CB750/4 water damage to pistons

[Nurse Julie]

Graham is stripping a very, very early engine today. This engine has been stood for not far off 50 years after sustaining chain damage to the crank cases. The engine has done probably less than 1000 miles as other parts are original and in excellent condition, although most parts will need replacing due to age related deterioration. The pistons were seized to the bores and 1 piston in particular has sustained a very similar type of damage to what I found in my CB400/4. Graham always insisted my damage was caused by water ingress a long time ago, with rust forming, eating in to the metal, with the resulting catastrophic damage when someone 'unseized' the engine probably with a big breaker bar and a lot of force and then started the bike and rode off into the wild blue yonder.
I think this just shows what damage can NOT be seen, when buying an old engine that has sat around for many years.

Photo 1 shows totally destroyed rings, lands and piston. Photo 2 shows the top ring being eaten away.

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[SamCR750]

Wow. Makes one wonder what else might have gone the same way.

[UK Pete]

Wow that's servere, 

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[MrDavo]

Ouch!

No doubt it ran fine when treated to a little easystart squirted into the carbs. 

[K2-K6]

Wow, that's really far gone.

Be interesting to see the top of that piston on the combustion face. If it's just been damaged by corrosion and removing the barrels then it should have no other signature of damage if it's not been run after the event.

[sye]

It will come out with a bit of T-cut and some elbow grease.   

[Spitfire]

Nasty, a real horror show.

Cheers

Dennis

[Rob62]

Ouch!

No doubt it ran fine when treated to a little easystart squirted into the carbs. 

Yeah right...... 

[Nurse Julie]

Wow, that's really far gone.

Be interesting to see the top of that piston on the combustion face. If it's just been damaged by corrosion and removing the barrels then it should have no other signature of damage if it's not been run after the event.

Some more photos Nigel. You can see all the rust on the top of the piston and then i cleaned it up on the wire wheel. You can actually see where the rust has 'eaten' in to the piston and where the few deeper holes are, i picked out rust particles corresponding to those shapes. [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Nurse Julie]

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[K2-K6]

What do you think then Julie?

I bet you can guess my view 

[Nurse Julie]

What do you think then Julie?

I bet you can guess my view 

Nope, can't guess your view Nigel.

[K2-K6]

The taper shape of wear on the top ring lands shows its been running with the ring getting progressively more movement.

If it had been corroded to the bore and snapped when it was tapped down the cylinder to get it free,  then the piston material would just snap off without any wear pattern. The wear is there without the top surface of the piston being displaced above the taper region, so material missing next to the ring with piston crown still in place.

Detonation craters visible with molten edges on the piston crown.

[Nurse Julie]

That's interesting Nigel as i know this engine has been out of the frame sitting on the floor somewhere for 49 years. Graham has suggested the pattern of damage is consistent with water getting in and the resulting chain of events that causes rust to eat away at metal, which in turn lets more water down and so on and so forth. The worse piston was the one seized but actually freed off quite easily compared to some we have in. Also, on the other piston where the top ring has been eaten away by rust, there is no evidence on the piston crown of detonation.
Whatever has caused it, my point with these photos is that so many times, i read or hear of people that say 'the engine was a bit seized but it freed off easily' and they do not know what damage has been caused until it is too late and major damage has been done.

[SumpMagnet]

Sweet baby Jesus  .... I don't see the problem.

Stick it on E-Bay as a good runner in need of slight attention. Has compression and will fire on Easy-start .... might need carbs cleaning. Make good Cafe racer. Barn Find...and stick a price tag of around £5K on it.

One thing I am not sure about, though, is which model of Submarine was fitted with these engines....I mean..it did come out of a subamrine? yes?