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Polynomial posted:Overfilled oil problems What I'm thinking is that since you have oil in your air filter area, some might have got into the carbs and gummed them up. I would take them out and give them a thorough cleaning.
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May 3, 2009 20:03
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I've taken my valve cover off so I can get to my valves. The sealant on the gasket is dried up, but the gasket looks to be in fine shape. The manual says to put "RTV sealant" and then it says "silicon sealant". Is there any distinction between these two? Should I just be looking for silicon gasket sealant? Also a bit worried about cleaning the old sealant material around the valves - seems like contamination is a problem here. Or maybe this is upstream the oil filter and not an issue? Either way I plan to flush coolant and replace oil within a day or 2.
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May 3, 2009 20:14
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darknrgy posted:I've taken my valve cover off so I can get to my valves. The sealant on the gasket is dried up, but the gasket looks to be in fine shape. The manual says to put "RTV sealant" and then it says "silicon sealant". Is there any distinction between these two? Should I just be looking for silicon gasket sealant? I'd put a small bead of high temp RTV around the outside of the gasket and call it good. On bikes where it's hard to get the cover on, sometimes it's worth it to let it set up until it's tacky and then install the valve cover. I use this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-High-Temp-Silicone-Gasket-Maker/dp/B00086I6TS I'd clean the old gasket sealer off carefully and minimize any falling into the head. Not going to make your engine instantly sieze to get a small amount in the head, but it's not a good idea. Z3n fucked around with this message at 20:51 on May 3, 2009 |
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May 3, 2009 20:42
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Ok great. I ended up with Ultra Black (maximum oil resistance sounds good). I'm going to use parts cleaner on the head and a light ethanol mixture on the gasket if I can't get it clean. Thanks a bunch.
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May 3, 2009 20:57
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Another valve adjustment question. There is a small amount of play between the arm and the valve. Should I be spacing it by pushing the arm up, or to where the arm does not move? In other words, the arm does not make contact with the cam until I push it slightly.
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May 3, 2009 23:15
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Chain question time!! Let me preface this question by saying that I've only ever owned three bikes with an o-ring chain. My Bandit is one of them. The other two I didnt own long enough to have to worry about replacing the chain. I've known the Bandit chain needed to be replaced for a while. I just cleaned it and lubed it and put it off for a while. Well, I did about 500 miles on it this weekend, and the chain is about at the end of its rope. It has a noticeable tight spot, and its noisy as hell. So, I know I need to break the chain to get it off (how, I'm not sure yet). Do new o-ring chains come with clip-style master links, or am I going to have to bring it to the shop and have it all pressed together? e: obviously I'm getting sprockets too.
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May 3, 2009 23:30
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Polynomial posted:Got a question about my 1988 ZX600 C1. Update: I drained 3 of the 4 float bowls, and got the bike warm. Now when the throttle is open, the RPMS keep up (with the choke closed). When the throttle is closed, the bike sputters at about 600rpms, with brief spikes to proper idling speed (a bit over 1k rpms) every few seconds. There's a definite time pattern to when the spikes occur. Also, it won't start without the choke on.
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May 3, 2009 23:37
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Phat_Albert posted:So, I know I need to break the chain to get it off (how, I'm not sure yet). Do new o-ring chains come with clip-style master links, or am I going to have to bring it to the shop and have it all pressed together? Shop? You can press the plate on the new link with a chain tool. Or you can just buy a clip link and be done with it. You'll have people warning you about it but it'll hold just fine.
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May 4, 2009 01:23
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I'll be flying out to visit a buddy in Los Angeles later this month, and I'm hoping to rent a bike to tour around. I take it a lot of you are from that region and I was hoping for some input here; are there any must see roads/destinations that I should add to the list? I'll mainly be in the Santa Cruz to San Diego region and have a week to burn. Also, anyone have a clue how the insurance works with rentals? From the website, it looks like liability is 18$ a day, but what about other coverage?
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May 4, 2009 01:27
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Bob Morales posted:Shop? You can press the plate on the new link with a chain tool. Welp, HF has a chain breaker for $8. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66488 I know its not as nice as the motion pro one, but for that price I can buy like 12 of the harbor freight ones. Anyone else have any opinions on clip-type master links vs. rivet-type? I've heard people say both good and bad things.
