Topic: honda shop manual???

[neckyzips]

hey,
i just adjusted the valves on my 500.... looked at the manual that i downloaded (thanks again) and it appears to be a bit out of sorts? says to adjust 1 and 2 intake and exhaust, and 3 exhaust, on tdc 1.4 then the rest on 2.3 if you actualy did that, wow... did i just read it wrong or, is it way off, havent done this on a bike this old i thought i should refer to the book, anyway, could be that my timing plate is in backwards? oh well, i just did 1 turn 4 then 2 turn and 3.  anyone else found something funny in there?

[TwoTired]

Did you make sure the piston was at TDC of the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke? T1.4 alignment?  My Honda Shop Manual says adjust intakes on 1 & 3  and exhaust on 1 & 2.
The rotate the crank one full turn to T1.4 TDC of exhaust stroke and adjust intakes on 2 & 4, and exhaust on 3 & 4.

I'm guessing you read it wrong or it was for a different bike?
Cheers,

[neckyzips]

hmmm,
well if your actualy at true tdc shouldnt bothe valves intake and exhaust be closed say for 1 and 4 like wise for 2 and 3 then you would adjust both at the same time? at least thats what the owners manual says to do, and what i have done for my other bikes...#$%* have i been doing this wrong for 28 years???

[oldbiker]

I play safe. Find tdc on the firing stroke for cylinder 1. Adjust both valves. Turn the crank half a turn and adjust valves on cylinder 2. turn the crank another half turn and adjust valves on cylinder 4 and finally another half turn on the crank and adjust valves on cylinder 3. This guarantees the cam was in the correct place each time.

[bryanj]

Dont forget there are two TDC's one at top of compression with both valves closed and one at top of exhaust with both valves open. As a mech i find it easier to put each cylinder on tdc comp, that way you dont have to count

[TwoTired]

The owners manual procedure has you position the crank four times so that tappets are adjusted when the attended cylinder is at TDC before the powerstroke  Both valves should be closed at that time and the cam is positioned so that the bumps are away from the cam followers.  This works fine, but takes longer to do than the shop manual version which was intended for Honda shop mechanics whose time cost money.

The Shop Manual Version (chapter 3 Maintenance operations) has you position the crankshaft twice.  It takes advantage of the fact that cyls 2 and 3 are either on an exhaust stroke or and intake stroke and the opposite valve's cam follower is still on the non-bump part of the cam.  These roles are reversed when the crank is turned 360 degrees, or one revolution.

I've done them both ways as the mood strikes me.  And, both methods work.

The original post outlined a procedure quite different from what I read in my printed, bound, CB550 Honda Shop Manual.

Remember that two pistons fire per revolution of the crank.  2&3 are 180 degrees away from 1&4.  I forget if the firing order is 1243  or 1342. But, it takes two revolutions of the crank for all the cylinders fire.  The owners manual tappet adjust procedure takes you through these two revolutions in four steps.

Hope this helps,