what did you wrench on today??

[dgates1]

I sometimes feel I do more harm than good when syncing. It's so difficult getting access and tightening without throwing them off. Both bikes idle fantastic and my old Motion Pro mercury set shows them looking pretty even. It could be better and more proper per spec, but I don't think I am skilled enough.

I did end up changing out my Carb Sync Screws for hex-drive cap screws with a washer and spring on them. Found the M5x0.5 pitch screws on eBay from China (search for "M5 fine thread"). Had ordered 20mm length and they were too long and interfered with the choke rail. The 16mm length ones I ordered next were just right. Also ordered 7mm OD x 5mm ID x 15mm Long SS springs. These were good on the 20mm screw but too long for the 16m screw. Ended up cutting them to about 10-11mm length and installed with a SS M5 washer at the top of the screw.





I had done a vacuum sync right before this with the 11" long "special tool" that is suppose to work and it was difficult to get them balanced really good. Used a micrometer to crudely "measure" where the throttle valves were. I installed the new screws/springs and tried to match with the carbs still on the bike. It started but was not very happy... might be better to pull the carbs and do a bench sync.

After they were installed and I did the sync again, it was really easy to dial them in to be just about perfect with a 4mm ball end bit on a 6" bit holder. Yes.. I know everything is really dirty right now (she just woke up from an 8 year nap) and I did replace my O-rings in the boots.

Time will tell if they hold their position.

[oldGSfan]

I did end up changing out my Carb Sync Screws for hex-head cap screws with a washer and spring on them. Found the M5x0.5 pitch screws on eBay from China (search for "M5 fine thread"). Had ordered 20mm length and they were too long and interfered with the choke rail. The 16mm length ones I ordered next were just right. Also ordered 7mm OD x 5mm ID x 15mm Long SS springs. These were good on the 20mm screw but too long for the 16m screw. Ended up cutting them to about 10-11mm length and installed with a SS M5 washer at the top of the screw.

I had done a vacuum sync right before this with the 11" long "special tool" that is suppose to work and it was difficult to get them balanced really good. Used a micrometer to crudely "measure" where the throttle valves were. I installed the new screws/springs and tried to match with the carbs still on the bike. It started but was not very happy... might be better to pull the carbs and do a bench sync.

After they were installed and I did the sync again, it was really easy to dial them in to be just about perfect with a 4mm ball end bit on a 6" bit holder. Yes.. I know everything is really dirty right now (she just woke up from an 8 year nap) and I did replace my O-rings in the boots.

Time will tell if they hold their position.

Oh that's a clever idea. I should try that. I was tuning my son's friend's DR-Z400 carb the other day and the idle mixture screw (fuel adjustment type) is impossible to get to, it's under the carb and very little clearance. What a bugger! They sell extended screws with a knurled knob (eek!) and I recommended he get one, because I simply couldn't adjust it. I had put it to a setting that I read was about right, 3 turns - it was out 5 - and the bike runs good. But I like to fine tune if possible.

That got me thinking 'why do they do that?' and all I can figure is that the carb maker and the bike maker aren't on the same page, they aren't designed specifically for the bike. Old boxer BMWs are so simple to adjust, and overall I remember never having an issue swinging a wrench on them. None of that 1/8 turn, flip the wrench, another 1/8. They seemed to be built to work on. Unlike the modern ones. This pic is funny, must be a joke. Right?

[Baatfam]

This pic is funny, must be a joke. Right?

Maybe not. This is my K1100RS getting a spline lube....

BMW Spline Lube 20 by R John Thieda, on Flickr

[alke46]

Ridiculous.......fine German engineering eh?

[johnod]

Maybe not. This is my K1100RS getting a spline lube....

BMW Spline Lube 20 by R John Thieda, on Flickr

Well that looks like fun.
Had a K1200RS, great bike, but too complex to enjoy working on imo.

[Redman]

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This pic is funny, must be a joke. Right?

Nope.

My 2002 R1100RT having xmission work in 2015 (after only 5 days of me riding a beemer).



to do anything related to xmission or clutch, even just replacing the o-ring on clutch cylinder, required this much dissasembly.

somewhere about 2019 2020(?) the R1200 were redesigned to have the clutch in front of the engine.

[Redman]

My wrenching today.
Well, slip joint plyers anyway.

Snowed overnight, couple inches. Could have drove over it, but gonna be cold next week or so and then would be packed down froze into ice.
So GOt out snowthrower. Ah, first pass and chains comming off one wheel, and became a tangled mess wrapped around axle in quick order.

