Pulled the cam plate out without lining up the dots. Can sombody please tell me how to fix? 2005 Fltri

 

it's all in your service manual. if you don't have one, you need to get one for your year and model.

 

You didn't screw up (yet). It doesn't matter where the dots are coming apart. Just line them up on the way back together and you're fine.

 

I'm sure someone will come along with a better suggestion, but off the top of my head:

The dots should line up when the rear cylinder is at top dead center on the compression stroke ( corrected to rear from below post)

pull the sparkplugs, bike in 5th gear, rotate the wheel, which will move the pistons in the bore.

put your finger over the hole and it'll be blown off by compression as the piston comes up.

so this means you are either on the compression or exhaust stroke( since the cams are out the valves will be closed on either of those strokes)--- you can do a visual and see if the dot is where it should be, or 90º off.

to find exact TDC, you could put a gauge in the plug hole and see when the piston is at it's highest point--- even a pencil can be used for this.

so don't panic.

FYI motors ALWAYS stop on the compression stroke the resistance of the compression ( without a spark) is enough to overcome the motion of the rotating parts- and stop the motor

so you can be assured that your bike stopped on a compression stroke, just short of TDC --- the question is which cylinder.

Here's a cut and paste from HDMD88 I found by googling which is very exact:

Even if you get the piston at top dead center you still don't know if the fly wheels are at top dead center....the flywheels will rotate 5 degrees in either direction before the pistons will move from TDC. If you are doing any kind lower end work or cam timing you will have to be at true top dead center, not just close enough....it has to be perfect.

Here is how to find true TDC....you need a couple of things, like a degree wheel and a piston stop. Set the piston stop in the cylinder in the spark plug hole so piston will not go over TDC, put the degree wheel on the sprocket shaft or on the compensator nut, set the degree wheel indicator at 20 degrees before TDC, rotate the engine backwards till the piston touches the piston stop, read the degree wheel. Lets say the degree wheel read 32 degrees....subtract the smaller number from the larger number and you get 12 degrees, divide that in half and you come up with 6 degrees. Add the 6 degrees to the smaller number which is 20 in this case and that gives you 26 degrees. Move the degree wheel 6 degrees in the direction of the smaller number which puts it on 26 degree mark. Rotate the engine the other way gently till the piston stop touches the piston, read the degree wheel....it should be on 26 degrees in that direction also, run it back the other direction and check the number again, if its 26 degrees move the engine till the indicator is pointing at the zero on the degree wheel....you are now at TRUE TOP DEAD CENTER. Its a lot of work but thats how its done correctly.

I think in your case since the bottom end has not been disturbed, it is just a matter of rotating the motor until you 1 reference point is correct-- timing the cams to that position--- and then rotating the motor by hand through a few cycles to confirm that valve timing is correct for each cylinder

mike

 

The info in mkguitar's is technically correct for the most part, but you don't need to go through all that trouble if you're simply installing cams by the marks. The only time you need exact TDC is if you were checking the cam timing against it's specs to confirm the exact opening and closing points.

For a basic bolt-in cam swap simply lining up the dots is the standard procedure and what probably 99 out of 100 people will do.

During reassembly, simply put everything back together but leave the outer chain off. No pushrods yet either. Rotate the engine (crankshaft) and the camshaft until the dots on the gears line up. Then pull the gears back off, install the chain on the gears, and install. Done!

 

The dots line up when the rear cylinder is at TDC.

 

Lining up the dots when dissembling allows you to cut the push rods without damaging the valves by piston contact when using the bolt cutters or and collapsing/binding the valve springs/lifters.
If you took the top end apart no worries.

 

Thanks for the help guys!!!