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V7Goose

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Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. V7Goose
    Glad you got it all sorted out. Many people just measure the clearances with the lobes up like you suggested, without concern for real TDC, but I do not. I have found a number of engines where the clearance is different at real TDC vs. just turning until the lobes are straight up. I just assume the manufacturers know their engines will measure differently like that, so I decided when in doubt to always measure as described in the manufacturer's tech manual. In addition, I'd always rather have the valves a bit too loose instead of a bit too tight. Happy riding, Goose
  2. V7Goose
    I'm tempted to say it is not possible, except I know you are actually seeing it! Even if the bike had a lowering kit on it, you said you replaced the links, so that would put the rear at least back to stock. And I assume you are measuring things with the bike held straight up? The only things I know about that can affect the height of the rear fender tip would be: tire (profile size and wear) rear shock (different brand or amount of air) link length lowered front (will cause the bike to pivot on the rear axle, thus slightly raising the measurement at the rear fender tip). I would start by measuring the rear axle to ground - compare that to the other bikes. No changes to the bike except tire and rear wheel could affect the height of the axle. Before doing any other measurements, make sure the top of the front forks is level with the top of the triple tree - if they are sticking up at all, this indicates someone has tried to lower the bike. Next, I would make sure the shocks on both bikes were set at the same air pressure and had no significant weight in the bags or trunk, then try to measure the distance from the ground to the top and bottom bolts on both the suspension links and the shock. Since only a 1/4" (approximately) shorter link actually raises the rear of the bike by 1", I'm not sure what differences you should be able to see in those measurements until I go out and lay under my bike and think about it, but if there is a significant difference in any of them, it probably will point to whatever is different on the bike. Finally, measure the distance from the ground to the fender tip on both bikes. If you post or send me all this info, I might be able to point out what is causing the difference. Goose
  3. V7Goose
    Normal. It is documented in your owner's manual. Goose
  4. V7Goose
    Oh man, you really caught me on that brain fart - gonna go back and edit that post right now! You are basolutely right, this is ABS plastic and MUST have a solvent glue specifically labeled for ABS. Thanx!!!!!!! Goose
  5. V7Goose
    In reality, you need to figure it will take the tech at leas 30 minutes to look up the sync procedure in the factory manual, then he will take an absolute minimum of one hour farting with it because the factory manual is WRONG! So yes, he will charge you 1.5 hours, but probably return it worse than it is now. And yes, a good sync will solve the vast majority os vibration problems on these bikes. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    Oh, I been around; just involved in a bunch of other stuff, so not doing much here unless I see a post that really needs tech input. Nobody else sent me any coils, so things are just were we left them a year or more ago - problems seem most likely caused by bad reisistors or corrosion on the spring causing high resistance. Goose
  7. V7Goose
    Actually, that quote is about right for how much work it takes to pull the carbs so you can pull the float bowls. And something stuck in the float valves would rarely be covered under warranty unless it happened real soon after buying it. It's a darn shame. You might try arguing with them that a fairly new bike with a fuel filter could not possibly have any foreign substance in the fuel line large enough to cause the problem unless it was left in there from the factory - might work, might not (a decent shop would absolutely take care of it). And you are right, the problem is really not too hard to fix, even if you do have to pull the carbs. The best chance you have to fix it is to drain all the carb bowls to allow the floats to fall down and fully open the valves. This might dislodge whatever is stuck in one when you turn the key back on and they get a full rush of fuel to fill the bowls again. Here is an offer for you - not sure yet of the exact days, but if you are interested, I'll run up there and work on it for ya - no charge except bed and food. Besides just fixing your problems, the reality is that your floats are already set way too high from the factory (out of spec), and this is a good opportunity to get that fixed too. You can give me a call and we can talk about it if you like - check my member details. Goose
  8. V7Goose
    I found the friction plates in my 05 were initially put in wrong from the factory, too, just like you describe. When I did the spring upgrade around 40,000 miles I chose to put the plates back in correctly. I'll be honest and say I never have fully understood they index on the friction plates - every wet clutch I know has them, but I've never seen a convincing explanation for why. But the fact is the shop manuals say to match up the marks, so that is what I did even tho it ran fine for 40,000 with the plates in 180 degrees out. Goose
  9. V7Goose
    Yes, a proper plastic cement will weld the plastic back together, but not PVC cement. This is ABS plastic, so you will either need to use pipe joint cement labeled just for ABS or the universal stuff labeled for all three types of pipe - ABS, PVC and CPVC. Either will work fine, just make certain it says for ABS. Use plenty on the broken surface and wiggle to parts together to mix the edges of the melted plastic. Just make sure you let it cure in a warm location for several hours - overnight is best - to ensure all the solvent is gone and the plastic is back to full strength. Goose
  10. V7Goose
    That cap nut is just for looks. I have never looked that closely at the tech article, and I didn't even know it said you should loosen it. In fact, you do not need to loosen that cap nut to adjust the ring nuts. I guess it is possible that the cap nut can push the aluminum tree cover down on the top ring nut, but even that doesn't make much difference since you will be turning the ring nuts down and away from the aluminum cover. I have done a lot of these and never touched that cap nut. Good luck. Goose