GOt back to it this afternoon. Photo after job complete. Got it on tighter this time, I think

Have chains on wheels cuz the lugs on the tires (1982 snowthrower) are worn down.

More and more about me is becoming vintage.

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[oldGSfan]

Nope.

My 2002 R1100RT having xmission work in 2015.

https://photobucket.com/share/9f4268d4-f286-403d-a7a4-d57d3d2e502f

(or has photobucket gotten more usless ? ? )

somewhere about 2019 2020(?) the R1200 were redesigned to have the clutch in front of the engine.

My '66 Norton N15CS requires a lot of disassembly for basic maintenance tasks. To change the countershaft sprocket you must do the following, which I wrote down when doing it (not covered well in the manual):

• Drain the primary chain case oil, and remove the primary cover's 14 cheesehead screws.
• Disconnect the alternator wires, as you have to pull the 3 wires through a grommet, very squeezy-like. The wires won't fit through the grommet with the bullet connectors still on, so you need to snip and re-crimp new connectors back on upon reassembly.
• You can now remove the primary cover and spill the remaining chain lube (6 oz ATF) all over the frame rails, etc. You may remove the sexy alloy cover, sort of delicately. It's tough to get the cover with the stator off past the magnetic rotor and footpeg. You will probably scar it unless you take the left footpeg off. This means taking the heavy, strange contraption of a bracket off, which runs under the bike to the other footpeg.
• Remove the alternator retaining nut, and then the alternator rotor (woodruff key, washers, etc). This can require a puller. Removing the nut means standing on the brake pedal in gear to keep the engine from turning over. That means putting the brake lever back on.
• Loosen the primary chain tensioner and jostle the primary drive > tensioner > countershaft sprocket > rear sprocket to get some slack on the chain.
• Take off the clutch adjuster nut and the retaining nut with an impact, standing on the brake as before. It helps to be flexible.
• Remove the brake lever.
• Attach a Norton puller to remove the engine sprocket. No regular 3 jaw puller will do the job.
• Remove the primary chain (you needed it before to lock stuff up to remove bolts). It's not so easy, there is only one position where the master link can come out, due to clearance to the inner chain case for the clip to escape.
• Remove the clutch by taking out the 3 springs, retainers, etc, and then the plate and the basket.
• Remove the inner primary chaincase by removing 3 big screws with an impact at the front, spacers plus felt seals at the back.
• Remove the big nut on the countershaft sprocket. put the brake lever back on (same left side as the primary) to lock the wheel up. Heave away at it mercilessly.
• Remove the drive chain and replace the sprocket. Woo freakin' hoo! You may need a puller.
• Do all the above in reverse. Feed the wiring through the grommet, put on new connectors, and adjust the primary chain by means of the drive chain/rear wheel exerting torque on it.
• Put a new chaincase gasket on, Fill with ATF, and adjust the drive chain.
• (optional) say a prayer to St. Jude

Each task on the Norton is 10x as complicated as it should be, for such a simple bike. To be fair it's a 'hybrid' mashup of a Matchless frame and Norton engine, and that brings some issues. Thankfully it's reliable and seldom needs attention. Just kidding!

[oldGSfan]

My wrenching today.
Well, slip joint plyers anyway.

Snowed overnight, couple inches. Could have drove over it, but gonna be cold next week or so and then would be packed down froze into ice.
So GOt out snowthrower. Ah, first pass and chains comming off one wheel, and became a tangled mess wrapped around axle in quick order.

GOt back to it this afternoon. Photo after job complete. Got it on tighter this time, I think

Have chains on wheels cuz the lugs on the tires (1982 snowthrower) are worn down.

More and more about me is becoming vintage.

.

What's that machine? We had a 9HP (?) Ariens snowblower, lawn mower, roto tiller back in the 70s in Boston. That thing was awesome, just a couple of bolts and locating studs to change things out. 3 acres of land to mow, a huge garden to till, and lots of snow to move, because in addition to a large driveway, we had an ice skating pond about the size of a football field (a flooded swamp). I thought that thing was awesome, doing all those things. Beat digging, shoveling and mowing by manual power.

One memory that stands out among many - the muffler rusted through, like everything did back then. My dad had just built a greenhouse and the cat loved sleeping in there on a cold winter's day. Well, my dad knew a warm Ariens was a happy starting Ariens, and parked it in there. One bitter cold snowy day, rather than pulling it outside, he started it up in the greenhouse. Well, the noise of starting it in a glass enclosure was epic, and the cat happened to be in there. He made a nice cat-sized hole through the door getting out of dodge. Still gives me a chuckle.