Getting back to my 550 basket case - valves

Seeing how the 750 is giving me such fits I decided to take a break and work on the 550 a bit.

I had the valve cover off already since I was replacing donuts. So, I measured valves.

Exhaust:

.14-.13-.12-.19

Intake:

.09-.07-.07-.09

All but one tighter than spec. Beautiful.

Now, to pull and ID shims...

 

Nice, I just got done sealing up the top end of my engine today after doing the valve clearances, also had 7 out of spec haha. Luckily I could swap a few around and only needed 4 ones I didn't have.

I see you are from mn? It must be such torture having problems with your bike when it's warming up for spring! I am in the same boat

 

Ah, but I have a secret weapon.

My other bike:

 

Does the XS400 has those special bolts you can adjust at the end of the rocker arms to have the right clearance?

 

Eccentric? Like us Brits :lol:

 

Yep. There are four plugs at the top of the engine, pull them off and you get to the tops of rocker arms. 10mm wrench and a Philips screwdriver, and you're set to adjust. Takes about 15 minutes to do.

Is that Britspeak for "silly"?

I keed, I keed.

BTW, I just got done watching Red Dwarf through series 9, so I'm up on Brit silly.

 

Smeghead

And I thought quebecois was thinking of the kind where you turn the actual rocker shaft & it takes the rocker closer to or further from the cam & valve, kinda like the chain adjusters on some bikes where you turn the disc & it moves the axle (hence the eccentric pun, as in eccentric bolts. Think Gold Stars may have had eccentric rocker shafts but not sure. It was something old & Brit anyway lol)

 

I just wanted to know if the XS400 uses the same "technology" as the XS650, lol!

 

Like Whitworth wrenches and Michael Caine?

No, the rocker arm has a screw through the top of it and it has a jam nut. Dirt simple.

I swear, these XS bikes are probably going to be the transportation after the Apocalypse, they can be fixed with hand tools and a few choice words.

 

Just like Whitworth SPANNERS yes

I'd give my vote to any old diesel motor with a "pull to stop" type injector pump for post apocalyptic transport though, duff alternator? not a problem, no electricity required...

 

Terribly sorry, chap. One of my old English teachers would have a fit, for sure. Old Mrs. "I am not teaching you American, I am teaching you English"...

Sure, but is there a motorbike with one of those?

 

Jolly bad show that man, just not cricket. Spit spot, tally ho and all that

Actually I think Royal Enfield made a diesel bike, or at least somebody was in business converting them... There I go with these bloody Brit bikes again (errrm, hang on though where are Royal Enfield made now? ) haha

EDIT-: http://www.realclassic.co.uk/diesel05112800.html

 

You think it's funny, but because of massive amounts of Brit TV shows we watch in our house our oldest wants to actually learn to talk like that. Which wouldn't be a big deal, but I'm afraid he will get beat up a lot at school.

I know where they are made - there is a Royal Enfield dealer spitting distance from my house. Or, rather, swimming distance - he's right across the Mississippi.

 

We don't actually talk like Stewie Griffin you know lol well maybe some of us do (Stephen Fry... Ummmm, Patrick Moore (but he died), Maggie Thatcher, Brian Blessed... Can't think of many others)

Gotta admit it is quite cool to hear someone who does speak like an olde worlde English Gentleman, makes a nice change from the current majority of the population who sound like Vicky Pollard off Little Britain 8O

They might sell RE near you but they make them in India now, think our workforce wanted too much money to get out of bed & man the machines so they went where people actually wanted a job lol

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wxdCApymG0

 

Terry-Thomas, but he died, too.

If I ever buy an Enfield, I am totally growing my facial hair out to there and dressing like this:

Oh, I know.