Trails and Tribulations
#1
Trails and Tribulations
Nothing anyone can help with. Just thought I'd bitch...
'98 VTR1000 Firestorm (Canadian model). Bought it new. Few mods here and there like full Ti high rise Moriwaki exhaust and Dynojet kit. Always loved the bike. But it no longer loves me (though really, it's mostly my own doing).
It all started when I went to Australia for 2 years. Prepped the bike for long term storage. But it's just been trouble ever since I got back. First the cooling system. Then noises from cam chains. And then the real trouble began. Thinking "I've put manual CCTs on inline 4s a couple times now and that was easy" I didn't read the very well laid out postings here about replacing CCTs on the VTR. Two front cylinder bent exhaust valves later...
Got that fixed. Put it all back together. Out for a test ride. Rear manual CCT comes loose a block from home. Coast in. Start pulling it apart to check for damage. Stuck alternator cover bolt. Ya know, the big one that folks seem to complain about getting stuck. Well, I got it out all right. But it took this (see picture) to do it.
Used my dremmel tool to cut the slot (at least I was smart enough to remove the cover to do it) so I could get a strong enough tool in to break it free. And that was after using another posting's suggestion of chisel and hammer.
Oh... and I dropped a bolt down the cam chain well. So now I have to pull the oil pan. And one of those crappy cheap plastic carb choke fittings broke. And I had to actually pull the exhaust cam on the rear cylinder and take it to a shop to get the sprocket bolts undone. Even with lots of heat to loosen the thread lock I couldn't do it. Stripped the head on one of the bolts.
Good God this thing has been a lot of work this summer. My friends think that my mechanic (uh - that would be me) is sh*t and that I should actually pay someone to fix it right...
'98 VTR1000 Firestorm (Canadian model). Bought it new. Few mods here and there like full Ti high rise Moriwaki exhaust and Dynojet kit. Always loved the bike. But it no longer loves me (though really, it's mostly my own doing).
It all started when I went to Australia for 2 years. Prepped the bike for long term storage. But it's just been trouble ever since I got back. First the cooling system. Then noises from cam chains. And then the real trouble began. Thinking "I've put manual CCTs on inline 4s a couple times now and that was easy" I didn't read the very well laid out postings here about replacing CCTs on the VTR. Two front cylinder bent exhaust valves later...
Got that fixed. Put it all back together. Out for a test ride. Rear manual CCT comes loose a block from home. Coast in. Start pulling it apart to check for damage. Stuck alternator cover bolt. Ya know, the big one that folks seem to complain about getting stuck. Well, I got it out all right. But it took this (see picture) to do it.
Used my dremmel tool to cut the slot (at least I was smart enough to remove the cover to do it) so I could get a strong enough tool in to break it free. And that was after using another posting's suggestion of chisel and hammer.
Oh... and I dropped a bolt down the cam chain well. So now I have to pull the oil pan. And one of those crappy cheap plastic carb choke fittings broke. And I had to actually pull the exhaust cam on the rear cylinder and take it to a shop to get the sprocket bolts undone. Even with lots of heat to loosen the thread lock I couldn't do it. Stripped the head on one of the bolts.
Good God this thing has been a lot of work this summer. My friends think that my mechanic (uh - that would be me) is sh*t and that I should actually pay someone to fix it right...
#3
Ya have to hit it at about a 45deg angle, on the farthest outer edge possible to get the most rotation torque to the plug.
I've been doing it this way for years now, since the day i was shown this method, on every brand of bike, aluminum and plastic plugs... and it takes no more then 1-3 smacks to loosen the plug... ..
#4
question, why not use anti seize when it's off the first time? Same with spark plugs. It's cheap, a tube lasts years and this won't happen. I know, hind sight and all that.
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...-plug-3892.jpg
I bought these, made from titanium, so they won't strip if they get stuck but I use the anti seize to keep them from freezing, (besides, they weigh next to nothing so they make the bike a lost faster)!
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...-plug-3892.jpg
I bought these, made from titanium, so they won't strip if they get stuck but I use the anti seize to keep them from freezing, (besides, they weigh next to nothing so they make the bike a lost faster)!
Last edited by twist; 09-16-2012 at 05:50 PM.
#5
question, why not use anti seize when it's off the first time? Same with spark plugs. It's cheap, a tube lasts years and this won't happen. I know, hind sight and all that.
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...-plug-3892.jpg
I bought these, made from titanium, so they won't strip if they get stuck but I use the anti seize to keep them from freezing, (besides, they weigh next to nothing so they make the bike a lost faster)!
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...-plug-3892.jpg
I bought these, made from titanium, so they won't strip if they get stuck but I use the anti seize to keep them from freezing, (besides, they weigh next to nothing so they make the bike a lost faster)!
