Hi all, A few days ago, while pulling my Silver Wing 400 (March 2008) on the main stand (is this the proper name?), a long cleft opened at the bottom of the engine starting at the stand hinge and all the motor oil leaked out. To make it short the Honda dealer does not want to recognise that as a manifacture (fusion) defect. So I went to a lawer to write a letter to the dealer and I am now waiting. Meanwhile I would be interested to know if anybody knows of a similar problem having happened before. Thank you for help.
Roberto, Florence, Italy

Roberto,

Edited your posts and got this mess squared away.

Now...When you get some pictures, please post them so we can see what your talking about.

Bill, to answer your question...we, in this forums management, can move topics around but individual posts.

A good professional welder can close that crack for you, if you don't get anywhere with Honda. I've seen it done with aluminum car cases. It'll require removing the engine and hot-tanking the case to get it squeaky clean first. You might as well take the opportunity to re-ring the pistons and install new bearings, at least.

Look around Ebay and elsewhere for a complete replacement engine. Used is fine, if it has low miles. That's probably cheaper, and a whole lot easier, than trying to fix YOUR engine if you don't have a lot of wrenching skills.

I've never heard of this problem before, but anything is possible I suppose.

I wonder if a 600 engine will fit in a 400 S/W? If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Ouch, I purchased my wing from a salvage auction. It had a trike kit attached to the bottom of the motor at the centerstand mount. The bike was salvaged because the trike kit had taken a hit. This hit broke off one of the 4 bolt bosses thus creating cracks and a hole in the bottom of the motor. I am currently running well (over 8000 miles) with JB weld sealing up the seams an not running the center stand. It will hold as long as there is not structural strain. Engine cases were going to run $1000 and it would take a COMPLETE engine disassembly. I have seen a couple low mile ebay engines for about $1000. If it was a problem I would go the used engine route.

JB Weld is holding better than I ever thought. Having a clean surface is key. Liberal amounts of throttlebody cleaner and roughed up the surface a bit and spread it on like frosting. Made sure to allow it to cure very well before adding oil back in the engine. Like I mentioned it does not have any structural strain it is more of an external sealant. It has held up to the heat cycles of 8000 miles of riding. I would rather have new or welded cases, but opening up the motor was not the $ smart way to go. The wing just rolled over 50,000 miles and runs like a top.

That is one of the best duct tape accounts I have heard. That would make a great comercial and I would love to see the plane.

try this one Chief


http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=52677

Here is another one on youtube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v44TrX5HxGU

You guys are great I checked out both of those sites and enjoyed it imensely. I am going to stock up on duct tape and keep a roll in each vehicle. I think this would serve well on busted up tuperware on a silverwing far from home.

I need to carry a case or two around with me in my Swing. I have been know to knock a piece out now and then. I have used JB Weld too. Both products are really handy and perform as advertised. JB rescued me on a trip to Mountain View Arkansas a year or so ago. Have replaced the part, but the broken (repaired) one is still usable. Destructive folks like me create a lot of jobs making replacement parts.

A Super Cub is on the short list of kit aircraft I want to build. They are capable of absolutely unbelievable things.....when they're not torn to bits by grizzly bears.

Search "Super Cub" on YouTube and prepare to have your mind boggled.

I had a 125 Super Cub in the mid 60 when I lived in NW Alaska. I liked the 125 Cub because it was lighter than the 150 and I could easily get off short bars that the 150 had trouble with. Like most of the Cubs in that part of the world we kept them stripped down to essentials, primary panel with T&B, minimal radio, no starter and generator just a light battery for the VHF radio. No navigation equipement other than the compass. In summer I liked 850X6 tires, less drag than the big wheels and lighter too. In our area you really didn't need bigger wheels. I had a pair of Federal skis for winter operations which was nine months of the year. I recovered the old Cub with Poly Fiber (nee Stits) and used minimal dope and sail plane cloth again for light weight. That old cub took a lot of hunters after moose, dahl sheep, brown and black bear and three seasons of polar bear hunts besides the usual summer fishing trips. It was a money maker. Not much fun on a long cross country but one of the best bush planes of it's day. I'd give a lot to have another few hours in 1128A.
Now a days my main toys are my Goldwing, Silverwing and two motorized bicycles, one a two stroke the other a four stroker.

Some years ago I was at the inaugral Oz pylon race in Tasmania. Some "clown" was hamming it it up in a cub doing all sorts of crazy stuff, but the most incredible thing was that he hung it almost vertical about 50 feet off the tarmac. The announcer said that before they had helicopters it was a move developed by the forward scouts to peer over the treetops for enemy action.
Bob Hoover was there too giving his usual high calibre display in an Aero Commander. Most impressive! 16 point turn while climbing away from a 20 foot alt run along the runway on a dead stick. All one could hear was "SWOOOOOSH"


OOOPS we are alittle off thread here hey?

There is an engine on ebay right now starting bid of $599. It has 10,000 miles on it, which is nothing for a silverwing. Considering the engine cases are $500 a piece not counting labor and teardown, this would be a steal. Here is a factory sealed engine ready to go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HONDA-SILVERWING-FSC600-ENGINE-MOTOR-DRIVE-UNIT_W0QQitemZ360236537206QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotorcycles_Parts_Accessories?hash=item53dfc55576#ht_989wt_918