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I've been searching around the internet for a good place to ask about this, and this forum seems like my best bet. So hi. 
I bought a 1981 GS450L for cheap a few months ago knowing that the timing of the cam chain had to be adjusted after the previous owner had tinkered with it a bit and had eventually given up. I picked it up as a little learning project as I've had little experience with anything mechanical and I really want to get into such things (motorcycles especially).
I've wanted to do everything properly from the start, so I picked up the right Clymer manual from my local library. After surveying the bike, manual in hand, I was ready to set the timing right, which didn't seem extremely complicated. However, just before I started I looked at the exhaust ports and noticed that the threads in the head to attach the exhaust flange were all messed up. So I removed the head and had a machinist fix it. He did a great job, and now I've got everything to put the head back on.
Before handing over the cylinder head I removed the four tappets (are they called tappets?) because they kept sliding out. I carefully noted which went where and set them aside. After getting the head back, all have gone back in with ease except for one.
Here are some pictures of the head and tappet in front of me:
The tappet in question only goes in a few millimeters and gets stuck. It simply will NOT move in farther. I noticed (visible in the last picture) that there is a ring looking metal piece about as far down as the tappet will move. I've noticed that I can move that metal ring with a small screwdriver, but no position of the ring will allow the tappet to be reinserted. Is that ring in the way? Has this happened to anyone else? Can it be resolved?
If you need more information or better pictures, just ask. I'll have access to a better camera shortly.
Any help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks.
I bought a 1981 GS450L for cheap a few months ago knowing that the timing of the cam chain had to be adjusted after the previous owner had tinkered with it a bit and had eventually given up. I picked it up as a little learning project as I've had little experience with anything mechanical and I really want to get into such things (motorcycles especially).
I've wanted to do everything properly from the start, so I picked up the right Clymer manual from my local library. After surveying the bike, manual in hand, I was ready to set the timing right, which didn't seem extremely complicated. However, just before I started I looked at the exhaust ports and noticed that the threads in the head to attach the exhaust flange were all messed up. So I removed the head and had a machinist fix it. He did a great job, and now I've got everything to put the head back on.
Before handing over the cylinder head I removed the four tappets (are they called tappets?) because they kept sliding out. I carefully noted which went where and set them aside. After getting the head back, all have gone back in with ease except for one.
Here are some pictures of the head and tappet in front of me:
The tappet in question only goes in a few millimeters and gets stuck. It simply will NOT move in farther. I noticed (visible in the last picture) that there is a ring looking metal piece about as far down as the tappet will move. I've noticed that I can move that metal ring with a small screwdriver, but no position of the ring will allow the tappet to be reinserted. Is that ring in the way? Has this happened to anyone else? Can it be resolved?
If you need more information or better pictures, just ask. I'll have access to a better camera shortly.
Any help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks.
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