I Bought It With a Knock

[Big_Jim59]

Jim: How did you set manual cct? I have experience that after mcct installation, engine went more quiet. I think there is some given freeplay of cam chain between cam gears, between 1/4" and 3/8".

Yep, I set my chain freeplay around 3/8" . I do not think the tapping is serious since I fixed the serious tapping. It's just I am really pickey. Most people will not hear it over the noise coming from the Two Brothers exhaust. Oh. . .I upgraded the drain plug to a magnetic one and it came out, from the first oil change, moderately hairy. This I expected and there were no big items there. I think a magnetic drain plug is a must for bikes that share engine and transmission oil. Transmissions like to sluff off steel shavings.

[VTRDark]

Personally I would ride it around for a while, have some fun and let things settle in, then at later date recheck the valve clearances. But as Chris said in an earlier post it's hard to tell sounds from video's. It didn't sound so loud in your second vid but things had warmed up a bit by then and like you say the exhaust hide a lot.

(:-})

[Stephan]

Jim: How did you set manual cct? I have experience that after mcct installation, engine went more quiet. I think there is some given freeplay of cam chain between cam gears, between 1/4" and 3/8".

Yep, I set my chain freeplay around 3/8" .

Personally I would try tighter setting, but it is just feeling. I wonder what I wil find on my magnetic drain plug after first oil change :-)

[Big_Jim59]

Jim: How did you set manual cct? I have experience that after mcct installation, engine went more quiet. I think there is some given freeplay of cam chain between cam gears, between 1/4" and 3/8".

Yep, I set my chain freeplay around 3/8" .

Personally I would try tighter setting, but it is just feeling. I wonder what I wil find on my magnetic drain plug after first oil change :-)

It is funny. I had initially set the cam chain tension with the engine out of the frame. After start up, I put a half to a 3/4 turn on the rear CCT. I pulled the valve cover on he rear and It was just about perfect by the video in cybercarl's CCT installation thread. I started it today and maybe I am getting used to it because it does not sound so bad. It runs rich as hell but that's due to the huge jets in it.

[Big_Jim59]

Jim: How did you set manual cct? I have experience that after mcct installation, engine went more quiet. I think there is some given freeplay of cam chain between cam gears, between 1/4" and 3/8".

Yep, I set my chain freeplay around 3/8" .

Personally I would try tighter setting, but it is just feeling. I wonder what I wil find on my magnetic drain plug after first oil change :-)

I am a huge proponent of magnetic drain plugs. You always find a bit of grey paste on all of them, even in a healthy motor. Maybe that's why the factory does not fit them. They probably make people panic. If they end up looking like the Wild Man of Borneo after a couple of oil changes you know you have a problem.

[Big_Jim59]

I meant to end this thread but fate has taken a hand and the story is not yet at an end. I took it out today for a good run. I have a predetermined route for test rides and I did about 50 mile running between 65 and 80mph. The bike was running good but It was acting like the carbs were out of balance at low RPMs. I went back to the house and set the carb balance again. it was better. I rode up to Randolf and then took it up 121 to Trenton. I was keeping up with traffic and noticed I needed some gas. (I hate to fil the tank when I might have to take it off later.) I hit the exit and just as I slowed I heard a little tingling rattle and then it quit. I could get it started but only on the back cylinder. I had the wife and my strong son come and pick me and the bike up in the truck. A compression test shows no compression on the front cylinder. My timing shows to be spot on. Bear in mind I did not strip the heads but just installed them thinking them fine.

After a break I went back to work and I am pretty sure I have found the source of the annoying ticking sound and possibly the source of the engine meltdown. I pulled everything and then the cams. The intake cam popped up. It seems that the valve spring keeper, or what was left of it, finally let go. I was only able to find a small piece of it. I think I got lucky as the valve didn't drop into the cylinder. We shall see what the piston looks like with the head off.

[VTRDark]

Fooking hell you got lucky there mate. Collets we call them. So basically the valve was held in place by one collet....just Fiddley little things to get in place too. I use a dab of oil or grease to hold them in place and then slowly release the valve spring compressor. Once that is done it's also good practice to give the spring caps a little tap with a mallet or put slight pressure back on with the spring compressor and give it a bit of a wiggle to make sure the collets sit in place securely. Looks like you will be doing them clearances once again after all then.

I'm so glad you caught that. I bloody new it was valve sound not chain. I should have been a bit more insistent but with listening on a video there was room for doubt. It's funny how ears can be trained to tune into different parts of an engine.

I have said this before but If you listen careful you can even hear the pistons moving up and down.They sound like a fish. Join your top and bottom lip together and rapidly open and close bouncing them off each other as if you doing an impression of a fish with a slightly rounded shape and you will hear the popping sound.

(:-})

[Big_Jim59]

We always called then Valve spring "keepers" but I am sure that "Collets" is the proper term. (I bow to the Queen's English.) I think I got really lucky. There was nothing keeping that valve from dropping down into the cylinder and causing all kinds of hell with my new rebuild. I will have to see if there is any damage to the piston crown. I know the valve was kissed. Let's just hope it wasn't a kiss of death. It is hard to see in the picture but the collet is worn and misshapen like it had been in this condition a while.

[lloydie]

I'd pull both heads and refresh them to be on the safe side now .
You lucky bugger


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[AMCQ46]

Bloody hell jim, this bike want to keep you and your spanners busy! I hope the piston is ok.

[Pete.L]

elbow!
Do you think the previous slap from the lack of crank bearing let the piston go high enough to kiss the valves at some time?
Could you have a similar problem in the rear pot too? I think I would want to pull all the valves and check them all. On the up side, there wont be a thing you don't know abut these engines by the time you are finished
Pete.l

[macdee]

amazing spot jim
scary stuff just reading that

[lumpyv]

gutted for you mate, especially when you have worked so hard getting the bugger to run.

[Big_Jim59]

elbow!
Do you think the previous slap from the lack of crank bearing let the piston go high enough to kiss the valves at some time?
Could you have a similar problem in the rear pot too? I think I would want to pull all the valves and check them all. On the up side, there wont be a thing you don't know abut these engines by the time you are finished
Pete.l

That's a good point except the failed big end was on the rear cylinder!

As for knowing the bike, back in my bike shop days, my old boss would refer to is at "putting a zipper on it." If you worked on something so much that instead of buttoning it up knew where everything went like using a zipper. I pretty much have a zipper on this. I had the tank off, carbs off and cams out within the hour of it leaving the truck. It's actually a pretty easy bike to work on as long as you don't have to do bottom end or transmission work.

I got the head off this morning and yes the valve was bent but there was no visible damage to the piston crown. I only hope the rod was not bent. I did find two more pieces of valve spring keeper and they all look round and worn like this had been going on for some time. I am going to strip the head and examine all the other valves for damage. I will replace the bent valve and set the clearances static on the bench. I am going to put it back together and if the engine fails I will look for a nice used unit. I think i mighty be flogging a dead horse here.

[VTRDark]

set the clearances static on the bench

This will get you close. But make sure you double check them once back on the bike and the chain is back on with tensioner done up as this make a difference. You could most likely buy new collets pretty cheap.

(:-})