JES BUILT Motorcycles

08/31/2026

Here's tip for sealing the cylinder studs in a DOHC CB head.
Many think that the cylinder stud washers are copper. No, they are copper coated steel washers. If you have been in one of these heads then you have seen the washers and how they gall the head.
I spray a light coat of copper coat on them. Then let them tack up.
Then I dip the washers in engine oil before I put them on the studs. This helps keep the galling to a minimum.

08/31/2026

Here's an FYI that I just realized.
I was putting a set of cases together and couldn't get the countershaft seal to sit properly. The seal is a 2 piece seal and I had to pull it apart a ways to get it to sit flush against the bearing and have the lip on the seal fit in the cases. This didn't sit well with my mind so I compared the seal to an OEM Honda seal. The seal on the left is OEM and it's 3mm taller than the seal that comes in the 4into1 seal kit. So now I will be using the seal kit and have to get an OEM seal for the countershaft.

Descriptions on each picture if you click on them.

China strikes again. We not make same. We make Simawa.
If you are going to copy something make it right or don't bother FFS.

08/22/2026

Here’s an FYI to the folks wanting to be DICK HEADS.

My page is for sharing my experience, others to share theirs and people to ask questions without being laughed at. That way we can all learn.
Here’s my reply to someone who was being a DICK because another person miss spelled a word.

So Sir if you want to be a Karen/asshat and be the spelling police. Go somewhere else. My page is for people to ask questions, share their knowledge with others and most importantly. Be able to ask questions and miss spell if it happens. I have zero tolerance for people attacking others just because it makes them feel good but in everyone else’s opinion you’re just being a DICK. If you can be polite and speak like you’d like to be talked too? Then stay and share your vast knowledge so we all can learn. If you can’t, then just leave or the next time I see you being a Dick. You’ll be gone.

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

Here's a little piston trivia for you. On the right is an OEM CB1100F 70mm piston and it weighs 202 grams. On the left is a Wossner 70mm piston coming in at 174 grams. Thats a huge savings in weight. Have you ever thought about how heavy your pistons are at TDC and BDC at 10,000 RPM. I don't know the exact numbers but I believe it is in the hundreds of pounds when it has to change direction in a milli sec.

08/19/2026

The "Experts" are out in force today. On one of the simple posts again. Must be 20 experts. I been laughing most of the day.

Send a message to learn more

08/18/2026

I got Hugh's engine all cleaned up and back together. I didn't have to strip it fully but that wouldn't be me. I like dry clean cases when they go back together.

08/18/2026

Here's a tip for the new mechanics out there and an FYI for all of my customers who have me build their engines. We are working with 40+ year old engines. The case bolt holes are always a crap shoot when it comes time to torque up the cases. The aluminum is old and brittle now days. I always fully inspect the threads and run a chaser bolt in them to see how they feel. If they feel good and look good? Then I continue. If not, they get repaired. The problem is nobody can see the future and you never know when the threads are going to say NO MORE.
That just happened on the last case bolt that I install in the cases. It torqued up just fine a few weeks ago but not this time.

So, here's the tip for the new mechanics.
Sometimes you can get away with a longer bolt. Honda normally has threads about 13mm deeper than the bolts they put in the cases. Not always but in this case I got lucky and it did the trick. If it didn't work. I would have had to split the cases and repair the threads.

The FYI for my customers is. From this day forward. I will be charging for my time to repair any threads that give up the ghost on the final assembly. I just can't keep eating something that I have no control over. I have the best torque wrench that Snap-on sells but the cases determine when they are done. I hope you understand if it weren't me, it would be you having to deal with it.
Next Task

08/15/2026

Ready to put Hugh's engine back together Monday. Since I decided to pull the top end while the cases were apart. That meant I needed another set of rod bolts. These are good bolts but you need to replace them if you pull the rods off the crank.
Have a great weekend everyone.