Ok, here's the update as of January 15th.
We finally, and I mean finally, got the jugs back on, cams all alligned and are now ready for final reassembly of headers, carbs and one side cover. We will be finishing it and firing it off tonight for sure.
Let me share some of the recent adventures we ran into.
When we got it all together and
tried to get the cam chain gear on the top of the motor, there was not enough slack in the chain. Too tight. WTF??? How could this be. So we dick around with it for a couple hours and gave up before we broke something. I was getting pretty PO'd at that point with it.
The next night I attacked it from a different angle, we pulled the jugs off again and did some gorilla work by basically lifting the bike with the cam chain by hand (not really lifted though). It seems it was slightly crooked and was not straight on the bottom end cam chain gear. Nothing we were doing before would get it over enough to sit straight on the teeth. Thought of pulling the oil pan, nope, isn't in line, would be a waste of time. Finally after using brute force, a hacksaw blade, some big screwdrivers, it popped into place and we had all the slack we needed. Horray!
Then we go to put the jugs back on, oops...one of the tiny oil rings had gotten ever so slightly bent, and would not slot into the piston. I though we were going to have to order a new ring. So, in desperation, we had nothing to lose at this point, I used a large flat faced hammer and the large flat area of a table saw for an anvil. I then proceeded to do the old blacksmith hammering/sliding of the hammer as I ever so gently pounded, to the tiny delicate ring. Lo and behold, in a few minutes I got it perfectly flat and didn't hurt it one little bit. Patted myself on the back, had a few more beers, then slid the jugs back on with no effort at all. Getting really good at that part by now.
Then, we kept a
lot of constant upward stress on the cam chain so it wouldn't slip back off the bottom gear again, and after a few more minutes, we had the entire top end reassembled and timed correctly with new shims and all. Yee ha!
That's where she sits now, ready to put on the right hand side cover (got me tons of spare gaskets too
) I haven't forgotten about those that asked, be patient, i'll get some out to ya.
So, tonight should be the final night, the big fire up. Fingers will be crossed, wood will be knocked upon, redheads rubbed, beers drained and prayers silently mumbled.
Here's to happy 904cc Scepterized thumper sounds being heard tonight.
