u/padams20

I bought a project bike (1990 Suzuki DR350S) and I’m trying to get her running and eventually back on the road. I found a stripped cylinder head bolt, so I figured I would remove the cylinder head and do some thread repair - no biggie.

The head is FUCKING ON THERE. It looks to me like whoever was in here last siliconed the life out of it before reinstalling and now I cannot for the life of me get it off and I’m afraid I’ll break it.

What do you do in a situation like this?

So far I’ve tried:
- prying so hard at it that I can see the fins bending and I’m denting parts of the head (non sealing parts)…
- put the engine mount bolt back in and pulled on it with a strap with all I’ve got - twisted the strap to out tension and pried on it some more…
- swung my purse at it (not the sledge hammer one, just the plastic one, but still. I hit it good and hard is what I’m saying)…
- I may or may not have tried things too stupid to post on Reddit

Seriously though - I’m stumped. Would massive amounts of heat help? Is there something to help dissolve this silicone crud?

EDIT: Yes, I got all of the bolts out and I consulted the manual to make sure.

Bought a 1990 Suzuki DR350S project bike. It runs but poorly. Seller said it probably needs to be rejetted to match the aftermarket muffler. I’m new to carbs and looking forward to doing my first full carb rebuild on this bike. Can anyone help ID the muffler so I can figure out what jets to use in my rebuild?

Or tell me I’m an idiot. 🤷‍♂️

People of the internet, help me choose the safest armor for my 6-8 hour ride tomorrow.

I have some new CE level 1 “See Smart” elbow armor from a new Revit jacket. I also have some CE EN 1621-1 elbow armor from an old hand me down Olympia jacket. I’m going to say at least 8 years old. Maybe 12.

Either will fit in the AA jacket I’m wearing tomorrow.

The old gear looks and feels more substantial, but it doesn’t say if it’s CE 1 or 2. Also it’s made of some kind of closed cell foam. The new gear is… well, new. But only CE 1. It’s comfy, but I’m used to the bulky black ones.

Riding a mix of highway, interstate, city and a tiny bit of dirt tomorrow. WWYD?

EDIT: Thanks everyone for your advice. I didn’t expect the overwhelming votes for the new Rev’it gear over the older foamier gear. Also, to those who suggested it, some CE 2 D30 armor is on my list.

After all that, the ride went great. It was a looong one. 13 hours with lots and lots of breaks. Only injury are some bruised shins from a 1 mph fall in the woods 😂