XLFREAK
30th January 2005, 16:07
Finished up last night about 11:30 with making the engine run.... Put the bike back together and called it a night about 12:00. I was grinning like an idiot too. :D
So... here's the recap of yesterday's details and goings on.
Friday night when I quit for the night, the cylinders were on over the pistons, cams were installed, and the next step was to install the pushrod tubes and get started on the top of the motor. Problem was that the gasket kit I bought didn't have the gaskets or O-rings for the plates over the tappets and the bottom of the pushrods. Also, I had forgotten to order a gearcase gasket as well. No biggie, as I was going to take Mom out for lunch Saturday and she wanted to go to the local Harley Boutique anyway.
I got home yesterday about 2:30 and I *think I may have gone inside first. But probably not.
Installed the pushrod bases, O-rings, pushrod tubes as per the instructions. Then I took a deep breath, grabbed the rear head, dropped it into place, torqued it, and built it all the way up to the rocker box cover. Grabbed the front head and that's when this whole deal became immensely frustrating. :yikes
Got the front head on, torqued and ready to go. The installed the intake and got it tight. Put the rocker box on, and the cover and thought I was ready to go. So I went to install the gearcase cover and close up the motor. I lined it up with all the cams, started sliding it on, and then realized I didn't put the gasket on. So I pulled it off... And took out the number 4 cam in the process. Which meant tearing down the front cylinder again.
Tore all that down, got the cam reinstalled and retimed (for what had to have been the 4th or 5th time), closed up the gearbox, and built out the top of the front cylinder. Got everything together and was torquing down the rocker box when my cheapie little torque wrench wouldn't give me a reading on one of the rocker box cover bolts and it snapped. (I used a freind's Craftsman wrench for the engine build) So once again I was into the top of the front cylinder, although this time not far at all. I pulled the rocker box cover, grabbed the remnants of the bolt with a plier, pulled it out, and put it back together for the third time. But this wouldn't be the last trial and tribulation with the front cylinder...
So now I'm sitting there with the motor 99.9% complete and the bike in pieces. The one bolt I need to install in the engine is completely accessible with the tank on, so I figured I'd go ahead and start putting the bike back together. I grabbed the exhaust crossover tube and bolted it up. Put on the pulley cover. Then the rear exhaust. Got all that together and looking right. Grabbed the front exhaust and had a bitch of a time starting the nuts on the exhaust studs (front cylinder giving me one last fight). Tightened down the exhaust, installed the carb (after figuring out which cable went where), plug wires, etc. Put the tank on the bike and hooked up the fuel, vacuum, and VOES. And at this point it was ready to fire up.
While at Harley yesterday, I picked up a SE Ignition Module. Being that that was the last piece of the puzzle, I installed it as well.
Looking at the bike at this point, knowing that a rocker box bolt was missing, it was too tempting to try to turn it over. So I unplugged my battery tender, turned on the bike, and cranked it. Felt large amounts of air coming out of the plug holes and was happy. Then the oil pressure light went off and I was really happy. And best of all, no leaks yet. Not even from the rocker box cover hole.
So at this point, I figured I had nothing to lose. I put the plugs in and hit the starter button. It cranked for a few seconds, then I heard one cylinder fire once or twice and it killed. I was getting excited... Cranked it again and heard an immediate brap brap as both cylinders fired, then silence. Check engine light was on. Hit the starter button and nothing. No solenoid click, starter whine, nothing.
Now I was worried. I mentally went over everything in my mind... cams were timed, pistons installed properly, etc... Paranoia and fear were setting in. I tried the starter again... Engine turns over, fires twice and kills. Now I'm aggravated. I punch the garage door and start in on cursing the bike. Wait a couple minutes and try it again... Two fires and kills. Common sense sets in and I decide to start actually troubleshooting. Twist the throttle and I see gas being squirted in... So I've got fuel. Carb is wide open at this point, so I've got air. So it has to be spark... Take off the SE ignition module and install the stock one. Crank it again and the engine turns over 2 or 3 times and comes to life!!! :clap
I let it warm up a bit, closed the enrichener and let it idle for a while, looking for leaks and seeing what if anything would smoke. It sounds good... real good. Nice lopey idle, like 1/4th of a Hot Rod 350 Chevy. Everything looks tight, no leaks. I run in to tell the wife and she's completely underwhelmed. "You're letting your bike run in the garage at almost midnight? You do realize people are trying to sleep, right?" I shake my head in disgust at her lack of acknowledgement of my mechanical prowess and go back in my garage. I let the bike idle for a few more minutes and shut it off. Out of curiosity, I reinstalled the SE module, and the bike fired twice and died. Put the stock one back in and made up my mind that the SE unit is going back to HDNO. I looked all around the cylinders and heads for any sign of a leak (none) and then finished putting the bike back together. Bolted up the aircleaner right before midnight and called it a night.
I got up this morning and went out to look at it again. No new drips under the bike. Everything still looks good. So I fired it up again, and the bike started on the first crack of the starter button. I closed the enrichener to about halfway, and used the thumbscrew to set a fast idle. I let it get warm and closed the choke all the way while the bike was running. Again, no leaks, no smoke, no nothing but a beautiful lopey idle and the engine shaking around like an epileptic.
I'm going to go run to the local HD dealer today and get the bolt I need and then take it out for a short ride.
