Another quick question if anyone see's this before heading to work.

I went back out late last night and checked again at several different positions, and did hear a "tink" at a few like Phil suggested, so will check the lash again this morning. I may be getting readings more like Kruzin did, so may be okay after all.

My question: When I check at different positions, is that a full rotation of the pinion gear or the cam gear?

 

I've been considering the 26G camas well. Aligning the motor for the cams shouldn't be a problem, but I have had problems in the past when doing engine work and tend to screw one thing or another up. I have every tool known to man and a closed garage to do the work in. Besides not getting a good seal on the gaskets or the bike falling off the lift, what is the worst that could happen when doing the gear drive/cam install myself?
Also, will the bike have to be remapped?

 

Yes, I checked the inner set of gears for lash then installed the outer set of gears and checked them for backlash. And Phil is dead on about rotating the engine over to check it in 4 different places on the gear. I made a reference mark on one gear and rotated 90 degeres for each check.

 

If they are not binding you are good to go. They should be at near 0 lash. If they are binding that is a different thing.

The easiest way to pull the gears is take two of the cam cover screws and screw them into the two holes on the gears. Put a feeler guage between the screws and the cam plate (so the screw don't guage the plate) and slowly and evenly screw the screws in and the gear will come right off. Some will scoff at this but I was told of this technique by Ralph Andrews of Andrews cams. I have done it several times with no problems. He told me that is why the 2 taped holes are there.

 

Well, I've got some good news. I have positive backlash after all! Apparently last night when I set up my dial indicator I did something wrong. I reset everything again this morning and I had .001 inch backlash at three positions, and .0015 inch at the fourth position (I also hear the "tink" at this position, like Phil suggested, but not the other three). I called Andrews tech support and they said as long as I had positive backlash I was good to go. If I hadn't seen it on the dial indicator I wouldn't know it was there, but it is -- I checked it several times -- so they are definitely not binding. So the cam job went without a hitch.

The installation of the adjustable pushrods and stock covers, on the other hand, was a real PITA. [:'(] After doing the first one I learned somewhat of the trick, as well as finding the right low profile small wrench to maximize the amount of room to work. In hindsight going with the shorter pushrod covers would have probably made this much easier, but I managed to get it done. Oh yeah, putting in the snap in spring covers at the top of the pushrods was a chore too. Now I know what the fins on the cylinders are really for -- providing leverage with a screwdriver to push down the cover cap!

Putting the exhaust back on now and should finish in the morning. It's also snowing outside, so won't be riding anytime soon, but at least I'll be ready for Spring!

EasternSP, if I can do it, you can too. To be honest there isn't too much to screw up as long as you take your time and follow the instructions. I found the Andrews instructions a little lacking -- they seem to take for granted that you know how to do some of the basic things -- so I combined steps with the service manual and the S&S cam gear instructions. Between the three I think everything's covered. One warning, though, when adjusting the adjustable pushrods, only use the instructions for that manufacturer, i.e. if they say to tighten four turns, do just that. Another manufacturer may say three turns but they may be using a different thread rod. You'll also need a good dial indicator to check crankshaft runout and gear lash. I also replaced my lifters since I have 30k+ on my bike, so might be something to consider. And don't forget you've got tons of folks here who have done this, plus you have tech support to call. Good luck.

 

Good deal! Sounds like you're ready to roll..... when it dries up.

Don't panic when it clatters when you first fire it up. It will take a couple minutes for the new lifters to pump up.

By chance, did you pour a 1/2 qt or so of oil into one of the lifter holes before buttoning it up? THis is a good way to get oil pumping quicker.

 

No, Phil, I sure didn't. I did soak the lifters in oil a couple of days before putting them in, so hopefully that will help.

I guess one thing I need to keep an eye on when firing up is my oil pressure to be sure the pumps working okay. I used the alignment pins plus rotating the rear wheel when tightening, so assume all will be okay.

Will my lifters be okay since I didn't put the oil in?

 

They'll be fine....

One other thing you might do is pull the spark plugs and the fuel pump fuse OR disconnect the coil input lead. Then press the starter button in brief (3second) bursts, until you begin to see oil pressure on the guage. Do not run the starter londer than 3secs @ a time so as not to over heat it. You will not need to see a lot of pressure on the guage, just get it to where the needle begins to move.

After that, put you plugs & fuse (or coil input lead) back in and fire it up. That will assure you that it has oil right from the start.

 

Taterdog, I've got this exact job coming up in a few weeks. Couple questions for you, which lifters and pushrods did you use? Also, if you're done with the oil pump alignment pins and want to sell them send me a pm.

 

Neckball, I used the HDlifters (B style) and Andrews adjustable chrome moly pushrods.

I rented the tools to do my job, including the pump alignment pins. PM me if you need tools and I'll get you in contact with the guy I rented from. Great guy to deal with and much more reasonable to rent tools than buy them, although about all you need will be the delrin sprocket locking tool, the tensioner unloader and locking pins, some assembly lube, and the inner cam bearing remover/installer. The rest can be done with the oven/freezer. My old cams just needed a slight tap and they fell out of the cam plate, and from what I've read most folks have had a similar experience.