Hi guys,
I'm looking at this BF 30 A...something... that at one time in it's life was probably stolen as the data tag on the frame was obviously ripped off (no pun intended) and the stamped numbers on the frame seem to have been "obscured". In it's present form, it is junk as it looks as if it may have dropped a valve. It gets real tight coming up on #1 TDC and you can actually see where what looks like the edge of the valve face has tried to hack through the center of the spark plug from the bottom. SOMETHING is sitting on the piston and beating the plug and top of the head and I believe I would find it to be the intake valve if I decided to buy this thing.
Otherwise, the engine looks to be in really good shape overall and I know that the poor guy that is trying to sell it to me cheap payed for it himself and is not the thief.
I have some documentation on the BF 30 engines from '98 to '02 and that says that there are engine serial numbers on the intake side of the block but I can't find them or any other number to help me identify this thing for the purpose of parts aquisition. The block and cylinder head seem to be the same part number for those years so I think I'm ok there but would really like to know for sure.
So, My questions are:
1. how might I pin down the year of this thing despite society's criminal element's best efforts?
2. since this engine did not appear to have overheated what is your opinion on why the #1 cylinder would have grenaded?
3. is this series one of Honda's "problem" engine's I've heard about and is it worth rebuilding?
Any and all technical opinions welcome. As far as the moral issues, I would like to say that if I thought I could find the victim that once owned this motor, I would. I know that they would be very disappointed though, considering it probably ran great when it was taken from them and is basically parts now. If anyone has any pointers to help me achieve that lofty goal, I'd be happy to listen to those as well. A private eye I ain't.
Thanks for reading this. jimmyd
I'm looking at this BF 30 A...something... that at one time in it's life was probably stolen as the data tag on the frame was obviously ripped off (no pun intended) and the stamped numbers on the frame seem to have been "obscured". In it's present form, it is junk as it looks as if it may have dropped a valve. It gets real tight coming up on #1 TDC and you can actually see where what looks like the edge of the valve face has tried to hack through the center of the spark plug from the bottom. SOMETHING is sitting on the piston and beating the plug and top of the head and I believe I would find it to be the intake valve if I decided to buy this thing.
Otherwise, the engine looks to be in really good shape overall and I know that the poor guy that is trying to sell it to me cheap payed for it himself and is not the thief.
I have some documentation on the BF 30 engines from '98 to '02 and that says that there are engine serial numbers on the intake side of the block but I can't find them or any other number to help me identify this thing for the purpose of parts aquisition. The block and cylinder head seem to be the same part number for those years so I think I'm ok there but would really like to know for sure.
So, My questions are:
1. how might I pin down the year of this thing despite society's criminal element's best efforts?
2. since this engine did not appear to have overheated what is your opinion on why the #1 cylinder would have grenaded?
3. is this series one of Honda's "problem" engine's I've heard about and is it worth rebuilding?
Any and all technical opinions welcome. As far as the moral issues, I would like to say that if I thought I could find the victim that once owned this motor, I would. I know that they would be very disappointed though, considering it probably ran great when it was taken from them and is basically parts now. If anyone has any pointers to help me achieve that lofty goal, I'd be happy to listen to those as well. A private eye I ain't.
Thanks for reading this. jimmyd