Pictures:
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert23.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert24.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert25.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert26.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert27.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert28.jpg
So... here's the recap of yesterday's details and goings on.
Friday night when I quit for the night, the cylinders were on over the pistons, cams were installed, and the next step was to install the pushrod tubes and get started on the top of the motor. Problem was that the gasket kit I bought didn't have the gaskets or O-rings for the plates over the tappets and the bottom of the pushrods. Also, I had forgotten to order a gearcase gasket as well. No biggie, as I was going to take Mom out for lunch Saturday and she wanted to go to the local Harley Boutique anyway.
I got home yesterday about 2:30 and I *think I may have gone inside first. But probably not.
Installed the pushrod bases, O-rings, pushrod tubes as per the instructions. Then I took a deep breath, grabbed the rear head, dropped it into place, torqued it, and built it all the way up to the rocker box cover. Grabbed the front head and that's when this whole deal became immensely frustrating. :yikes
Got the front head on, torqued and ready to go. The installed the intake and got it tight. Put the rocker box on, and the cover and thought I was ready to go. So I went to install the gearcase cover and close up the motor. I lined it up with all the cams, started sliding it on, and then realized I didn't put the gasket on. So I pulled it off... And took out the number 4 cam in the process. Which meant tearing down the front cylinder again.
Tore all that down, got the cam reinstalled and retimed (for what had to have been the 4th or 5th time), closed up the gearbox, and built out the top of the front cylinder. Got everything together and was torquing down the rocker box when my cheapie little torque wrench wouldn't give me a reading on one of the rocker box cover bolts and it snapped. (I used a freind's Craftsman wrench for the engine build) So once again I was into the top of the front cylinder, although this time not far at all. I pulled the rocker box cover, grabbed the remnants of the bolt with a plier, pulled it out, and put it back together for the third time. But this wouldn't be the last trial and tribulation with the front cylinder...
So now I'm sitting there with the motor 99.9% complete and the bike in pieces. The one bolt I need to install in the engine is completely accessible with the tank on, so I figured I'd go ahead and start putting the bike back together. I grabbed the exhaust crossover tube and bolted it up. Put on the pulley cover. Then the rear exhaust. Got all that together and looking right. Grabbed the front exhaust and had a bitch of a time starting the nuts on the exhaust studs (front cylinder giving me one last fight). Tightened down the exhaust, installed the carb (after figuring out which cable went where), plug wires, etc. Put the tank on the bike and hooked up the fuel, vacuum, and VOES. And at this point it was ready to fire up.
While at Harley yesterday, I picked up a SE Ignition Module. Being that that was the last piece of the puzzle, I installed it as well.
Looking at the bike at this point, knowing that a rocker box bolt was missing, it was too tempting to try to turn it over. So I unplugged my battery tender, turned on the bike, and cranked it. Felt large amounts of air coming out of the plug holes and was happy. Then the oil pressure light went off and I was really happy. And best of all, no leaks yet. Not even from the rocker box cover hole.
So at this point, I figured I had nothing to lose. I put the plugs in and hit the starter button. It cranked for a few seconds, then I heard one cylinder fire once or twice and it killed. I was getting excited... Cranked it again and heard an immediate brap brap as both cylinders fired, then silence. Check engine light was on. Hit the starter button and nothing. No solenoid click, starter whine, nothing.
Now I was worried. I mentally went over everything in my mind... cams were timed, pistons installed properly, etc... Paranoia and fear were setting in. I tried the starter again... Engine turns over, fires twice and kills. Now I'm aggravated. I punch the garage door and start in on cursing the bike. Wait a couple minutes and try it again... Two fires and kills. Common sense sets in and I decide to start actually troubleshooting. Twist the throttle and I see gas being squirted in... So I've got fuel. Carb is wide open at this point, so I've got air. So it has to be spark... Take off the SE ignition module and install the stock one. Crank it again and the engine turns over 2 or 3 times and comes to life!!! :clap
I let it warm up a bit, closed the enrichener and let it idle for a while, looking for leaks and seeing what if anything would smoke. It sounds good... real good. Nice lopey idle, like 1/4th of a Hot Rod 350 Chevy. Everything looks tight, no leaks. I run in to tell the wife and she's completely underwhelmed. "You're letting your bike run in the garage at almost midnight? You do realize people are trying to sleep, right?" I shake my head in disgust at her lack of acknowledgement of my mechanical prowess and go back in my garage. I let the bike idle for a few more minutes and shut it off. Out of curiosity, I reinstalled the SE module, and the bike fired twice and died. Put the stock one back in and made up my mind that the SE unit is going back to HDNO. I looked all around the cylinders and heads for any sign of a leak (none) and then finished putting the bike back together. Bolted up the aircleaner right before midnight and called it a night.
I got up this morning and went out to look at it again. No new drips under the bike. Everything still looks good. So I fired it up again, and the bike started on the first crack of the starter button. I closed the enrichener to about halfway, and used the thumbscrew to set a fast idle. I let it get warm and closed the choke all the way while the bike was running. Again, no leaks, no smoke, no nothing but a beautiful lopey idle and the engine shaking around like an epileptic.
I'm going to go run to the local HD dealer today and get the bolt I need and then take it out for a short ride.
Pictures:
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert23.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert24.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert25.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert26.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert27.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rlaughlinjr/convert/convert28.jpg