Day: May 28, 2017

Mileage: 27,945

Today’s Maintenance:

• Torqued Head Bolts (nothing moved)
• Adjusted Valves (only minor adjustments required)
• Adjusted Timing Chain
• Replace valve cover outer gaskets (should replace ones around spark plug well)
• Installed reconditioned rubber mounts for instrument center panel
• Aimed headlight

The valve adjustments were in pretty good shape.  A couple of the intake valves were a bit tight, but not by much.  I adjusted the intake valves to pass 0.003″ but not 0.004″ and adjusted the exhaust valves to pass 0.004 but not 0.005.  Here’s the left cylinder:

Here’s a mystery… there’s no timing pointer!  See the TL (top-left) mark on the flywheel?  Most drawings show the timing pointer at the center of the hole, so that’s where I positioned the timing marks when adjusting the valves and timing chain.

No surprise given the previous pictures, the covers are very clean inside.  The outer gaskets were replaced.  The old ones weren’t hard, but they’re feeling a bit stiff.  They can probably be reconditions, so I threw them in the used-parts bag.  I should probably replace the inner seals as well.  Perhaps I’ll do that when (if) I strip the clear coat off the covers and polish them.

The bike was missing a mounting post on the left side cover.   In the picture, you can see the Velcro that was installed to take the place of the broken part.

I designed and 3D printed a replacement post which was then attached with JB Weld Epoxy Putty.   The side-cover repair page provides more details.

 

Over the last few days I’ve accomplished the following:

• Replaced brake cam felt seal
• Greased splines with NLGI2 moly
  
• Greased drive shaft joint with NLGI2 moly
  
• Replaced rear-brake cotter pins
  
• Adjusted rear brake
• Cleaned and recharge K&N air filter
  
• Adjusted clutch
• Replaced clutch lever rubber boot
  
• Inspected and lubricated clutch cable
• Replaced missing instrument cluster hardware install new rubber
• Replaced center stand rubber stopper on left muffler
• Replaced missing swing arm dust cap on left side

The rubber isolators for the center instrument light panel are no longer available, so I’m attempting to recondition those.  They’ve shrunk over the years and the light panel is very loose.

The instruments were also loose, but not because of bad rubber, but because of missing hardware.  I was able to purchase and install the missing hardware.

There are some small rubber bushing on the back of the tach and speedometer.  One of those was missing.  They were pretty inexpensive to replace, so they’ve been replaced with new rubber.  The existing ones aren’t in too bad of shape, so they’re going into the used spares bag.

The instruments sit in large foam-rubber rings.  Those are in bad shape, and can’t be reconditioned.  I should have ordered them, but they’re more than $12 apiece.  Next order I’ll pick up a set.

The clutch didn’t feel stiff before, but after lubricating the cable, it’s a bit easier to operate.  I need to do the same for the throttle cables.  The throttle doesn’t always return to idle when the grip is released.

I had a hard time installing the new center stand bumper.  It went a bit easier after I realized the the mount was bent.  The pipe has a dent there as well, which you don’t notice when looking at the bike from above.  The bracket had the shape of an inverted-V, as did the old bumper; it almost looked like it was supposed to be that way.  I’m guessing at some point the bike hit a curb, or rock which pushed the center stand up hard into the stop.  I was able to straighten the mount and, with a bit of effort, soap, and a few choice words, install the new bumper.