Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 21:29:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Hope
Subject: RIP... [Darkangel]

[note, cc'd to 2 other lists & many individuals, so keep that in mind in responding. Roadhouse, meet Hondashadowridersgroup, meet the Rangers, meet everyone else. I figured I'd save time in writing, since it's been a hell of a day.]

Well, it was a long, hard day, and it ended with bad news. I'm going to head out for a bite to eat and a drink, and hopefully hang with some friends.

In short - 'Slayer, dear thing that he is, rode all the way out here from Coldwater to sweat in the sun & curse with me. We tested all the likely candidates for an electrical/ignition problem, and all came up clean. Replaced plugs and plug wires. Cursed a lot, and frowned at it a lot, and scratched chins. Even Erik* was befuddled.

Then, I finally decide, hey, it isn't going anywhere, I might as well drain the coolant (er, water) and replace it with real coolant.

I take out the screw. Piddle, piddle. That's it. Just a little piddle, no torrents of water as I expected.

I ran through some water from the filling cap, and we then proceeded to put in some real coolant. As per the instructions, we left the cap off and started the bike, and immediately had a orange slime geyser, pulsing in tune to the exhaust. Shut it off, put the cap back on, started it again, and eased off the cap, and it behaved a bit better. But then we noticed some coming out around near the exhaust leak on the rear cylinder, and smoking. Shit.

Turns out the crack in the mounts for the exhaust pipe probably shared a common wall with the (?) water jacket, allowing some of the exhaust to escape into the cooling system, causing our geyser, and also allowing coolant into the system. 'Slayer didn't think there was water in the oil, but at any rate, this is what we know:

1) At minimum, the engine needs to come out, and the mounts/exhaust leak need to be welded. I know someone in Chelsea who can do that for cheap.

2) Probably best to replace that cylinder head. Probably needs gaskets all around, and something about boring the pistons or somesuch. Yech.

3) All this means more money, more sweat, and who knows what at the end of the tunnel.

I'm going to go have a drink, and think.

~ Hope

*Erik is *never* befuddled. I half expected flying pigs next.

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