.png "Powered by vBulletin")
Might seem like a no-brainer but can I remove the valve / cylinder head cover to check tappet clearance / valve shims with the engine still in the frame?
I've got a 550T with @ 7,500 miles that was owned / worked on by a real buffoon of a PO at some point before it sat for years. For example - PO pulled airbox for a set of cheapo pod filters, however no re-jetting done...carbs were opened up at some point because two of the carbs were missing their black rubber pilot jet plugs, float heights were all out to lunch, made a complete rats nest of the wiring behind the right side cover when the airbox was pulled...guess routing it back the way is should be was just too much trouble...and he wondered why it wouldn't charge the battery...
Anyhow, cleaned & rebuilt the carbs, re-installed the airbox, got all the wiring sorted out and dressed nice and pretty...changed fluids, new battery, fresh gas...held my breath and hit the start switch and the darn thing fired right up! Nice smooth idle, charges like it should and actually goes down the road pretty good on its Metzler tires with their 1989 born on dates.
Pulled plugs after my quick victory ride. 1, 2 & 3 all look picture perfect...4 is fluffy black i.e. running rich according to what I read and know. I did pull the brass plugs from the pilot air screws and cleaned / rebuilt them and set all four to 2 1/2 turns out during the carb rebuild. I still need to vacuum sync the carbs but want to check valve shims before I do that. Which is the long way back to my original question - can I pull the valve cover without having to yank the motor?
It's running so smooth now I hate to have to open anything up. Any thoughts on my rolling the dice by skipping the valve shim check and just going with pilot air screw adjustment and carb sync to dial #4 in to where it should be?
I've got a 550T with @ 7,500 miles that was owned / worked on by a real buffoon of a PO at some point before it sat for years. For example - PO pulled airbox for a set of cheapo pod filters, however no re-jetting done...carbs were opened up at some point because two of the carbs were missing their black rubber pilot jet plugs, float heights were all out to lunch, made a complete rats nest of the wiring behind the right side cover when the airbox was pulled...guess routing it back the way is should be was just too much trouble...and he wondered why it wouldn't charge the battery...
Anyhow, cleaned & rebuilt the carbs, re-installed the airbox, got all the wiring sorted out and dressed nice and pretty...changed fluids, new battery, fresh gas...held my breath and hit the start switch and the darn thing fired right up! Nice smooth idle, charges like it should and actually goes down the road pretty good on its Metzler tires with their 1989 born on dates.
Pulled plugs after my quick victory ride. 1, 2 & 3 all look picture perfect...4 is fluffy black i.e. running rich according to what I read and know. I did pull the brass plugs from the pilot air screws and cleaned / rebuilt them and set all four to 2 1/2 turns out during the carb rebuild. I still need to vacuum sync the carbs but want to check valve shims before I do that. Which is the long way back to my original question - can I pull the valve cover without having to yank the motor?
It's running so smooth now I hate to have to open anything up. Any thoughts on my rolling the dice by skipping the valve shim check and just going with pilot air screw adjustment and carb sync to dial #4 in to where it should be?
Comment