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May 4, 2009 01:43
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Polynomial posted:Update: I drained 3 of the 4 float bowls, and got the bike warm. What's the oil level at? Is it at the correct level now? What about the 4th float bowl? Hirayama posted:I'll be flying out to visit a buddy in Los Angeles later this month, and I'm hoping to rent a bike to tour around. I take it a lot of you are from that region and I was hoping for some input here; are there any must see roads/destinations that I should add to the list? I'll mainly be in the Santa Cruz to San Diego region and have a week to burn. In Santa Cruz/San Jose area: Highway 9, Skyline, Alices. In the Santa Barbara Area: Highway 33 from ojai out to pine mountain club LA: Angeles Crest, Topenga Canyon, Stunt Road, the Rock Store. San Diego: Palomar no help on coverage, sorry. Bob Morales posted:Shop? You can press the plate on the new link with a chain tool. I've used clips for most of my bikes, just toss some RTV and safety wire on there and install them correctly (so that they get pushed tighter by the rotation of the chain) and there will be no problems. darknrgy, are you checking the clearences between the rocker and the cam? I'd imagine that the service manual should cover how exactly it should be.
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May 4, 2009 01:45
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Phat_Albert posted:Chain question time!! To get a chain off, I've had good luck with a dremel with a cutoff wheel. There's tons of different ways though. I'm a little on the lazy side. I've never used a clip style chain, but I've had good luck with the rivet master link style. You can buy a little doohickey that does it from Motion Pro or DID, but the DID version costs twice as much. I've heard of people doing it with a drift pin and a hammer, but I'm not that brave to try it. http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0467/ This is the tool. It can break it also if you want to use it.
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May 4, 2009 01:50
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Z3n posted:What's the oil level at? Is it at the correct level now? What about the 4th float bowl? Correct now. I didn't have a screw driver long enough to reach the last float bowl.
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May 4, 2009 01:53
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Z3n posted:I've used clips for most of my bikes, just toss some RTV and safety wire on there and install them correctly (so that they get pushed tighter by the rotation of the chain) and there will be no problems. How do you go about safety wiring the master? Like where do you put it? E: Found it. http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Image:IMG_1210.jpg Beve Stuscemi fucked around with this message at 02:00 on May 4, 2009 |
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May 4, 2009 01:54
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Taelrin posted:To get a chain off, I've had good luck with a dremel with a cutoff wheel. There's tons of different ways though. I'm a little on the lazy side. I've done it with a drift Torx bits of increasing size and hammer before. It did the job. I kept a nervous eye on it, but it held with no problems for about 20k before I parted the bike. My prefered method for removing the chain is just grinding off the head of 2 rivits with a dremel and using a hammer to pop the sideplate off. Polynomial posted:Correct now. I didn't have a screw driver long enough to reach the last float bowl. If that last float still has poo poo in it or the pilot is blocked, it could be causing a problem like you describe. Need to drain that one too.
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May 4, 2009 02:15
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I have a few maintenance questions. My bike is a 1988 Suzuki Katana 600F for starters. It is old and getting what i would consider pretty poor mileage thus far (8L/100km or 29 MPG) now I am not a mechanically inclined person at all but am willing to try. What are some simple things I can check into to try and improve this? Second, I saw chain lubrication mentioned here before but can't find it, I recall some mention of using motor oil instead of the spray lubricant. Can someone enlighten me as to whats easiest?
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May 4, 2009 02:19
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BronYrAur posted:Second, I saw chain lubrication mentioned here before but can't find it, I recall some mention of using motor oil instead of the spray lubricant. Can someone enlighten me as to whats easiest? 90 weight Gear oil was probably the motor oil mentioned. It's good, but kind of messy.
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May 4, 2009 02:24
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BronYrAur posted:Second, I saw chain lubrication mentioned here before but can't find it, I recall some mention of using motor oil instead of the spray lubricant. Can someone enlighten me as to whats easiest? Spray is easiest. If you're looking for a spray on lube thats closer to gear oil try the Castrol chain oil. Its nasty black stuff that goes on thick and stays on the chain forever. I think its more intended for dirt bikes but it seems to work great for my street bikes. Now both my bikes have old fashioned standard chains, so it may be overkill for a modern o-ring or x-ring chain.
