Piece of piston ring missing. Where could it of gone?

[rogerthat]

Before I did my rebuild, part of the top piston ring was missing. I looked as much as I could down in the crankcase, but I didn't see anything. What is the probablity that the piece went out the exhaust? Also, are there any cheap methods to clean it out or check for debris, without splitting the crankcase? Maybe using a piece of paper wrapped around the crankshaft to catch debris? I was also thinking maybe a can of compressed air could spray some stuff out. Thanks!

[geezer101]

Don't wanna be the guy who spoils the party, but the only way to make sure nothing metal has gone wayward in the casing is to pull 'er apart. If it made it down to the bottom of the crank case, it could've caused all kinds of damage (I'd expect the bore, piston and head already have scoring or some kind of mechanical damage...)

[Bear45-70]

In my experience, if you don't tear it apart and look, it will definitely be in the crankcase.

[rogerthat]

In my experience, if you don't tear it apart and look, it will definitely be in the crankcase.

Okay, I will get on it. I've already been reading about how to do it, and what kind of tools to get. Let the fun begin!

[rogerthat]

I was reading about how to open the crankcase, and on Wikispreedia, it mentioned using one tool to pull it apart (steering wheel puller), and one to put it back together (a Tusk Crank Puller/Installer Tool). I am thinking I will also need a tool to pull the flywheel off, and then also a new gasket. Is there anything else I should know? Do I need to remove anything from the other side? Do I need to remove the left side cover, clutch, belt, and the other part that connects to the other side of the crankshaft? I just want to take one side off and inspect for dirt.

Thanks!

[Trafficjamz]

if this is an af16 we are talking about, then there is no gasket between the case halves.

Honda bond only.

[rogerthat]

It's a 1986 NQ50

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Once you pry those case halves apart, you may find the flywheels obscure your view of whichever side the crank sticks in. In for a penny, in for a pound. Take the opportunity to knock the crank out of the other side, strip the cases and start over with fresh bearings while you're at it. With any bearing subjected to the lateral-force trauma of case separation, it is good practice (and cheap insurance) to spend the $40 to replace with fresh NTKs.

When the cases split, it's a toss-up whether the bearings stick in their sockets or stay on the shaft. In the first case, you can knock them out from the backside with a suitably-sized socket. If on the crank, Harbor Freight sells a Bearing Separator kit that can pry them off the shaft. Either way, I would recommend you not re-use them.

The good news is that the stripped cases can be properly cleaned and polished, if you like. Reassembly with the Tusk ( or Pricey Honda-san tool) from the crank up is a satisfying, "I assembled it from scratch..." experience.