[Ginganinja]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

There are several hidden bolts on the case top and bottom. Once you have them all out, there is a pry point next to a '#' marked area. It pries apart relatively easy so if it doesn't, then you missed a bolt.

There are no gaskets to reassemble the case, but you'll need to pick up a tube of Hondabond at your local Honda dealer. Its about $15-$20 a tube. Its not the same thing as permatex RTV. I haven't used RTV myself, but I've had too many people tell me they had oil leaks afterwards when they used it, so I've always just used the HondaBond. The manual says "kawibond", but Hondabond is just as good.

The 1/4" carbon ring at the top of the cylinders is the distance from the top of the piston to the first ring. When you clean that off, you may feel a lip right there. That is from wear. Measuring the thickness of that lip is a good rule of thumb to find out if you need new cylinders. At 41K, you are probably close, but you can always replace them later if you don't do it now.

If you need new cylinders, you have several options.
A) A low miles used cylinder set from ebay.
B) New cylinder$ from the dealer that have to be installed at a machine shop.
C) Have the machine shop bore your old cylinders oversize and install new oversize piston$.

In all cases, you'll need new rings to match whatever pistons you end up with.

thanks for the help with the hidden bolts, i didn't know that til i read your post, it turns out, there is also a bolt that is holding the crank case from coming apart, that i don't know how to get out: any help? its on the crank bolt/flywheel side, beneath a gear.