  11. V7Goose
    OK, that makes it clear. But you do not need to loosen that top ring nut. In fact, you can't do it even if you really want to. When you adjust it with the hammer and screwdriver from underneath, you just move both of the ring nuts together. Start by placing the screwdriver blade in a notch on the bottom ring nut and watch how far it moves. In most cases, both ring nuts will move together without problem. If your bottom ring nut moves a small amount and then stops, then the top ring nut may be hanging up and the tab washer preventing the bottom nut from turning alone. In that rare case, try to reach in through the hole to put a screwdriver in a slot on the upper nut and get it to move. Once it starts moving, you won't have any further trouble moving both nuts together while just tapping on the bottom ring nut. Remember, the tab washer locks both ring nuts together, but there is no need to try to pry the tabs out. Since the tab washer is not keyed to the shaft there is nothing preventing both nuts from moving together other than the slight tension from the rubber washer between them. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    OK, that answers it. You cannot remove that cap nut until you take everything else off the front of the bike. Even if you remove the handlebars so you can actually remove the cap nut,it will do you no good. Best look into the underneath sneak (it is not really called that - I just made it up!). Goose
  13. V7Goose
    One of us needs more information! You say you are trying to loosen the "top nut", but frankly, I'm not sure of what you might be referencing. Have you already taken off the fairings and handlebars, so that you are looking at the round ring nuts with the notches? There really shouldn't be any trouble at all getting those loose, since there is just a rubber washer between the two ring nuts. The tab lock washer just slips over both of them, so make sure you take it off before you try to remove the top ring nut. But if you haven't really stripped the whole front end to "properly" adjust those ring nuts, you probably just want to check the tech library and see how to do the underneath sneak adjustment. When you use that method (with a screwdriver and a hammer), you don't worry about the tab washer at all since it is not keyed to the shaft. You will just slightly move both ring nuts together until you get the proper preload on the bearings. Goose
  14. V7Goose
    That black plastic screw in the middle is actually a plastic reusable rivet. You unlock it by 1/4 turn ccw, then it can be pulled out. Be careful when you turn it and do not use a lot of pressure on the screwdriver so the post can come up enough to grab the head and pull. Sometimes the center part does not pop up when you unlock it, so if that happens, try using a larger jeweler's screwdriver to get under the head and pull it up - that center part must be pulled up to release the petals of the internal rivet in order to pull the whole thing out. But just getting the rivet out is not the whole thing. The ends of each cowling have a post that sticks into a rubber grommet below the radiator, and sometimes they are real tough to pull out. Those posts don't usually break off, but it is possible, especially if the rubber is cold. Make sure you pull the cowling ends straight forward, not down or twisted by pulling on the main cowling. If you do happen to break one, do not despair; they can be fixed as good as new - just give me a shout. Goose
  15. V7Goose
    Cold weather should not directly affect this radio - I have ridden down into single digits without problem. BUT - poor wire connections in the plugs inside the fairing are very common until they are reseated and coated with dielectric grease. When my bike was fairly new I had strange problems with the control head that were much worse when the temps were below freezing. The shop couldn't figure it out and ordered a new radio, but while I was waiting for it, I reseated all the plugs and put dielectric grease on them - not one single problem since then in 80,000 miles. Goose
  16. V7Goose
    The main 30A fuse that would kill the entire bike is behind the left passenger foot peg. The ignition fuse is in the main fuse box behind the left side battery cover. Goose
  17. V7Goose
    As others here have already stated, the stock horn button provides a ground to one of the horn terminals, the other terminal is always hot when the key is on. Adding a horn relay to the stock wires could not be any more simple: Unplug the wires from the stock horn. Plug the same wires onto a standard 30A horn/light relay - just split the two plugs apart and put them on the relay coil terminals - it makes no difference which wire on which side of the coil. Now the new relay will energize when you hit the horn button. Run a 14 gauge wire from the battery positive terminal to either of the relay contact terminals. Run a 14 gauge wire from the other relay contact terminal to the + terminal on a horn. Run a 14 gauge wire from the ground terminal on a horn to the frame or engine ground. You do not have to disconnect the other stock horn to do this, but is is a good idea to do so. If you want to leave it operational, I'd suggest running a new 14 gauge wire from the new relay to the second stock horn, and a new 14 gauge wire from that horn to ground. This will ensure the maximum voltage and current is delivered to both horns. The relay can be mounted near either of the stock horns, but it is easiest to do it with the rear one. A perfect place to mount the new horn relay is inside the Right side battery cover, just in front of the carb heater thermo switch - it will fit there perfectly and stays dry. Goose
  18. V7Goose
