What a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Today I decided to check the valve clearance on my bike. I have put 200mi on it since I have had it. The engine has 6,800mi on it. Boy this was a nightmare and a half. All the clearances were zero, which made it very intersting getting them out. I think next time I am going to buy the tapped compression tool, I used two screwdrivers. I was able to get two of the valves with in spec (using shims off my blow motor), the other two shims I ordered. I am not excited about going through that again. While in the process of my valve adjustment I found my missing at high rpm issue. It was a bad spark plug wire. Luckally I am pretty savy with electronics. I found a piece of 14ga wire cut the plug wire where it was broken and soldered the two together and put a little heat shrink tubing and rubber tape on them works like a charm, unitl i can afford new coils and wires. When I was rotating the engine with the valve cover off I could hear air moving. Is this normal? I would say probably not and need a ring job or more. I saw some posts about Sea Foam the other day and bought some. That stuff works GREAT, put a little in my crank case(stopped my clutch from sticking), and put some in the gas tank. She runs like a dream. Now to work on the cosmetics of it. The engine needs a lot of polishing and new cromed bolts/screw put on it as well as I need the clear plastic whindshield to the cowling fairing and plastic trim that goes on it as well. Know of how to polish an engine, find the bolts/screws, and find the cowling stuff? Bike Bandit showed that cowling items as discontinued. What would the advantage be to installing crash bars? Thanks in advance.

[bradleymaynar]

Just for future refernce, most bike shops are willing to do even exchanges for shims. Save you about $6/shim.

Brad tt

[Anonymous]

Thats good to know b/c I am rebuilding my blow motor and have a top end on the way and 4 shims to trade. Going to make this motor into a buggy with a 80 model suzuki 4wheeler front and rear end and suspension. going to try and get it street legal. possibly race it.

[bradleymaynar]

Thats good to know b/c I am rebuilding my blow motor and have a top end on the way and 4 shims to trade. Going to make this motor into a buggy with a 80 model suzuki 4wheeler front and rear end and suspension. going to try and get it street legal. possibly race it.

Kewl! 8)

Brad tt

[fast eddie]

What's Sea Foam? I thought it was something my girlfriend takes a bath with?

[Anonymous]

Sea Foam is kind of like Marvel Mystery Oil. It will clean carbs and fuel injectors as well as add a bit more lubrication to your oil. I can be used in 2 and 4 cycle engines, gas or diesel engines. I will "remove water from your gas or oil", acts as a fuel stabilizer, and anit-gel for diesels in cold weather. Great stuff. I bought 1pint at Auto Zone for about $5.

[bgmart450]

Re: What a nightmare.

Know of how to polish an engine, find the bolts/screws, and find the cowling stuff? Bike Bandit showed that cowling items as discontinued. What would the advantage be to installing crash bars? Thanks in advance.

If you still have the coating on the case sides spray them down with paint stripper, then get some metal polish and get ready for some exercise polish - buff - polish - buff. Or if you are lucky (or smart) do it on a bench grinder with polishing wheels. You'll likely get a much better finish as well. If I remember right there is some stuff around here about polishing.... Anyone have a link to that?

I was able to make an older part look tons better by hand:

[Anonymous]

Re: What a nightmare.

When I was rotating the engine with the valve cover off I could hear air moving. Is this normal? I would say probably not and need a ring job or more.

The engine is a pump, in the most basic of terms. If you can't hear air moving when you rotate the crank, it means there's something fundamentally wrong. If a piston is moving (reciprocating), you'll hear air (actually gasses) being forced in and out.