filter from catch can and attached hose with no air filter to outlet hole. This metal filter definitely have a lot of resistance. I just hope no insects or dust will get inside the engine through the open hose