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May 4, 2009 03:44
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BronYrAur posted:Second, I saw chain lubrication mentioned here before but can't find it, I recall some mention of using motor oil instead of the spray lubricant. Can someone enlighten me as to whats easiest? I use 90w gear oil because it never requires cleaning off of the old lube. It irritates the hell out of me to have to spend 20 minutes cleaning my drat chain, so I just use gear oil, which will wash the chain clean each time I apply it, keep everything lubed nicely, and throw off like hell. But it's easier to wipe my swingarm and wheels off than it is to deal with cleaning the chain...because not wiping my swingarm and wheels off won't cause my chain to self destruct, but not cleaning it will.
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May 4, 2009 03:51
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darknrgy posted:Another valve adjustment question. As Z3n said, your manual should give you very specific instructions as to where you should be measuring valve clearances. You shouldn't have to hold anything up, as the tolerances will only be as large as the feeler gauge. It sounds like you're working on a bike that uses rocker arms from a cam to activate the valves - I've worked on a Honda VF500F that would be similar to that. You don't want to measure anything between the cam and the rocker arm in that case, you should be measuring between the rocker arm and the valve bucket (or shim). If that's not the case, please tell me what bike you're working on, and I can try to figure out what you're talking about. Again, though - you don't need to lift anything up when doing valve clearances.
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May 4, 2009 06:01
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Phat_Albert posted:Welp, HF has a chain breaker for $8. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66488 I bought an $80 tool that looks like that (so gently caress you for getting it for $8), it comes with various bits and pieces for either breaking or setting a rivet link. Excellent piece of kit. I had to lob off a few links on my new chain, I tried it on a regular link. Boy is it easy to snap tempered steel with enough torque.  Regular links: Grind off head, push pin out with awesome tool. Breaking master link: Push it out with pin, easy peasy. Setting master link: Fiddle a bit to get the plate to hang on the pins, squeeze together with plate squeezing bits. Don't over-squeeze, compare with other links. Then put the rivet head bits on the tool and expand the top of the rivet head. Clip-style master links on bikes bigger than 500cc: 
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May 4, 2009 08:41
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Z3n posted:darknrgy, are you checking the clearences between the rocker and the cam? I'd imagine that the service manual should cover how exactly it should be. Measured between the top of the valve and the adjustment screw on the rocker. After a bit of thinking I concluded it would have to be measured with the rocker flush with the cam. I'm all wrapped up now and the bike is running great. Although at first I thought I completely hosed it up because the engine sounded like total poo poo when I started it up. My heart sank until I realized I forgot to connect one of the spark plug wires  .Edit: Drew a diagram for clarification. EX500.  So as you can see pushing a feeler into the gap pushes the rocker up a tiny bit until it mates with the camshaft. It was pretty self explanatory once I started prodding it. darknrgy fucked around with this message at 09:38 on May 4, 2009 |
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May 4, 2009 09:18
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Two quick ones: 1. After changing pads, I lose a lot of braking effect in the wet. Rode through some serious rain with luggage and passenger yesterday, it was pretty scary to go hard on the brakes after a long section without touching them. It was less effect than dropping a gear and engine braking. But wiping the water off helped, by holding constant pressure for a few seconds the normal effect came back pretty soon. Could my pads be oily after my work? Should I rinse with some special solution? Or should I just man up and get the steel braided lines right away? 2. Riding with heavy load also reminded my I need a shock upgrade. Not looking for Sportysport McRossiSquid hardness, just some proper progressive action for precise cornering yet comfy on bumps. Thinking about used Öhlins from ebay, but more likely something from these guys: http://www.worksperformance.com/html/street.html Any tips on good aftermarket shocks appreciated. My rear is a mono by the way. Going for Race Tech cartridge emulators up front, should I just keep my perfectly ok stock springs or go for progressives as well?