#6
Ya know, for as long as I have been riding and tinkering, you would think I would learn a few things. Most important, don't take short cuts.
Normally when I work on one of my bikes I have my shop manual open in front of me. Moved not too long ago and don't have a full garage. A lot of stuff went into storage, including my shop manuals. Didn't expect to be doing this much work on my bikes. Got lazy and didn't want to take a whole day to drive out to the storage place, empty contents out to find the one box I need... pack it all back in... etc, etc. So I tried the short cut... AND... didn't read all the great posts here before I started.
I now have an electronic copy of the shop manual for my bike. Damn that comes in handy.
BTW... bike is almost back together. Just need to:
- Fill the oil
- Install the tank
- Install the exhaust system
- Put some anti-sieze compound on a couple PITA bolts before I install the new ones
...and then hope to hell nothing leaks or goes bang when I hit the start button. I have manually rotated the engine around a good 6 or 7 times and that seems to work just fine. So my fingers are crossed.
Normally when I work on one of my bikes I have my shop manual open in front of me. Moved not too long ago and don't have a full garage. A lot of stuff went into storage, including my shop manuals. Didn't expect to be doing this much work on my bikes. Got lazy and didn't want to take a whole day to drive out to the storage place, empty contents out to find the one box I need... pack it all back in... etc, etc. So I tried the short cut... AND... didn't read all the great posts here before I started.
I now have an electronic copy of the shop manual for my bike. Damn that comes in handy.
BTW... bike is almost back together. Just need to:
- Fill the oil
- Install the tank
- Install the exhaust system
- Put some anti-sieze compound on a couple PITA bolts before I install the new ones
...and then hope to hell nothing leaks or goes bang when I hit the start button. I have manually rotated the engine around a good 6 or 7 times and that seems to work just fine. So my fingers are crossed.
#7
Why were you trying to remove the can sprockets?
I too dropped a bolt down my rear head. It didnt make its way to the pan, it stopped on top of the gears up inside the crank case and I had to use some wire and a magnet to get it out.
I too dropped a bolt down my rear head. It didnt make its way to the pan, it stopped on top of the gears up inside the crank case and I had to use some wire and a magnet to get it out.
#8
I couldn't find the bolt I had dropped anywhere. So I assumed it ended up in the oil pan. Sure enough, once I got the pan off, there was the bolt. With the way things have been going, I'm sure I'll end up with oil leaks or something...
#9
Once you get it running, though, man is it that much better!
#10
(Thanks for the Post).
Wow, what a "welcome home" for you. Glad to see that you are getting
things sorted out. It seems for me too, "Murphy" is always around.
I say Thank-you for the post because it reminds me of some of the issues I
need to remember to check (coolent, Mccts tight secure, and that dreaded alt
cover bolt) among others.
I also had a "fun" time removing my center bolt for timing when I changed out my CCts. Took me about an hour trying different methods and ended with the chisel and hammer. Finally got it off after chiseling four 1/8 inch ramps into the outer ridge of the cap at 90 deg. I had a spare cover and a spare center cap (cap-that the dealership gave to me after "they" also could not get it off-). Actually used the photos from 8541Hawk of the cap.
I now check the cap along with anti-seize after every wash. Also got the check my MCCTs
Wish you well and hope you are back on the road soon.
Wow, what a "welcome home" for you. Glad to see that you are getting
things sorted out. It seems for me too, "Murphy" is always around.
I say Thank-you for the post because it reminds me of some of the issues I
need to remember to check (coolent, Mccts tight secure, and that dreaded alt
cover bolt) among others.
I also had a "fun" time removing my center bolt for timing when I changed out my CCts. Took me about an hour trying different methods and ended with the chisel and hammer. Finally got it off after chiseling four 1/8 inch ramps into the outer ridge of the cap at 90 deg. I had a spare cover and a spare center cap (cap-that the dealership gave to me after "they" also could not get it off-). Actually used the photos from 8541Hawk of the cap.
I now check the cap along with anti-seize after every wash. Also got the check my MCCTs
Wish you well and hope you are back on the road soon.
#11
CCT'S
I didn't remove the index mark plugs when I replaced the cct's on this one but instead used another way. With the spark plugs removed I found TDC with a rod feeling the top of each piston, by turning the back wheel. I used a length of fuel line hose and inserted one end into a spark plug hole. If I could blow air into the chamber and out the valves then I knew it was on tdc of the exhaust (wrong) cycle and so turned it over again. I checked to make sure both valves were closed by blowing hard again at tdc and with no leakage knew it was on the correct tdc for pulling out the stock cct's. Bolted in the new ones and turned the plunger in til finger tight and then locked it down. Worked well and no fussing with the delicate access plugs.