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Engine seized

9K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  artstenn 
#1 ·
So due to bad decisions and a little bit of bad luck I installed my oil filter in the wrong direction. My bike stalled at 6th gear and now I can't get it to start up anymore. I sent it to the mechanic to check how bad the damage is and the report came back with a pre-evaluation that the piston and valve might be touching. Now I have the option of continuing with the full evaluation which will cost me about $450 in total, not including fixing the engine, assuming the pre-evaluation is correct. I bought my 2011 CBR 250 for $2500 a year ago and I'm wondering if I should continue with the evaluation and see how much it will cost to get it fixed and go from there or should I just sell my bike as a project bike? I'm living in Ohio, USA but I'm not sure how much I can get out of it. Any advice/suggestions?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Have you investigated the price of a used engine? It should be about the same as the full evaluation.

If you are going to do your own maintenance, you need the proper tools and references, plus lots of time to do it slow and right. This is especially true for newbies and us old folks (we tend to forget what we've done if we stop for very long).
 
#3 ·
Yea. It stands around 600 excluding shipping. It would match the price of a full eval but I'm not sure if it will be worth it considering I'm a student and will be busy with school. Not to mention winter is coming and I don't really have a place to fix it without having my fingers frozen.
 
#4 ·
I am sorta in same boat. I would strongly suggest NOT to get an evaluation. save the money for swap engine. since winter is just around the corner you can take your time buying an engine and swap in spring. or sell the bike AS IS at a loss. I am planning to fix my bike myself. see IS MY ENGINE SEIZED. later greenleaf
 
#6 ·
as you dont have the option of repair, it seems now
potential solutions come down to economics..

looks like you may need to bite the bullet,,
salvaging whatever you can from
your damaged motorcycle..

can family or suchlike help out here[?]
they if anyone will understand the importance
of avoiding stress during this student phase,,
and the relative importance of a dollar..
 
#8 ·
Geez...I read about this problem so much on this website I'm a little surprised someone hasn't started a class-action suit against Honda for bad oil filter design leading to all these catastrophes.
It's not a bad oil filter design. Less than 15 minutes of research would inform any competent lawyer that one would never stand even the slightest chance of winning or settling such a lawsuit claim... Honda has the proper oil filter replacement procedure well and clearly documented, both in the Owner's Manuals it provides to the original owners of these motorcycles, and in the Service Manuals it sells.
 
#9 ·
The oil filter is dead simple. Easy to access and cheap.. I don't understand how this is such a common thing . I've been using the same gasket since I bought the bike lol. But mistakes happen. Sometimes when your moving through it you find out you messed up to late . But I would buy another motor or look into throwing this bike in as a trade . Some bike shops will take a seized bike for a decent amount Givin the circumstances. If you had the time and a warm garage I would def get a new engine. But do what makes the most sense financially to you.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I would disagree with the idea that the "oil filter installed backwards" is a common problem. While we have been reading about a number of them lately, how many cases of the oil filter being installed backwards have there been since the bike was first released, as compared to the total number of these bikes sold?

Anyway, I don't see how Honda could be held responsible for the actions of a DIY owner who incorrectly installs the oil filter, anymore than it would be Honda's responsibility if an owner somehow filled the fuel tank with Diesel fuel instead of gasoline. The fact is, people will install these oil filters backwards for the same reasons that they make mistakes while performing other service procedures... by not paying attention to what they are doing, or because they simply did not fully understand the correct procedure for the job.

BTW, Honda has been using this same oil filter design since at least the early 1980's in their air-cooled off road & dual sport thumpers, long before before the CBR250R was released in late 2010.
 
#12 ·
Yup, I had the same filter in my 1989 NX250 (which was the one water-cooled Dominator, the NX650 and NX125 were air-cooled).

If you are going to do your own maintenance, remember that your life depends upon your attention to the details. While going down the road at 75 mph, you do not want to find out that you put the retaining clip onto the master link backwards.
 
#14 ·
I totally get that if you're going to do your own maintenance you should at least have some idea what you're doing before you tackle something like a first oil change on a new bike.
The problem I see is that the CBR250R is a first motorcycle for many who've never had a bike or even a car before and they have zero skills or experience, yet the process of changing the oil seems pretty simple and they think it would be a good place to start learning. What new bike owner wants to pay a dealer for what looks like a very do-able chore?
I previously owned a Ninja250 and a couple of Yamahas and like jvk357 says, they all had filters that could only be installed the correct way. And even with many oil changes done on those bikes, I still worry about being distracted during the critical point of installing my CBR filter. More than once I've pulled the filter cover off after installing it just to make absolutely sure I actually installed it correctly. The risk of catastrophic failure is just too great not to if you have any doubt at all. Something as basic as an oil change shouldn't be so easy to screw up.
I just think Honda should acknowledge that this is a "beginner" bike for many and at a minimum increase the warnings in their owners manuals about this possibility. Currently correct filter orientation only warrants a small "notice" box in the manual, not even a "WARNING" one. Perhaps Honda should include a warning sticker on the oil filter cover of new bikes. One of the first things most new owners do is remove the warning stickers on the CBR's gas tank, but just having one to remove on the oil filer cover would go a long way towards increasing awareness of a potentially bike-killing mistake.
 