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May 4, 2009 11:01
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So I found this and need a little bit of advice on whether to go for it or not. http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/1153165728.html  Click here for the full 1400x631 image. How hard would it be to get running, the guy did just about everything I would have tried and the bike has decent compression, I might just buy it anyway because I can but I want to know if there is anything specific that I should know. I test rode one of these a few years ago and they are kinda comfy and if I want fast and stupid I still have the Buell. So yes or no, I would probably be picking it up tonight.
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May 4, 2009 13:31
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As much of a deal that $8 tool from HF seems, it doesn't include the little plate press, and I'm sure that it's a huge POS like anything else from that drat store... Although Motion Pro has been raping people for years on that kit...Ola posted:Clip-style master links on bikes bigger than 500cc: Clips are fine. Look at that chain, a clip link isn't the reason that thing would have broke. That chain should have been off the bike a long time ago. I've seen chains break a second and third time, and the new master link is NEVER where they break. It's always because we've put one on in an emergency, and the person 'forgets' to get a new chain and keeps riding on it for a couple more months.
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May 4, 2009 14:14
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Bob Morales posted:Look at that chain, a clip link isn't the reason that thing would have broke. That chain should have been off the bike a long time ago. That is true, it was quite old. But the dirt is mostly from dragging along the dirt after it broke. There are worse stories with better chains, but rivet links eliminate the chance that a piece of grime helps lift the clip over its pin.
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May 4, 2009 14:27
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I have a question that I already know the answer to but I'm going to ask it anyway. Thanks to becoming a father last year I put less than 100 miles on my 1977 CB750K in 2008. I had changed the oil at the beginning of the riding season last year but didn't change it when I winterized it. (Stabil in the tank, emptied the carb bowls, removed the battery, wash/wax, covered it up, and put it in my shed. I rolled it out of the shed yesterday and it started right up. It's running great. My question, do I really have to change the oil again? The oil is a year old, but otherwise there's almost no miles on it. I know, the answer is yes... isn't it?
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May 4, 2009 14:41
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What I've been told is that the heat cycles from day and night are big enough to induce moisture from condensation in the crank case. This is usually gotten rid of via starting and running the engine frequently. Also the oil will begin to break down and become slightly acidic as it ages. Change it. This is mostly fourth hand information so I'm sure I'll be corrected shortly but regardless it's still cheap insurance against any potential problems.
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May 4, 2009 15:49
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My '82 Honda CM250C doesn't charge the battery while I'm riding, forcing me to charge it with a tender in between rides. Is the alternator the likely culprit, or the rectifier (whatever that is?). Reason I ask is because I've asked around and the general consensus is that alternators are pretty durable and not a whole lot can go wrong with them. I also don't know if it's connected, but my starter clutch is also bad and I don't know if that plays a part in charging the battery.
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May 4, 2009 16:32
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Well, ti's your charging system for sure. Weather it's the stator, or the regulator/rectifier you'll need to find out for yourself.
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May 4, 2009 16:35
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Ola posted:Two quick ones: 1. Brakes suck in rain until you scrub the rain off of them. Have your pads bedded yet? I'd imagine things that would be pretty scary with unbedded pads and rain. 2. Pretty much any aftermarket shock will do the job. If you're just looking for something simple, don't bother with all of the toys (remote reservoir, etc) unless it's reasonably priced, as you're not going to see a lot of gain from it. I'd personally lean towards used, as long as you have a decent suspension guy in your area that can help you set it up right. As to your springs in the front, those are dependent on your weight and what sort of sag you're getting. If you can get good sag on the front with the current springs, then you're fine. If you can't, then buy some stiffer ones. I'd use progressives on the street. Edit: SpeedFreek posted:So I found this and need a little bit of advice on whether to go for it or not. Seems a little expensive. Electrical problems like that can be a bitch to solve, especially if he didn't know what he was doing. Crayvex posted:I have a question that I already know the answer to but I'm going to ask it anyway. Wouldn't hurt, just change it with something cheap. Rotella comes to mind.
