Not XS650 but at least a two cylinder motorcycle!

[kshansen]

Did a little clean up on the heads today. I actually think they look better in person that in the pictures especially the front head.

I clamped one of the old head gaskets to the underside so as to not risk any damage to the gasket surface. Also did my best to smooth off any sharp edges to avoid hot spots. I guess I could also put the gasket back on and hit the chamber area with the glass beads to smooth it out some more. Still thinking on that one!

 

[Jan_P]

Thinking out loud are the valves and chamber not a bit dark for 7000 miles
I once fumbled having to little oil in XS 650 and destroyed a piston
its embarrassing to admit there was a line of dirt in the sight glass that I believed was the oil level
Not pulling out the stick and had to pay the price for it
the skirts mostly not so much on top

 

[Raymond]

Also bits would not have to go through the carb just the short manifold between the two heads.

And judging by the marks on the rear piston the largest bit would have been maybe 1/8 inch long, most much smaller.

Ah, of course, long time since I've been up close with a Sportster inlet manifold. Still find it interesting how much turbulence goes on in there. We could do with another transparent plastic engine to marvel at the gas flow in a V-twin with a single manifold.

 

[kshansen]

Thinking out loud are the valves and chamber not a bit dark for 7000 miles
I once fumbled having to little oil in XS 650 and destroyed a piston
its embarrassing to admit there was a line of dirt in the sight glass that I believed was the oil level
Not pulling out the stick and had to pay the price for it
the skirts mostly not so much on top

Not really sure. The guy who I had look at them before I cleaned them up did not say anything about how they looked regarding the carbon. He has been running his own shop as an independent since at least the 1980's. Actually he's the guy who got me into my first XS650! But I don't hold that against him!

 

[kshansen]

Well a little update on the Harley piston failure.

Just got off the phone with a guy from Wiseco who had their tech inspect the pistons I had sent them. He said they checked the hardness of the pistons and both pistons had lost considerable amount of hardness, rear even more than front. Actually I did not know aluminum pistons could be checked for hardness!

He is theorizing that I might have an air leak in the intake from the carb causing a lean condition and running hot.

One nice thing is he is shipping me a new set of pistons and an upper gasket kit for $289.50 which is about half of the list price so despite the problem I'm pretty happy.

Now I just need to see what the machine shop is going to hit me for the valve job. I originally hoped I could get by with just a quick lapping of the valves but the first valve I tried had some marks that did not disappear with a quick lapping so I took them to the machine shop we dealt with for years at the quarry. The guy who runs it has built many high power engines for places like Bonneville.

 

[Wirenutt]

I find it incredible that engine ran, and for long enough to get you home. An R6 would have ended up at a bike junk yard with that damage.

I live in Jordan, I've been around Skaneateles Lake many times. Usually after a fish dinner at Doug's. Also been around Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, Otisco, Owasco, and many others. I haven't done a ride around the Adirondacks, I think that'll come this summer.