Problem Starting
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
Problem Starting
Okay, I finally got my top end rebuild done and got the bike outside and tried starting it. I eventually got it to start but it took forever. Here's what I mean. The motor will turn over (doesn't sound like a dead battery), it will start a winding up sound progressively getting faster and the motor starts. Here is what I have done so far and what I have left to do.
1. Point gap has been checked and set to .018
2. Fuel has been verified to be getting to carb
I will be putting in new plugs tomorrow and checking compression rate. Anything else that I might be missing? Timing maybe?
Thanks
1. Point gap has been checked and set to .018
2. Fuel has been verified to be getting to carb
I will be putting in new plugs tomorrow and checking compression rate. Anything else that I might be missing? Timing maybe?
Thanks
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
RE: Problem Starting
Thanks for the input guys. I found the problem. It was lack of compression on cylinder 1. I just happened to be wearing shorts when I was trying to crank the motor today and felt air escaping by my left leg. Put my hand down there while I was cranking it and sure enough the head gasket is not sealing on the 1st cylinder. I'm gonna pull off the heads again replace the gaskets with thinner ones, clean the heads where the gaskets lie to make sure nothing is causing a gap put it back together and try it again.
Whle I have everyone's attention let me ask all of you that have done a top end rebuild a question. How the hell did you guys get the two head bolts on snuggly closest to the rocker box? I have allen type head bolts and I can get 3 bolts on snuggly but I can't get the 4th one on. The damn frame is in the way. Any special tools you used to get in there and get them on snuggly or maybe tips.
Whle I have everyone's attention let me ask all of you that have done a top end rebuild a question. How the hell did you guys get the two head bolts on snuggly closest to the rocker box? I have allen type head bolts and I can get 3 bolts on snuggly but I can't get the 4th one on. The damn frame is in the way. Any special tools you used to get in there and get them on snuggly or maybe tips.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
RE: Problem Starting
That's exactly why when I get my top end back from being machined, I WON'T be replacing the 12 point bolts with anything other than 12 point bolts. The only way I could get the rear insides out was to stick a closed boxed wrench through the side once the pushrods were out and out of the way. You might try a socket with a knuckle adapter. I have to ask though, how did you get them out in the first place?
Rich
Rich
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
RE: Problem Starting
The original bolts that were in there were the acorn bolts with threaded studs. It took a lot of patients and manuevering to get it out.
I had to loosen the rocker box bolts a bit to move it slightly and get my open end wrench in to make short small turns.
I had to loosen the rocker box bolts a bit to move it slightly and get my open end wrench in to make short small turns.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
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From:
RE: Problem Starting
ORIGINAL: pyro
...stick a closed boxed wrench through the side once the pushrods were out and out of the way....
...stick a closed boxed wrench through the side once the pushrods were out and out of the way....
In fact - to set the torque right, I put a boxed wrench on the head bolt, then slipped a flattened pipe over that wrench, and put another wrench in the other end of the pipe to hold the socket drive on my torque wrench. I arranged the wrench heads twelve inches apart, center to center, then divided the torque by two (plus a little to make up for the springinessin that contraption...)
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
RE: Problem Starting
ORIGINAL: supr2nr
The original bolts that were in there were the acorn bolts with threaded studs.
The original bolts that were in there were the acorn bolts with threaded studs.
Rich
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Club Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: Norfolk, VA
RE: Problem Starting
Another thing to check is the threads on each head bolt and the threads in the cylinders. All it takes is one head bolt to bind up while torquing it in. I've reached a point where I chase EVERY thread when assembling a motor.