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May 4, 2009 17:11
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:I also don't know if it's connected, but my starter clutch is also bad and I don't know if that plays a part in charging the battery. "IF" your r/r died, it is also likely you have fried your stator. By riding and charging the bike you've just covered up the problem, and likely have cost yourself more money. To test your bike. Unplug the stator from the r/r, set your voltmeter to oms. Check the resistance across each of the three legs of your stator. They should be the same, or very nearly the same. Sane values for the stator are between 0.9ohm and 2ohm. Also test each leg versus the chassis. If you have ANY conductivity between the stator and the chassis, you need a new stator. Provided the stator passes that test... For the next test, start the bike, bring the rpms up to about 1/3. I know your bike doesn't have a tach, so you'll need to use your ears. Check the voltage across each leg of the stator. It should be in the 60-100v range. If that's true, across each leg. your stator is ok. Do not ride your bike untill you replace your r/r. This procedure has been typed several times over the life of this thread ;-) Pay attention!
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May 4, 2009 18:12
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Hirayama posted:I'll be flying out to visit a buddy in Los Angeles later this month, and I'm hoping to rent a bike to tour around. I take it a lot of you are from that region and I was hoping for some input here; are there any must see roads/destinations that I should add to the list? I'll mainly be in the Santa Cruz to San Diego region and have a week to burn. Let me know when you're in the LA area and I'll ride with you. Seconding Topanga, Stunt, and the Rock Store - all great roads.
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May 4, 2009 21:56
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What's a decent low cost brand for front brake pads on an EX250? I'm getting a new front tire installed and they wanted to change the pads as well, but like hell I'm paying $100 to get new pads put in. I see a handful of sites selling "SBS," "Galfer" and some others I haven't heard of for $25-30. Are any of those ok? There's also this "Pyramid Parts" set for $14 on eBay Oh and apparently the cam chain tensioner is what's been making the slight ticking noise I've been hearing, not the valves. The mechanic says it won't hold tension, and he's ordered a new one. Barely 10k miles on the bike.  Better to catch it now, I suppose. I'll be riding the bicycle to work for the next couple days.
sirbeefalot fucked around with this message at 00:28 on May 5, 2009 |
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May 5, 2009 00:18
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Galfer is good stuff...I've used EBC as well, and I liked them as well. Use their street pads as they'll work better when cold. Track/race pads typically don't brake very well until they've warmed up a bit, and that's not what you want for street riding or after you've been cruising on the freeway and your rotors have gone cold.
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May 5, 2009 00:20
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sirbeefalot posted:What's a decent low cost brand for front brake pads on an EX250? I'm getting a new front tire installed and they wanted to change the pads as well, but like hell I'm paying $100 to get new pads put in. I see a handful of sites selling "SBS," "Galfer" and some others I haven't heard of for $25-30. Are any of those ok? http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/What_replacement_pads_should_I_consider%3F
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May 5, 2009 00:20
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What's the best way to do "heel-toe" on a motorcycle? When slowing down, I put my trigger & index finger on the brake, and the rest of my hand on the throttle. When I want to downshift and rev match it, I give the throttle a twist but that tends to twitch my fingers too much and puts too much braking force on for a split second which is super jerky and is a really bad thing to keep doing. Is it just practice practice practice?
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May 5, 2009 00:57
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MrZig posted:What's the best way to do "heel-toe" on a motorcycle? Pretty much. I tend to slip the clutch on the track and blip on the street. Schwantz recommends lifting your hand off the bar while braking and using your thumb and other 2 fingers to blip the throttle. I could never make that work and now I run the Jason pridmore style of a lot of playing with the clutch. It just feels more natural.
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May 5, 2009 01:01
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:My '82 Honda CM250C doesn't charge the battery while I'm riding... ...the general consensus is that alternators are pretty durable and not a whole lot can go wrong with them. A stator can most definitely be bad, especially on a 27 year old bike. Nerobro gave great advice, and here's a hand-holding stator check tutorial: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/stator_check.pdf While the tutorial was designed for an older Suzuki GS, the same basic principals apply. If you find the stator to be good, a Regulator/Rectifier can be had relatively inexpensive from ebay.
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May 5, 2009 01:53
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funny, that's how I learned how to do that. I met BassCliff last year. I'll likely be seeing him next weekend ;-)
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May 5, 2009 02:03
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