Can you ID this foreign object?
  • User avatar
    mprentice
    Posts: 126
    Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:08 pm

    Can you ID this foreign object?

    by mprentice » Thu Jun 02, 2016 8:29 pm

    Hey all. I haven't been around here in a long time. Really, ever since I gave up the dirt life by selling my beloved CRF450R for my DRZ400SM and the supermoto life. But we still have my sons '12 CRF250R. Need some help identifying something I found in his motor. But first a little back story.

    So My son's CRF250R has managed to tick away to about 140hrs on the bottom, 70hrs on the 2nd top end. I should have just well-enough alone. I took the bike to a so-called motorcycle mechanic to have the top and bottom end rebuilt. Figured I'd be proactive. Between my job and my own school schedule, I had zero time to do it myself, so I took it to a shop that was a recent sponsor at our latest, local MX race series.

    4 weeks later I get the bike back, top and bottom done, roughly $1k for everything. It's good for one ride, then the second time on the track it starts smoking. Took it back, he had it another 6 weeks to diagnose and fix. Finally get it back, it sits in the garage for a week before we can get it to the track, low and behold...the night before going to the track, I find an oil leak on the floor in the garage. I did some detective work and...let's just say, this guy has no clue what he's doing and should NOT be working on bikes. I found a few choice issues after taking off the right side cover and tank. One which caused some mayhem in the transmission side. Most concerning was the primary gear (the two gears that connect directly to the crank, then to the flywheel) was found to be finger tight. It had been this way for the entire day during that first ride after the rebuild. This caused some damage to the cogs and some metal shavings in the transmission oil. >>Photos Here<<

    Anyway, Aside from the transmission issues I found, I find metal shaving in the oil filter. this warranted pulling the left cover off just to see if I could find anything else on that side. I find these two pieces of what appears to be plastic in the center of the flywheel, just floating around.

    Question: Does anyone know what this could be? I've only done top ends before, and never taken a bottom end apart - so I'm not familiar with anything that may look like this. Any ideas? I'm not taking it back a 3rd time to this bozo. At this point I have zero trust in the work and I will be contacting him in the next couple days - once I get my documentation squared away.

    Image
    '05 CRF450R, '12 CRF250R, '09 Suzuki DRZ400SM
  • User avatar
    JimDirt
    Posts: 4406
    Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:31 pm

    by JimDirt » Thu Jun 02, 2016 9:57 pm

    WOW , I'm speechless :shock:

    After looking over all the pictures , i will say that in picture #6361 and #6365 , (the Fuel Line Clamp) , looks the closest to whats in the flywheel , i can't think of anything else in the engine that is close to that color

    As for the "Mechanic" :? , i would keep close documentation of all this (as you have with pictures) , and confront him about this and tell him if he does not do at least a MINIMUM of ALL the labor in a Refund , then you will take further action and put a Lean on his business (for the cost of the damaged parts as well as the cost of the work he performed , and any cost incurred in replacing the bad parts *including Labor Costs by yourself and/or another Mechanic if necessary*)

    I would also contact the BBB (if this guy has a legitimate business) and report what you found and your intentions to a resolution , along with any City or other entities that he may have as a connection with his business

    I am bummed for you... any way you look at it , this sucks and is just poor workmanship ....


    Also , maybe PM Ken and see what his take is on this and what he thinks your options are ..... (include links to this post and your images)
    2020 CRF450R
    2006 CRF450X
    Image
    Weiser , Idaho
  • User avatar
    mprentice
    Posts: 126
    Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:08 pm

    by mprentice » Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:21 pm

    So my best guess on this object is going to be a zip tie.

    I ended up submitting a video to him, along with my photos and a long letter. He did call me the next day to work things out- which surprised me. Turns out, he ended up subbing it out to a "honda certified technician" an hour away in Orlando. I also found out that one reason it took so long is that this same mechanic ended up over tightening a case bolt which cracked the right-outer case cover (not the clutch cover, but the next one that houses the water pump and the trans check bolt - which he still managed to strip as well). Apparently the cover was on back order during the time I was calling to check the status on the bike.

    By the time the call was over, got a refund of my labor charges. Still doesn't pay for what it's going to cost me to tear the thing down myself and do it over correctly.

    I don't have 100% trust in the bike and not comfortable unloading it on someone else at this point either.

    Just sucks all the way around. This is the FIRST and LAST time I hire a bike mechanic to work on my bike. This is the reason why I work on my own bikes. It would have been cheaper to send the motor by freight to have a real Honda shop rebuild it. Lesson learned. If I would have listened to my gut when I dropped it off, this would have all been avoided. Something told me to not leave it there...
    '05 CRF450R, '12 CRF250R, '09 Suzuki DRZ400SM
  • User avatar
    JimDirt
    Posts: 4406
    Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:31 pm

    by JimDirt » Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:34 pm

    Yea unfortunately , there are more dishonest mechanics than there are honest ones , really sucks when you can't trust someone your "paying" to do the job correctly
    2020 CRF450R
    2006 CRF450X
    Image
    Weiser , Idaho
  • Aussiecrf230
    Posts: 1962
    Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 11:11 pm

    by Aussiecrf230 » Wed Jun 29, 2016 11:27 pm

    Now most importantly you need to teach your son how to work on his bike.

    Unfortunately our busy lives often prevent this good old fashion bonding and passing of knowledge.

    It is a sad that tradesmen can't be bothered to do a good job anymore, no matter where you go in the world. At least this one took some responsibility instead of completely fobbing you off.

    Hats off to you for not making it somebody elses problem by selling it on.
    Ray
    Australia

    CRF230F 2004
    C30F Power Up needle
    Mains 132
    Idle 45
    2 turns out
    Baffle out, Screens In

    It starts,it runs,it gets to where all CRFs can get to without the valve or valve plate dramas

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