    I have been a little distracted lately - last month a kid with a learner's permit made an illegal turn in front of my wife and totaled our beloved Jaguar XJ8. She was not badly hurt, so the biggest impact has been just the irritant of being ripped off by crappy insurance companies and looking for a replacement car. I'm not willing to throw money away anymore on the huge depreciation on a new luxury vehicle, so this time I went on the used market. Turns out the big Jaguar sedan is in pretty short supply out there - hard to find decent ones, and those move fast. But I finally found what we wanted and got her back in a decent car (and out of my truck!). Anyway, the whole point of this post is to advise anyone looking for a used high-end car to check out http://www.texascarsdirect.com. They focus mostly on Jaguar, Land Rover and Mercedes Benz, but also have the occasional BMW, Cadilac, Volvo, etc,. They do not deal on prices, but their vehicles are VERY clean and priced to move (and most go quickly because they ARE priced so fairly). They buy only the best from auctions in every state, and they inspect and take care of all necessary outstanding maintenance and wear items before they offer the cars for sale. They sell all over the nation, with lots of people flying in and driving home. The inventory changes daily. If anyone is interested in something they have, I'd be very happy to take it down to my mechanic for a full checkout and help coordinate whatever you need. Just thought I'd offer... Goose
  19. V7Goose
    The valves are a full day job - 6 to 8 hours. Goose
  20. V7Goose
    I'm happy to help anybody, but you're probably gonna have to ride that thing down here to Texas to get me involved. Goose
  21. V7Goose
    This is a little hard to explain without pictures or drawings, but I'll give it a shot. The cable junction box has two plastic wheels where the various cables are connected. The top one has the four throttle cables, and the bottom one has the single cruise cable. The two wheels are mated together with ridges something like this: -/-, with the - - on the bottom wheel, and the / on the back of the top wheel. This allows the bottom wheel to turn the top wheel when the cruise cable is pulled, but there is no engagement when it is pushed. The problem is that it is very easy to put the top wheel on with the engagement ridges like this: -\-, and the fix is simply to raise it up slightly and turn it so the ridges engage correctly. Goose
  22. V7Goose
    LOTS of discussion here about this - just do a search on "clutch upgrade". As stated above, the PCW upgrade spring is the way to go, but replacement friction plates are almost never needed. Goose And welcome to the board - hope you hang around. You'll find out way more about htat bike here than anywhere else.
  23. V7Goose
    If you have been regularly wiggling a cord plugged into the stock jack, then yes, you almost certainly broke a wire in there, or maybe even the jack itself. It may or may not be covered under warranty, depending on what the actual damage looks like. To completely test the diagnosis, just unplug the cable between the jack and the radio and plug a good player directly into the cable at that point. Now a word of caution for you - you should NEVER connect more than one device at a time to those audio jacks unless you have a load isolation device on at least one of them! Headset and audio output jacks on portable devices are never designed to protect against cross-wire issues with other devices, so by plugging multiple devices into the same jack you can experience many problems, ranging from reduced volume, audio interference, burned out speakers (or preamps), and complete destruction of a connected device. Here is a little background on why those bad things happen. Speakers require two wires to complete the audio circuit, and usually one of those wires is just a ground; this is especially common in vehicle radios. It makes no difference at all to the speaker OR to the device which wire is grounded (ignoring the phase issue for stereo), since a speaker is simply a completely isolated coil. But as soon as you connect another electronic device to the same jack, you create a different path back to ground. Even if both devices are wired identically, the impedance (load) on the audio output circuits of each device is massively changed, causing potential damage. That is why you almost always get a big drop in volume. And if that second device has the audio output wires reversed internally, you have created a direct short of your audio out from device #1 to the negative power grid on device #2. This is never good, even if both devices are powered by their own batteries, but if both devices are actively powered by the vehicle's electrical system, that is where you can quickly destroy either or both of the connected devices. Sometimes is can be immediate, and some times they will seem to work until the overload causes damage somewhere down the road. Goose
  24. V7Goose
    Well, I usually smile smugly when some folks start talking about having to put their bike up for the season - here in Texas, even North Texas, our winters are generally mild enough to ride all year long. But today is going to be an exception . . . [ATTACH]41317[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]41318[/ATTACH] Had a record snowfall yesterday - beat all records going back 111 years - between 9-14 inches in the DFW area. Officially they reported 12.5" at the airport, which is fairly close to my place. The good news is that we don't have much ice with it since the temps have stayed right around freezing. Lots of slush, and tonight looks like it is going to get down in the 20s, so tomorrow morning will be a bit dicey! Goose (Man, this global warming is TOUGH!)
  25. V7Goose
    This advice is absolutely spot-on! Electronics have advanced so much that there is relatively little practical difference between the cheapest and most expensive multimeters these days for the majority of uses. Certainly for mechanical needs, the $2.99 Harbor Freight item (often available on sale for $1.99!) is completely acceptable for 99.9% of needs. I even keep one of these little gems under the bottom cover of the left saddle bag (like the tool kit on the other side) so I'll always have one for unexpected chores while I'm on the road. Really comes in handy when I need to repair someone's headset/cords or make a Weasel-Wire! I too was trained in avionics and worked in that industry for quite a few years. In addition, I owned my own electronics service business back in the 70s and 80s. Back then, there was a huge difference in cheap meters and the relatively new electronic VOMs and multimeters. Now the term "electronic VOM" is not even used anymore since you can't buy any instrument that isn't electronic. The bottom line is that if you do not already know that you need something specific, the cheapest multimeter you can find will meet all of your needs. Save your money for gas and tires! Goose
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