Taking off Pods, air box refit.

Have been reading all the stuff about pod filters here and am having similar issues so I dived in at the deep end this weekend.

Started to check valve clearances first. Bike has 55K kms on the clock, I bought about a month ago and been riding around just enjoying it. (I did check for de lamination of rear shoes! Thanks.) Took rocker cover off, all looks nice and clean. Reached for feeler blades to find they had rusted up since last use. Can't remember when that was! So that job just halted there until I get some new blades.

Removed carbs to do a full clean and reset. Removed PO's K&N pod filters. I really didn't like the induction noise! Bought a used air box from ebay but what a PITA to fit with the engine still in the frame! four hours work! Carb boots had to come off along with starter motor out and battery holder and the electrical panel.

Carb boots not looking too hot! But cant run to buy new ones so a repair is called for, this time.

Haven't opened carbs yet. Going to complete valve clearances first. Then move on steadily.
:roll:

 

Good ideas, all. Makes it so much more reliable once everything is caught up and back to stock; then it's just maintenance and not a lot of it.

If you're talking about the intake manifolds, if the cracks don't go all the way through just pack them with black RTV and call it a day. Flex them from the inside with a fingertip, you'd be surprised. A lot of those cracks are only halfway deep, if that.

 

Could it be that all the induction noise was from the cracked carb boots? Pods will make a sucking sound on CV carbs, but most of your problems might be those boots.

 

Hey Big fitz, thanks for the input. I've seen some repairs where the manifold is completely smeared with RTV and then a sleeve made of a bicycle tube is slid over the RTV while wet to give an extra seal. I think I'll try this as it sounds more long term.

Orange & Black, It could be that the induction noise was from cracked boots/manifolds, but performance was not that bad except at about 4 1/2 to 5 k RPM where there was more noise than go! But guess I'll never know as I'm doing more than one job this time. So cant check individual repairs.

 

Bought new feeler blades and checked valve clearances. Only three were with in spec, all the rest tight, and the three were just in spec so, I'm going to try to replace shims in these too to give me a bit more time interval before my next check is required.

Tool ordered! Have a spare engine so may have what shims I need, but we'll see when the tool arrives.

Missing driving it already.

 

If #3 is in spec, even barely in spec, you shouldn't replace the shim, because then the new shim will throw this valve out of spec (too loose).

What are your readings?

 

Correct. In spec is in spec. Period. Don't put "in spec" valves out of spec hoping they will wear into spec. You need to check them every 5000 miles; you can't really "cheat" it.

 

Fitz is right (what else is new!!!!)

Too tight = valve open too long or never closes if it's way too tight = burnt valves
Too loose = valve isn't open long enough. = not enough fuel/air

In spec is in spec, don't ever cheat on it. Irregardless of if its clearances, plug gaps, torque settings, whatever.... there's a reason and it's usually a good one... Engineers just don't make that s**t up man....

 

Might want to hold off that bicycle tube fix. Did you ever try to use a inertube to hold something, like a big rubber band? They never seem to last long, don't know if It's UV light or ozone in the air. Maybe someone who has done this awhile ago can comment.

 

OK Guys, consider my wrist slapped.

I don't have the actual clearances with me, (in work). but will bring them with me in the morning.

I wouldn't have left a clearance too loose, I was trying to bring the clearance to the upper level of "in spec" without going over. I guess you guys know the shim sizes off by heart! I was trying to bring a .16 exhaust to .20 but not over. But I guess the shims are in .05 sizes? so the next shim would put me over.

Also has anybody seen all of the syncing outlets linked together, then a pipe from this to the vacuum petcock? I thought only no 3 cylinder had a vacuum pipe to the petcock, with the other outlets blanked off with caps?

 

Hey Bigfitz, I just saw this and cut and pasted from your excellent valve clearance post with pics. This was my intention!

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: AIRHEAD VALVE ADJUSTMENT with Pics Reply with quote
UPDATE: Got all the shims in; even the one that was "in spec" was right at the tight side so I dropped down a size on it too.

 

Oh, sorry; should have clarified that better at the time. The valve I was referring to was "in spec" if you use the American equivalent clearances; but actually out of spec by metric measurement. That's why "in spec" was in quotes; it really wasn't in spec.

Example: The American "equivalent" of .11mm is given as .004" which is actually .1016mm, which is out of spec.

 

I did the inner tube fix once, lasted about 3 months. Went to Lowe's and got some 1/8th thick rubber plumbing couplings, but the best fix(other than replacing the boots) would probably be fuel hose.(The hose that goes from fill inlet to the tank on a car).