OK, it's the end of a long weekend, so please forgive any typos.
I have a couple of questions, so I'll put those up front:
1) #2 cylinder head was much easier to clean (I de-carboned them) than the others. It pretty much just scraped right off. It's very possible this one had oil splashed on it in the course of the last few week's proceedings, but I seem to recall that cylinder having a loose (or at least not very tight) plug. Coincidence? I think yes, but welcome any opinions.
2) A couple of the valves were tough to pull out of their guides. They both seemed straight when I got them out (pulled them by hand fairly easily, it wasn't hammer-tough, but neither did they slide out easily with a finger push). Bad news? It ran great before I pulled it apart, no smoke, etc, so I'm fairly certain they all sealed well. Thoughts?
Without further ado, I started off Saturday pulling the start motor cover and shift lever.
Next came the side cover, and hoo boy, was there some muck under there!
That all got scraped out in short order, the whole thing scrubbed with mineral spirits, and was serviceable quick enough.
Next I tried to get the oil pump unscrewed, but the bottom screw was just giving me fits. So I squirted some liquid wrench on it, and went to work on the oil pan. Got that off fairly easily, and cleaned it. A bit of sludge that looked like very finely powdered gray metal or something, but not much at all. The oil screen was like new. I cleaned the pan inside and out with a bunch of mineral spirits, scraped out whatever horrible glue the last guy in there has smeared all over the gasket seat, lightly oiled the gasket, and bolted the whole thing back on in the proper star pattern. Then I gave the oil pump screws a few more whacks.
It took a bit, and some more liquid wrench, but I finally got all the screws undone. Damaged the bottom one a bit, but not horribly. Pulled the oil pump apart, and found it to be totally clean, the outer cover barely scratched at all (I understand this is normal), and everything well within tolerances. Put the whole thing back together with new o-rings (thanks for the tip on the Goldwing gaskets, everyone). Then I ran off for some lunch and to pick up a new screw at the local Ace Hardware where I found an employee who is a former motorcycle mechanic! He got me hooked up with what I needed (screw, new brass-bristle brush after I wrecked my last one, and a plastic pipe fitting), and I went on my merry way.
Oh, and if you ever need anything for anything to do with engines in Oakland, DO NOT go to the O'Reilly's on Park Street. These guys can't find their heads from their asses. Didn't know what an impact driver was, even after I explained it to them, didn't know what gasket remover was and finally figured out they don't even carry the stuff anymore, didn't know what a valve spring compressor was, and when I called about lapping compound got "what? what? Never heard of it, is that a brand? Huh, ok, hold on..." By the third time I got that IN A ROW, I called the O'Reilly's on Broadway, they knew what it was and had it set aside for me when I got there.
Anyhow, late afternoon, back to the bike, got the new screw in and everything buttoned up nice and neat. And then realized I hadn't taken any photos because everything went so quickly and smoothly and was so pristine!
So here it is all back together.
Next I got the cylinders scrubbed up as clean as they're gonna get, oiled anything that'll rust and wrapped 'em in plastic.
And finally took some brake cleaner to the #1 cylinder. It cleaned right up!
It looked so good that I came back the next morning and did the other three. #2 went really fast- it was all gooey rather than crunchy. I think that's because it got some oil splashed on it a week or two ago when the bike was on the side stand with the oil still in it, but that's also the one that may have had the loose and black spark plug. Got the piston sides sanded very light, and checked the vertical ring tolerances on the two middle ones (forgot on the outers, will do that before I put the head one). Well in tolerance.
Remember that plastic pipe fitting I bought yesterday? Booya, homebrew valve spring compressor!
Mounted (read: "jammed") into the end of the drill press. Special thanks to my brother for letting me use and abuse his tools while he's on vacation! Boy, I hope he never reads this...
Since he uses the drill press for woodwork, I plastic wrapped the table, and then threw some bits of wood on there to keep the head at the proper angle for compressing those springs nice and straight.
Worked great for compressing the springs, but then I couldn't get to the fiddly bits I needed to. Out came the hack saw and the whole became a slot.
Aside from some trouble keeping the head at the proper angle, it all went lickety split. Eight valves, removed!
And now, my second question: Two of these things grumbled a bit coming out- not badly, I didn't need any tools, but unlike the 6 that slid out with the touch of a finger, two of these needed a bit of tugging. It almost felt like they had some deposits on them or maybe weren't quite
round straight (edit: I wrote "round" the first time instead of "straight." It was late, I was tired- I meant straight). If there was any indication of a valve leak, I'd be more concerned, but there wasn't. They all looked totally
round straight, there was no obvious difference, nothing. Anything to worry about?
All the valves were tight in their guides, no side-to-side motion. The seals are still flexible, so I guess I didn't need to do this. But now I've got it started, might as well keep going. Man, I hope those things are included in the Vesra gasket kit!
8 holes, nice as you like it.
And 8 valves, neatly sorted into an egg carton for safe keeping.
And just to be REALLY sure, I closed the lid on them. This actually seems to be a very good way to keep everything sorted and in one place.
Next up: valve seats this week! I suspect it'll a a formality at best (knock on wood!) given how clean the rest of this bike is. But what the hell, it's something to learn! At any rate, I've hit and surpassed the "bounce point" where you stop tearing down and start building back up, and that's exciting! The case and pistons is prepped, the oil pump checked out, the oil strainer checked out, the cylinders are prepped... just gotta clean the head, lap the valves, put them all back together, and restack the bastard and then I get to ride my very own motorcycle! Hopefully it doesn't blow up beneath me...
