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Before adjusting Valves the first time...
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Before adjusting Valves the first time...Or any other time you may need to manually turn the engine over, look at timing marks, move the crank, or such...
Now you may have gotten home from a 12 hour day at work, and maybe you work nights, and you may or may not have had a couple of beers, when you decide it's a grand time to adjust your valves. And you may be a little out of it. Then you might remove the left side cover by removing the three screws, then you may see a nice big bolt head right in the center of that cover. Around that bolt head might be a nice big arrow looping around said bolt head pointing clockwise. You might then find the correct size socket, attach your 1/2 ratchet to the socket and then place your socket on nice big bolt head. Then you might look through the little window to watch for timing marks, then maybe start turning bold head in direction of the arrow, and be amazed the timing marks don't move. Next you might decided maybe there is some slack of some sort and turn harder, imaging in your head that maybe the bolt needs to hit a tab or something to start turning the crank. Then you might be amazed when the resistance from the nut let's up, without any crank movement, then vanishes completely. After the amazement and confusion passes, you just might notice that you now see a nice big hole in before mentioned side cover. Through this hole you will see another nice bigger recessed bolt head. In the end of your socket you may notice the before lamented, non-recessed bolt head, and in the hole you will notice the threaded part that used to be attached to bolt head that now resided in the end of your socket. You then might realize that the first bolt head was indeed not a bolt, but a smallish gasket holding "plug". And no matter what the arrow may tell you, it's threaded COUNTER-CLOCKWISE for removal. Following the arrow may result in a broken plug, if you have more determination then brains. Then you might find the bolt head you turn to move the crank is INSIDE the hole, recessed a inch or two....maybe. And indeed it's best to possibly turn IT the direction the arrow around the OTHER bolt shows. Of course you might realize it's really around the hole for BOTH bolts, it's that that the second is hidden by the first. The moral of the story is: There is a PLUG covering the bolt you place the socket on to turn the crank, and it's threaded like any normal bolt. Turning it clockwise results in a broken plug. It all makes perfect sense....ONCE YOU HAVE IT APART....it's not so obvious before. I know this because a .......friend did this. A dumb friend.... Don't be a dumb friend. This has been a public service announcement from the dufus tool owning association. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. 1985 XV700N Virago
Black and Chrome Rumbling Freedom nwariders.proboards.com
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...Hmmmmmm.... did the ummmm......."friend" do this to your ride ?
BTW, I'm moving the thread to Wrenchin' Secrets, & Tips. Seems like a good location for it. _______________________________________________________________________
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” ~Mark Twain Mustang saddle, Yamaha driving lights, Red rear signals, Forward Controls, XVS650 manual petcock, Hard Krome Double D exhaust.
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...Thanks Jake, I thought about that myself, but I wasn't sure what Virago's might be similar, so posted it in the section for my bike. Figured if it would be better somewhere else someone would know better then I.
*edit* Oh, and yeah... the.....friend....did it to my bike...... 1985 XV700N Virago
Black and Chrome Rumbling Freedom nwariders.proboards.com
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...p/n 1L9-11186-00-00 about $7.50 from MRCycles
uhhh,,, my friend had that happen too. ![]() ![]() "Over the Mountains of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride" ... E.A. Poe Time flies --- whether you're having fun, __ ![]() ![]() Any day above ground is a good day. so Laissez les bon temps roulez. just roll safely --- Semper Vigilans --- always watchful "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand." ... Confucius* If you don't read the news you are not informed. If you read the news you are misinformed. ... Mark Twain “THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated” Thomas Paine --- 1776 December 23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The views, opinions, and experiences expressed in this post are mine and may not necessarily represent views and opinions of other VTF members, so feel free to agree, disagree, or ignore them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...I admit it. I broke one just the other day.
![]() I'm siliconing the cover back on until I get a replacement. Hey, now I know. ![]() My 85 XV700 has been sold. Thanks for all the help guys. :)
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Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...righty tighty.. lefty loosie.. unless its not
![]() the arrow is for the direction of the way yamaha wants us to turn the rotor to do our timing.... guess i am a little late for this little bit of info.. the word for today is force... if it breaks it needed replaced anyway.....dan 82 xv 750 skull on grips,levers,3rd brake and side covers.soft bags and tool bag, relay for coils, fresh inferno red, paint code PEL(red)
no time to do it right..always enough time to do it twice. it is if is isnt ![]() If it went together easy... you forgot something. when in doubt.... ground it out! http://www.viragotechforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=35947 (bare bones wiring81-83 xv750) http://www.viragotechforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=48895 (91 up xv750 bare bones) http://www.viragotechforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=36987(84-85 xv700,1000 bare bones)
![]() Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...I was lucky enough to do this myself. Got a new one at a bike salvage yard for a $1. Bad thing was it was 40 mile round trip in the car.
1994 Virago 750
![]() Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...I should have read this an hour ago............. I may be the "stupid friend" in this situation.
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...Try owning a BSA. Some bolts are normal thread, some are reverse thread - this appears to be random and none of the service manuals think to mention which is which. Then try breaking off the head of a whitworth bolt, drilling it out (do I have a whitworth tap and die set?) and finding a replacement bolt...
![]() Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...funniest thread ever unintentionally revived.
TRV lol: if it breaks it needed replaced anyway -Phillip mototom | 2003 Virago 250 XV250R
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...This is funny and very helpful.. lol thanks a lot dude.
FCKWNTR
![]() Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...
Hi Guy... I know you broke your Cap a year ago this month.... BUT I broke mine no more than an hour ago !! SO the title of "Worlds Dummest Bunny" goes to me now ! Hope your bike is running fine....// Ernie in NH ( aka Kayak699 ) 1982 XV750V
1977 R100/7 BMW 1995 K1100LT BMW 1995 1500-A9 Vulcan Kawasaki *** all but 750 registered and on the road !!
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...One of my bike's POs must've done the same thing as I found the cover bolt was held by the by part of one line of tread only thus popping off relatively easy and preventing me from making the same mistake..
![]() Might just engrave the new ordered one with the correct arrow for it.. The Flying Anvil XV750SE '82 - Custom rear subframe, Bar end mirrors, New indicators, New tail light, 18" rear wheel conversion, KOSO speedo, lithium battery, custom wiring harness, clipons, modified SR500 rearsets, Lucas replica switchgear, K&N air filter, many parts powdercoated
XV920 '81- Watsonian Monaco sidecar tug project-work in progress - top end rebuild time TR1.1 '81 Basket case project - Work in progress - Sepp Koch style frame chop plus refinement, XVS1100 jugs piston crankshaft conversion, nanno's 9 plate clutch conversion, BMW r850r rear shock, spoke wheels XS650 front & rear, twin 320mm discs with Yamaha Blue spot calipers, XT500 tank, twin Webber carbs, home built exhaust (hopefully) seat and subframe, footrest hangers...
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...Broke half the threads off doing this to mine when i first got the bike. It still screws in though so I don't need a new one for now. ;)
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...Luckily my friend did it to his parts bike first, before he actually broke the nice one.
Engraving an arrow with the proper direction on it is a good idea. Lyle
'82 XV920RJ
Re: Before adjusting Valves the first time...Ouch, in my early days on the tools we would just take the plugs out and rocker covers off, bike on mainstand or paddock stand, put it in gear and turn the back wheel which turns the engine over, screwdriver down the plug hole to confirm tdc and set valves that way. Was not the `proper way` but worked well.
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