Never thought putting 2 t/belts on this Wing would give me such a fit. If it's a piece cake Terry than my cake must have some cement in the cake mix because this sucker is hard to chew and swallow for me Must be doing something thats not right and making a mountain out of a mole hill I wish I had took some up close before pics of markings just to have something to refer back to. Basically right pulley lines up fine and belt goes on with no problem. Left pulley is different story, when marks are dead on belt teeth and sprocket grooves don't line up to let belt slip on sprocket. Only when pulley marks are a little above or below cover markings will belt line up with pulley grooves and slip on. Even trying old belt is the same way as new one. I rotate engine by hand and its smooth and feel no interference in either above or below mark settings. The radiator is still off but should I try to crank it and see if it will start I've read horror stories on GW sites and also what Stu said in a few post back of owners cranking up their Wings when things weren't quite right and marks were off enough to bend valves and destroy engines.
I've done all the work on both CB's and never had a problem with anything. But I guess this GW is a different animal. Im not going to throw in the towel, I will get it right!!!!!!
Yeah mate, a PO had made his own timing marks on my engine and ignored the factory marks, so I just used those marks, and as you've suggested, I fired it up with the radiator off, and it just purred into life. I wondered at the time if I might have accidentally put the timing out by a tooth, but it runs perfectly, and Chickenman has reassured me that I'm right, with his comment that if you're out a tooth either way, you'll be bending valves.
My advice, for what it's worth, is to replace the belt as close as possible to the mark, then (with the plugs out) wind it over by hand and make sure there's no "piston to valve" resistance, and if all's good, fire that bad boy up. Or alternatively, trailer it over to Chickenman's place and wait in line, behind all the other nervous Goldwing owners............ Cheers, Terry.