[Lightnin']

Hello All, Yes its a sad, sad story. I dreamed of owning a Boss Hoss ever since seeing the number one when Monte took it to Sturgis and it was photograghed and put in one of those V-twin mags in an article about the Rally that particular year. I read read everything I could find on the V8 bike for years, keeping abreast of the progress of Monte's dream. My wife, Anita, and I stay on the road 90% of the time in an 18 wheeler and have visited 11 dealers and the factory a few times, as well as the Rally there and the one at Osage Beach. Earlier in the year, I found the one I wanted at Performance Collection in New Orleans and they let me pay down on it for several months and then finally financed the rest in November and took it home to Stephenville, Texas in the back of the big rig. We stayed home and got five days riding in, left and came home in January to find the block busted out on both sides. Yep, plain water in it. They hadn't checked it out and although I intended to myself just for safety sake and forgot, hit the road. The Dealer feels bad about the slip up and says they'll help with the project I now have. Its a 1996 clutch bike and going to stick with the clutch for now. I would love to hear any upgrade sugjestions any of you might have since the bike is now all over my 10X12 storage building/Boss Hoss Doggie House. While replacing the block, now is the time to make any changes to performance or quality of items in the engine. I know, I know...put in some anti-freeze.
Kenny[/img][/code]

 

[Adrian]

Kenny

Are you sure that the block burst or was it the freeze plugs? Most of the time the plugs will come out first but might be bad. I would pull the headers off and make sure.

Adrian

 

[Lightnin']

Adrian,
You can only imagine how I wished for that to be the case. I actually got the bike out and it started right up after sitting a month. I was unaware of the problem and was babying it around for a few minutes and pulled across the street to check tire pressures. Left it running while added a little air, rode back to the house. As I neared the house I noticed the temp getting up to the 250 range and killed the engine and coasted in. I stopped and leaned it over on the stand to see clearish rusty plain water trickle a small bit from behind the left side header. I WAS SIIIIICK!! Moped around for two hours then got out the tools and took it all apart and the next morn took the engine down to our local engine expert, then I hit the rode again, and since have ordered a new bare zz4 block, rings and gaskets from GMpartsdirect.com which will ship to the engine shop. Going to do more upgrades since its all apart. Maybe LT4 Hot Cam Kit and other goodies. I'll be happy to e-mail pics of the large CRACKS. Not sure how to do that here. Kenny

 

[Adrian]

Ken

That being the case be sure and have the heads magnafluxed so you will know that they are not hurt. I have had a couple of them freeze and break.
I put the H O T cam and it was just great. With the roller 1.6 rockers it will be 394 HP according to Chevrolet. With a good 3 angel valve job it will thump.

Adrian

 

[Adrian]

These are the guys I get my Chevy parts from.

Adrian


http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/index.html

 

[Busa Dave]

That Sucks!!!! :twisted: Do Do you know the Dealer in Grand Prairie Texas Boss Hoss? Curtis Pyatt can go thru the bike and make repairs and modify the bike cosmetically as well as functionally. Mine has been modified extensively from the new engine to drive system and Curtis is the only one who touches mine! Sorry to hear about the freeze plug problem! I will ride to the ranch outside of Tolar occasionally where I am going today but with the rain and equipment I have to take the truck will be used.

 

[Lightnin']

Adrian, thanks for the Sallee web site info, I'll check it out. I am having my engine man check out the heads real good for me. We had a load on the big truck that allowed us to pass through there last week and he had it all apart and all looks good, although you can't always tell by looking. He is the local "talk of the town" expert and will no doubt have my engine expertly assembled. I have spent countless hours on the net(wireless in our truck) ordering parts to be shipped to him for the rebuild, like.... bare ZZ4 block, new rings that fit the ZZ3 pistons(not sure if same as zz4), oem gaskets, etc.
Also, did considerable damage to my credit card and ordered the LT4 Hot Cam Kit, Holley Street Dominator intake, Holley 4150 750cfm Carburetor, Holley "red" fuel pump, K&N filter and ex-stream lid. The engine guy is going to cc the heads and measure deck height and mill the heads accordingly to get the 10 to 10.1 range of the ZZ4 if needed. SHould be pushing 400hp or better when finished. I think the ZZ3 is around 9.5 to 1 compression ratio. I may still need to get the crane spring and adjustment kit for the distributor, too. All of you placing so much info on this web site has been extremely helpful.
Thanks a million, Kenny

 

[Lightnin']

Bd, YES I am happy to report that I do know Curtis. Over the many years of dreaming and drooling about owning a Boss Hoss I would occasionally stop in his shop to drool when in the metro-plex area. I have been on the phone with him several times this week and he, along with this web site has given me all the info I am using to upgrade. I will be taking my bike to him and no where else as he spent a lot of time with me on the phone detailing great things I should do. I think he was the 4th dealer ever and has done a lot of experimenting with certain set ups and advised me on the intake and carb. I was in his shop when he first started and bought three large posters that have a 94 or 95 Red clutch bike with a gal in a white dress standing behind the bike as the model, and they are still on my walls as well as newer BH posters. Great to hear from a local Boss Hoss rider. I rode mine over to Granbury and back when I first got it home. Maybe we'll run in to each other one of these days.
Kenny
Kenny

 

[Busa Dave]

Kenny,

Look forward to meeting you as well! I think Curtis and I have just about done everything we can to mine with respect to performance but the truth of the matter you are never finished!! With all of this rain I have not been able to test the new tire (Yokohama Advan A048) but by the end of the week it should be cleared out a bit!


When you set up the engine remember that this is not a car and the lower in the RPM range and the flatter the TQ curve is the better off you are. The BH is so light and you need the power lower when you twist the throttle. The way the engines come set up are for cars with lots of gears so you have to manage power through the engine exclusively. The BH is already behind the curve with the carb that the factory uses because it is a vacuum type and when it comes in it so the power delivery it is not linear. Coupled by the fact that the engine is set up to deliver most of the power in the top of the RPM range this is what makes for great burnouts 8) but not great hook up. Let me know when you are going to be at TBH as we have some pretty neat people in the area who ride quite a bit!