Otto Man

With the season winding down, it's time for me to order some APE CCT's. I know they aren't nearly impossible, but there is just something about messing with timing that has always creeped the hell out of me, espically on a engine that I am going to have my legs slung over, doing 100MPH+ on. I've fully rebuilt car engines, manual transmissions, setting up ring and pinions...but this is giving me the creeps! I have a good friend who graduated from MMI awhile back, so he's going to led me a hand with the process. Having another set of eyes and an extra brain never hurts!

Any last tips or advise? I think I've almost memorized the detailed write up here on the forum. I just wanna get this done and out the way because I leave for USMC bootcamp Dec 3rd, and whenever I have free time, I want to spend it riding, not working on the 'hawk! I bought the bike with 6k miles on it in Dec of '06, and shes at 19k now! I havn't done jack squat to the bike...Changed oil, lubed chain, tires, 1 set of brake pads...thats it! I love Hondas.

bkelsey

Otto Man,
Our mileage is about the same, I just did mine at 21K. I also did my overdue valve check, so both valve covers needed to come off. Here was my process with manual pages in ():
1) Remove the front fairing (2-3)
2) Remove front cylinder head cover (8-3)
The top two bolts are a PITA, I used 1/4" drive extensions and a universal joint. And the cover has just enough room to clear the oil cooler bracket, but it will come off.
3) Remove the front spark plug, and get some new ones if you're due.
4) Remove the seat
5) Remove the tank (2-4)
6) Remove the rear cylinder head cover (8-4)
Much easier than the front.
7) Remove the rear spark plug.
8) Remove the air filter cover, element, screws, air funnels, 8 airbox mounting screws and front and rear breather and air hoses. (5-4)
This allows you to move the airbox out of the way enough to get at the front CCT.
9) Check the front cylinder valve clearance. (3-7)
Mine were fine, so I'm not going into the adjustment.
10) Leave the front cylinder at TDC and remove the front ACCT. An allen head socket and a couple of extensions down beside the dislodged airbox worked for me.
11) Clean the mounting surface and mount the front MCCT with new gasket.
If you back the lock nut off (something like 10 threads between the adjuster head and the locknut) before hand, you won't have to do it after it is installed, which is another PITA.
12) I installed mine finger tight, backed off a half turn, which seemed like the same tension the ACCT had. YMMV.
13) Check the rear cylinder valve clearance. (3-8)
14) Leave the rear cylinder at TDC and remove the rear ACCT.
15) Clean the mounting surface and mount the rear MCCT with new gasket.
16) Turn the motor through by hand a couple times as an interference check.
17) Put everything back together and torque it the way you found it.
16) Take the case of empties to recycling.

If I were going to do it without checking my valves, I'd pull the rear cylinder head cover first, verify rear TDC, swap the rear CCT, then rotate accordingly (450° I think) for front TDC and swap the front CCT.

Good luck and good luck.

cliby

I just want to stress - this is NOT a high risk proposition or any need for fear, other than following some very basic principles. The list above is good and there is another post with a lot of detail also. Just don't take short-cuts (ie. take the valve cover off at least one head to verify piston position (you need to couple the index mark with the cam lobe position), and find TDC before you start on each CCT. Doing that, its almost fool proof. If you still want to prove to yourself the chain isn't moved, just get a sharpie and mark the chain and sprocket with a line at a point they meet, so you have a reference point before loosing the CCT. I would emphasize the first time that its reasonable to take off both covers just to see what kind of tension the stock CCT provides, measure the inter-sprocket chain deflection, and then recreate that with the APE CCT while watching. then for future adjustments you'll have some experience knowing how tight you are getting them. but that is just how my head works. good luck.

trinc

it's easier to just zip-tie the chain to the two cam sprockets.
( just don't forget to remove them before replacing the cover )

tim

barkmagnet

+1
I didn't zip tie them and jumped a tooth on the rear cyl.