My pistons got screwed

[Barnes]

About a month ago, my 2000 gen II wasn't running right. I figured it was the reeds so I took them out and inspected the reeds. No cracks, nothing wrong. Get the piston light out and cant see anything wrong in the cylinders. Go and get the neighbor and he checks the cylinders out. On the edge of the piston he sees something that I missed, something that resembled a phillips screw. Pulled the head and yep, it was a screw, smashed right in the top of the piston.

When I checked the reeds out, I overlooked the missing screw from the reed cage. The screw took out the piston and the head but didn't put a single scratch in the cylinder. Does anybody check to see if these screws are tight every summer as preventative maintenance? I think I might start doing it after this incident.

The culprit:

 

[alrevedup]

Showing my ignorance................where the he[[ did that screw come from?

 

[catnfool]

yep, your screwed Either that or wiesco started building them that way...

pretty cute how it lodged in that way tho; make a nice trophy/conversation piece on the shop wall! good news about the cyl wall!

 

[Barnes]

Showing my ignorance................where the ***g did that screw come from?

It came from the reed cage. The third picture shows the missing screw. I was glad to find out it thats where it came from. Made me feal better then thinking I dropped it in the airbox.

 

[alrevedup]

It came from the reed cage. The third picture shows the missing screw. I was glad to find out it thats where it came from. Made me feal better then thinking I dropped it in the airbox.

Got it! Looks like it could have been worse! Good luck! Nice Trophy

 

[winter brew]

You should send that one to Ripleys!
Loctite

 

[bowtieboy]

That was lucky right there, def. never have seen anything like that before.

 

[up-high]

Are you running V-Force reeds? I loc-tited all the cage screws on mine for that very reason! I'd send them a pic if your running their reeds.

 

[MARV1]

Dang, could have been worse though.

 

[sled_guy]

Welcome to the world of Vforce II reeds.

Use the nastiest loctite you can get and loctite them in.

Or move to the IIIs.

You were lucky, I've had them come out and go through the motor and even damage the crank.

sled_guy