Hi All
A current engine rebuild is an Ariel Huntmaster 650 close relation to the A10 but has a few detail differences
This bike had some work done to it not too long before it was involved in a fairly nasty accident being hit broadside by a van and written off
A friend acquired it to provide parts for another Ariel restoration project that came with a completely seized engine
When the engine was removed I found there was 30 + thou end float on the crank so had to pull the lot to bits to rectify this.
Of course other issues were found along the way, there was no cork on the breather top hat, pistons scored badly (bored too tight) and so on.
The rods felt good and I was inclined to leave them alone until I found slugs of gunge in various places
There was evidence that the plugs in the crank had been removed so I had assumed the oilways had been cleaned,
Nothing for it but strip everything and do it all again !!
The photo shows the timing side bearing shell all torn to crap, the drive side was better but still had embedded material. Luckily the crank is not scored so I am assuming the damage came from alloy rather than steel/iron?
Lucky escape
It just goes to show how important it is to clean every part scrupulously and then do it again when rebuilding an engine , + do the same to the oil tank
John