Asking for help with Cam Cover Gasket replacement

[1olbull]

Thoughts on valve clearances, gents? Took @Bob R and @warp9.9 advice and did the valve check while I'm this deep in. Grabbed some metric angled feelers, and this is the result. Watched a YouTube vid before I did this to familiarize myself, as this is my first time doing valves. Seems pretty straight forward, was great advice to just get it done.

Popped out the spark plugs, filled the holes with paper towel to keep them safe, and rotated the cams with the rear tire in 5th. Did my checks with the skinniest peak of the lobe pointing to the sky. The intakes looked mint...not one took my smallest feeler gauge of .127mm. The exhaust however, I'm unsure about...thoughts? I can't possibly only have one that's midway in the specs? Take a peek and chime in with your opinions...

First, gratitude for your great informative thread.
I have a minor question.
I am always confusing the "less than <" and the "greater than >" symbols.
Your drawing depicts all six intake clearances as "<.127mm".
To me this would seem to indicate only that a .127mm (.005") feeler will not go in and the actual clearance is unknown.
To me, clearance to small is worse than clearance too large. You may need smaller feeler gauges.

 

[mstraub72]

First, gratitude for your great informative thread.
I have a minor question.
I am always confusing the "less than <" and the "greater than >" symbols.
Your drawing depicts all six intake clearances as "<.127mm".
To me this would seem to indicate only that a .127mm (.005") feeler will not go in and the actual clearance is unknown.
To me, clearance to small is worse than clearance too large. You may need smaller feeler gauges.

You are 100% correct, Bull. My feelers only went down to .005, and since I've already buttoned it back up last night, it's going to have to remain a mystery until 30k miles when I give it another look.

And ready for this ridiculous way I remember whether it's saying greater or less than? This silly thing my elementary teacher said when I was a little kid really stuck. It looks like a crocodile mouth. Croc's are always hungry. So, the mouth always eats the larger number. In this case, the other number was for sure less than .005, as that was as low as I went. So, croc mouth chows down on the larger number. Haha.... ridiculous, but totally stuck. There's probably some proper convention on it's use, like the larger must always be on the right or left side, etc..., but I just remember croc mouths. Easy peasy.

 

[1olbull]

You are 100% correct, Bull. My feelers only went down to .005, and since I've already buttoned it back up last night, it's going to have to remain a mystery until 30k miles when I give it another look.

And ready for this ridiculous way I remember whether it's saying greater or less than? This silly thing my elementary teacher said when I was a little kid really stuck. It looks like a crocodile mouth. Croc's are always hungry. So, the mouth always eats the larger number. In this case, the other number was for sure less than .005, as that was as low as I went. So, croc mouth chows down on the larger number. Haha.... ridiculous, but totally stuck. There's probably some proper convention on it's use, like the larger must always be on the right or left side, etc..., but I just remember croc mouths. Easy peasy.

Exactly the same analogy my third grade grandson was taught last school year!!!
I too use Corel Draw and I like your Valve Chart creation!
I went into Photo Shop and enhanced the colors some for my own use.
FYI - not much diff, but a tad sharper. Both will work terrific for Rocket Valve Adjusting.

 

[mstraub72]

Exactly the same analogy my third grade grandson was taught last school year!!!
I too use Corel Draw and I like your Valve Chart creation!
I went into Photo Shop and enhanced the colors some for my own use.
FYI - not much diff, but a tad sharper. Both will work terrific for Rocket Valve Adjusting.

Awesome! Would you like the raw CDR file to mess with? Will give the cleanest end result vs messing with the jpg.

 

[1olbull]

Awesome! Would you like the raw CDR file to mess with? Will give the cleanest end result vs messing with the jpg.

Naw, I feel you have done excellent design work already!
My Corel Draw does not download its CDR file into a JPG file, only to PDF.
I usually then load the PDF into Photoshop, enhance the colors, and then download into a smaller JPG for posting and emailing.
Good to find a fellow Corel user!

 

[Claviger]

Here I am, the tech nerd, cutting and pasting in Power Point like a cave man lol.

 

[mstraub72]

Lol...so, she's all back together. I think the hardest part of the f'n job was getting the plastic trim that goes under the gas tank and along the left edge of the frame back on!! I'm sure I must have rerouted some wires in new holes, but gawdaaaaam....that was frustrating. Even managed to nick my clutch cable housing. Also noticed that my RamAir cable that goes back under the tank was bent at a pretty aggressive angle, and the outer jacket was cracked a little. Just coated it all in paint on electrical tape, and am letting it cure. I'll go finish up in a bit, and then will finally crank her back up! I'll be holding my breath for a while I'm sure...

 

[mstraub72]

Boys....I can't thank all of you enough. I'd literally be sitting there staring at the throttle bodies still. I let her run for the same 12 min cycle that you do when you switch over to the RamAir kit, just in case. Little stumbling for the first 10 seconds or so, then just leveled right off. Again, thank you so much all. This forum is incredible.

 

[Claviger]

Sounds very healthy.

 

[RockOn]

Boys....I can't thank all of you enough. I'd literally be sitting there staring at the throttle bodies still. I let her run for the same 12 min cycle that you do when you switch over to the RamAir kit, just in case. Little stumbling for the first 10 seconds or so, then just leveled right off. Again, thank you so much all. This forum is incredible.

Hey, we have something in common......identical Viking bags! Look as good on your bike as mine......means we both have excellent taste!