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Hi everyone, thought I would share my tale of woe with you (not for any sympathy, I don't deserve it, but there is a legitimate question at the end).
The 550en I bought last year was actually in the reassembly phase, having removed the engine, dismantled, cleaned, replaced piston rings, checked valve clearances etc etc, I had put the engine back in the frame and done a lot more since in getting the bike back together.
I had the forks and swing-arm back in place, the wheels on, rear brakes sorted and so on, when I discovered something I had forgotten to do that made me think I might have to pull it all off to lay the bike down to take the engine out again (luckily I didn't have to in the end).
I was going through some parts when I found that I had two of the front cam chain guides (the long one with a slight bend to it) when I should only have one, with the other sitting happily where it is supposed to be in the engine. I had bought a good second hand one off eBay as the one I removed was looking really worn, so that's why I had two. So, despite sitting there with the service manual (downloaded from here), the clymer manual, and a printout of the parts fiche, I still managed to not realise what I had done when zipping the engine up. It was a hell of a job reinstalling the cams the first time, as each time I would tighten down the cam caps, another 1-2 threads would strip (after I found 6 had stripped the very first time I tried putting them on). I actually helicoiled all but 1 of the 16. It was a very time consuming and frustrating job to say the least.
So last night I removed the cam cover and got to work removing the cams, the tensioner etc and putting in the guide. It was a relatively easy job, and you guessed it, I had to helicoil that last bolt hole (which was pretty difficult with the frame in the way). Anyway, it is all done now, just have to wait for a gasket to replace the one that tore when I took the cover off. Luckily I have plenty to keep me occupied in the meantime with this bike!!!
My question is though, how much damage (if any) could I have done to this bike if I had run it without that guide in place?
despite the frustrations I have really enjoyed working on this bike, all the components seem to me to have designed with a lot of common sense when assembling them, though I am sure there are plenty with more experience who would disagree with me.
take care everyone, you are an invaluable resource for rookies like myself as I find myself frequently searching through here looking for answers to problems.
Yoss
The 550en I bought last year was actually in the reassembly phase, having removed the engine, dismantled, cleaned, replaced piston rings, checked valve clearances etc etc, I had put the engine back in the frame and done a lot more since in getting the bike back together.
I had the forks and swing-arm back in place, the wheels on, rear brakes sorted and so on, when I discovered something I had forgotten to do that made me think I might have to pull it all off to lay the bike down to take the engine out again (luckily I didn't have to in the end).
I was going through some parts when I found that I had two of the front cam chain guides (the long one with a slight bend to it) when I should only have one, with the other sitting happily where it is supposed to be in the engine. I had bought a good second hand one off eBay as the one I removed was looking really worn, so that's why I had two. So, despite sitting there with the service manual (downloaded from here), the clymer manual, and a printout of the parts fiche, I still managed to not realise what I had done when zipping the engine up. It was a hell of a job reinstalling the cams the first time, as each time I would tighten down the cam caps, another 1-2 threads would strip (after I found 6 had stripped the very first time I tried putting them on). I actually helicoiled all but 1 of the 16. It was a very time consuming and frustrating job to say the least.
So last night I removed the cam cover and got to work removing the cams, the tensioner etc and putting in the guide. It was a relatively easy job, and you guessed it, I had to helicoil that last bolt hole (which was pretty difficult with the frame in the way). Anyway, it is all done now, just have to wait for a gasket to replace the one that tore when I took the cover off. Luckily I have plenty to keep me occupied in the meantime with this bike!!!
My question is though, how much damage (if any) could I have done to this bike if I had run it without that guide in place?
despite the frustrations I have really enjoyed working on this bike, all the components seem to me to have designed with a lot of common sense when assembling them, though I am sure there are plenty with more experience who would disagree with me.
take care everyone, you are an invaluable resource for rookies like myself as I find myself frequently searching through here looking for answers to problems.
Yoss
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