So first ever valve adjustment today on my '78 CB550. 26K on it. Not sure if it has ever been done. Just picked the bike up 2 weeks ago with no history on it. Runs, but definitely needs a tune up. So, started with the valves.
Followed the service manual to a "T". I guess some of the concerns or lack of confidence was when the manual said to start by making sure the "T" 1-4 was lined up on the points along with cylinder 1 at top dead center of the compression stoke. Was a little uncertain how to make sure that cylinder 1 was at top dead center other than removing the spark plug and physically looking at the piston as I rotated the engine with the kick starter. So, that's where I started.
I followed the service manual with the correct sequence 1 by 1. Put the feeler gauge under each of the tappets and adjusted accordingly. Some of the tappets I couldn't even get the feeler gauge under (even with the screw completely removed), which was concerning.
Then I moved to the second stage of rotating the points one rotation to make cylinder 4 go to top dead center. What was strange was that both cylinder 1 and cylinder 4 were then both at top dead center, so I'm not sure why the manual even says to do that to complete the other tappets. Nevertheless I got all tappets (that I could get the feeler gauge under) tightened down to the right tolerance, and I just tightened down the screws on the ones that I couldn't get the feeler gauge under to the point that it barely touched down.
Did I totally screw this up, or am I on the right track?
Thanks.