Timing: Update

[EEL]

SO....to clarify, you took the belts off, shifted the opener cam on both the intake and exhaust over to the side on respective head, took the openers shims off and THEN spun the cam while incrementally rotating the closer shim..

CORRECT?

[uclabiker06]

EEL here is what happened:

In order to check the closers the belts were taken off for the respective head, openers off (so the opening rockers/cams could slide over to the side) spun the toothed pully thing with my hand to check for binding; pretty simple.  

Actually one of the closers on the vertical cylinder was indeed too big so I couldn't spin the cam freely on that cylnder.  Thus I took it off, sanded, then tested it again and it was good.  At TDC I was indeed able to spin the closer with one finger while pushing on the closing rocker.

In the process of taking the belts off I might have not put them on the same exact way, which is why I think it sputtered the first test ride.  Now, when I got back to the garage after that first attempt, I moved the hirizontal cam one tooth over and then I thought that I was definitely okay b/c the marks lined up, perfectly.  So i fired up the bike and that is when I heard the bad sounds, hit the kill switch, and kind of gave up.  

NOTE: I was able to turn the engine with the engine turning tool before each & every time that I fired up the bike.   I'm thinking if I tried to turn the engine (with the engine turning tool) and the tool would get totally stuck THEN I would have a problem if I fired the bike up. However like I said, before every fire up I was indeed able to turn the tool so this give me SOME comfort that I didn't do damage the last time I fired it up which is when I heard a bit of abnormal clacking...scary.

NOTE: As it stands right now I am able to turn the engine using the tool however there is a spot which it gets "stuck" or a hard spot.  I can get past this hard spot by just applying some even pressure on the tool but thats not what it felt like before and I'm not turning that freaking bike on again until I'm 100% sure there is no chitty chitty bang bang going on in there.  Hope that clears things up a bit

[DucNaked]

Did you find TDC for each cylinder when you adjusted the valves? Or did you adjust both cylinders with the marks lined up?

[uclabiker06]

DucNaked, yes I did it seperately b/c each cylinder has a different TDC.  I waited for air to rush past my fingers through the spark holes then put a screwdriver to feel that the piston was at its highest point (i've done the valves before).  I will be going to my buddies house who has the same bike soon so hopefully his marks line up differently than mine.

[EEL]

I hate to ask this but you didnt leave the screw in a oil drain hole did you? I plug em to keep the collets from falling in. I always quadruple check before I close up.

[uclabiker06]

Turns out that I was off by one tooth in the counterclockwise direction on each cylinder so I turned each one clockwise by one tooth and I was good to go.  DO YOU GUYS THINK I BENT VALVES ON THE LAST FIRE UP?

[Howie]

If the bike is running well the valves are fine.  One tooth shouldn't bend a valve anyway.

[uclabiker06]

cool, well it seems to be running fine.  The idle definitely improved