rstrauss
New member
Hello,
Firstly, this is my first post here, and I look forward to being a member. I love my airhead, I loved the first airhead I saw, I'm excited.
But, my airhead had some issues with the exhaust valve guide: it became unseated. Someone put on Bronze guides, and the machine shop says those fall out with the extra heat from the ethanol (always with the ethanol, right?). Luckily I found it before engine destruction occurred, but one thing led to the next, I decide to do a whole top (side?) end rebuild, and my pistons are out of spec and I need to do a first over on the cylinders and get new pistons. First over pistons from BMW are $370 each. That's crazy.
So the guy at the machine shop called a company, and they can do forged (higher quality) custom pistons, rings and knuckles for around $450. Then I called a company in California, and they gave me a similar quote: $450 for two, OR, I could get four new ones for around $650 (four is normally the minimum order).
So, if I hear from someone that needs a first over pair of pistons on a 1980 R100 (I'm not sure what else it'll fit, but I can get the specs), or the guy said I could order the second pair at .5 over the first pair for a second over at the same price, we could stand to save each other a lot of money. I'm looking to put the order in within the next week. Maybe someone else is in a similar position, or maybe someone will read this and say "well, now's my chance!"
Here's to overdoing maintenance, eh?
Firstly, this is my first post here, and I look forward to being a member. I love my airhead, I loved the first airhead I saw, I'm excited.
But, my airhead had some issues with the exhaust valve guide: it became unseated. Someone put on Bronze guides, and the machine shop says those fall out with the extra heat from the ethanol (always with the ethanol, right?). Luckily I found it before engine destruction occurred, but one thing led to the next, I decide to do a whole top (side?) end rebuild, and my pistons are out of spec and I need to do a first over on the cylinders and get new pistons. First over pistons from BMW are $370 each. That's crazy.
So the guy at the machine shop called a company, and they can do forged (higher quality) custom pistons, rings and knuckles for around $450. Then I called a company in California, and they gave me a similar quote: $450 for two, OR, I could get four new ones for around $650 (four is normally the minimum order).
So, if I hear from someone that needs a first over pair of pistons on a 1980 R100 (I'm not sure what else it'll fit, but I can get the specs), or the guy said I could order the second pair at .5 over the first pair for a second over at the same price, we could stand to save each other a lot of money. I'm looking to put the order in within the next week. Maybe someone else is in a similar position, or maybe someone will read this and say "well, now's my chance!"
Here's to overdoing maintenance, eh?