#18 ·
The CBR250R/RA Owner's Manual has an illustration which clearly shows the correct orientation of the oil filter inside the right side crankcase cover.

And this photo showing the correct oil filter orientation is from the DIY Oil Change sticky thread in our Service & Maintenance forum...





.
 
#22 ·
The CBR250R/RA Owner's Manual has an illustration which clearly shows the correct orientation of the oil filter inside the right side crankcase cover.
And this photo showing the correct oil filter orientation is from the DIY Oil Change sticky thread in our Service & Maintenance forum...
I'm looking at the small Owners Manual that came with the bike (CBR250R/A).
It has 15 pages of warnings for everything from "keep sparks and flame away from the gas tank when filling it with fuel" to "improper charging can damage the battery".
The "Changing Engine Oil and Filter" section is 2 pages. It features a 2 1/4" x 1/2" "warning" box that states "Improper installation of the oil filter can result in serious damage to the engine" and a 2 1/4" x 2" drawing of the oil filter, cover and gasket with an arrow pointing to the filter that says "OUT-SIDE mark".
Due to the small size of the manual (approx 6" x 4") the notice and diagram are also necessarily small with a very small font used.

I'm not trying to garner sympathy for anyone who starts a task without proper preparation and planning, or undertakes maintenance on a new bike without the skills or knowledge to see it to it's successful completion. I'm simply observing that considering the result of a new owner not doing this procedure correctly, Honda should stress the dire consequences of improper orientation of the oil filter with a bit more urgency than what's currently available. An oil and filter change is probably the first task a new owner is going to attempt. If they're going to spend 15 pages on common sense mistakes that could kill YOU like every other Owner's Manual includes, they should at least try just a little harder to help you avoid a simple mistake that could easily kill your BIKE. Whether they accomplish it in an added sticker on the oil filter or a simple Dealer Bulletin directing salesmen to advise new owners of the potential danger, I think this could be done inexpensively and it would ultimately be in Honda's interest to do so in the long run.
 
#19 ·
instructions in owners manual are clear
and obvious even without english..
even if you see the words 'OUTER SIDE'
as a symbol, they are on one side only of
the filter, as shown in the exploded view
of bolts-to-filter in sequence on p58..

first thing anyone sees on lifting the cover
is OUTER SIDE stamped into the filter..
outer side spring retaining indent is solid,
no hole.. then the inner side, has a hole
with black rubber washer..
ah-ha,, the black hole, onto the engine..

its a simple self evident sequence, 1-2-3
remove, replace the same way, check..

but who can argue against any,
idiot-proofing designers include
with any vehicle or process..

ultimately tho, as forrest gump
so succinctly observed;
'stupid is as stupid does'
 
#20 ·
Maybe some enterprising entrepreneur could engineer and manufacture a spin on filter adapter... It would be kinda simple actually.
 
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#21 ·
Well said shish. Forrest Gump's wise words are many. I concur "stupid is as stupid does"! As seasoned members of this forum are well aware, I love to quote the Gump :)
 
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#24 ·
Designing the filter to only fit the way it should, and not any other way, is just smart engineering. I can almost guarantee a Honda Service Tech somewhere has installed it incorrectly at some point. It's going to happen.

Many things that are nowhere near as critical are designed so a replacement or serviceable part can only be installed in the proper orientation. It's not uncommon at all.

Not everyone has an owners manual handy. Not everyone reads English.

Honda should have thought of that.
 
#25 ·
Engine swap is an easy job, getting the motor out is a little tricky, but not too hard. It comes out of the right side. Getting the bike up as high as reasonable helps too.

Putting the new engine in, cover the top end with a towel or moving blanket to protect it from nicks.
 
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#26 ·
logic of and common sense observations
on idiot-proofing are sound and obvious..
member pricelisters' - "put flashing light on it"
gets a laugh as it borders on the ridiculous,
while making the point about underlying
attitude to, this task..

same for adding black ink to the indented letters
'OUTSIDE'.. some people drive into easily visible
motorcyclists.. including drivers with 20/20 vision..
without doubt,, any competent blind person
with instructions in braille could fit this filter
as designed and intended..

i for one would be as happy as larry
if honda [and others] idiot-proofed
their/our oil filter orientation..

as its not tho,, placing the onus on
she who is holding the filter, rather than
honda not idiot-proofing it, distracts from
the necessity of simply doing it right..
 
#27 ·
I have never cared much for the filter cover-gasket-filter-spring installation. A spin-on filter is the best. The 500's have 'em. That being said, installing the filter is easy and Honda is very clear about the correct position. I still do double takes on it before wrangling the gasket/spring/filter cover back on!
 
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