TOPIC:

hardr0ck68 wrote:

At te risk of sounding foolish, do you have the plug wires on the correct plugs? or the coils connected to the correct wire?

just a thought before you get in up to your elbows.

Yup. Rechecked the wires/coil feed. Been there before, so this was the first thing checked. Still leaning towards checking the cam chain adjustment and timing tomorrow.

Any more ideas gang???

Cheers-Colin Firth

hardr0ck68 wrote:

At te risk of sounding foolish, do you have the plug wires on the correct plugs? or the coils connected to the correct wire?

just a thought before you get in up to your elbows.

Yup. Rechecked the wires/coil feed. Been there before, so this was the first thing checked. Still leaning towards checking the cam chain adjustment and timing tomorrow.

Any more ideas gang???

Cheers-Colin Firth

How much gas is in the tank ?
Is it OK ?
Stock petcock ?
Is the screen clean ?
Is it vacuum , on PRI ?
Have a spare set of plugs ?

Man this can go on for ever ,
Start from the beginning .

If it ran before , something changed that you are missing or something just picked this time to die .
Like your Dyna .

How much gas is in the tank ?
Is it OK ?
Stock petcock ?
Is the screen clean ?
Is it vacuum , on PRI ?
Have a spare set of plugs ?

Man this can go on for ever ,
Start from the beginning .

If it ran before , something changed that you are missing or something just picked this time to die .
Like your Dyna .

Hey gang -When I went to bed last night my spidey senses were tingling with my no-start condition. After working through my predicament I began leaning towards the cam timing.

Tonight I checked compression in all of the cylinders and they were all around 50. My heart sank thinking that maybe I snapped the cam chain. Last week the cylinders were around 150-160. Then I took the valve covers off and lo and behold....the cam chain was still in place on the cam sprockets but had jumped a few teeth. The timing was way off and the only way this thing would have fired was if I dropped some gas and a lit match into the cylinders:(

It looks like my cam chain adjuster didn't push in fully when I released the lock nut last night and there wasn't the proper tension on the cam chain so it jumped a few teeth when I was cranking the starter trying to get the thing to light. (That'll teach me to turn down the Lynyrd Skynrd blasting on the stereo to listen for the pop of the spring unloading.)

Hopefully I didn't bend any valves when I was turning it over. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the cam chain adjuster is still good-to-go and the idler wheel and guide rollers are not pooched.

Incidentally, when I turn the engine over with a 17mm wrench I get a slight kink on the chain, but when I push on the cam chain adjuster plate in the block and turn the engine over with the wrench the cam chain seems to roll fine without any binding.

I've got a bike mechanic friend coming over tomorrow night to take a look down inside at the rollers. Hopefully I won't have to pull the head and jugs.

I'll keep ya posted.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

Hey gang -When I went to bed last night my spidey senses were tingling with my no-start condition. After working through my predicament I began leaning towards the cam timing.

Tonight I checked compression in all of the cylinders and they were all around 50. My heart sank thinking that maybe I snapped the cam chain. Last week the cylinders were around 150-160. Then I took the valve covers off and lo and behold....the cam chain was still in place on the cam sprockets but had jumped a few teeth. The timing was way off and the only way this thing would have fired was if I dropped some gas and a lit match into the cylinders:(

It looks like my cam chain adjuster didn't push in fully when I released the lock nut last night and there wasn't the proper tension on the cam chain so it jumped a few teeth when I was cranking the starter trying to get the thing to light. (That'll teach me to turn down the Lynyrd Skynrd blasting on the stereo to listen for the pop of the spring unloading.)

Hopefully I didn't bend any valves when I was turning it over. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the cam chain adjuster is still good-to-go and the idler wheel and guide rollers are not pooched.

Incidentally, when I turn the engine over with a 17mm wrench I get a slight kink on the chain, but when I push on the cam chain adjuster plate in the block and turn the engine over with the wrench the cam chain seems to roll fine without any binding.

I've got a bike mechanic friend coming over tomorrow night to take a look down inside at the rollers. Hopefully I won't have to pull the head and jugs.

I'll keep ya posted.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

reborn650 wrote:

Incidentally, when I turn the engine over with a 17mm wrench I get a slight kink on the chain, but when I push on the cam chain adjuster plate in the block and turn the engine over with the wrench the cam chain seems to roll fine without any binding.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

Sounds like mine so hopefully thats ok.
Good luck

Colin,it almost sounds like the cam chain didn't grab on the bottom sprocket,Bud.I did the same thing a few years back,and was getting the same "Binding" as You are describing.
It turned out that I had the bike on the kickstand,but You HAVE to have the bike level for the chain to lock onto the crank sprocket.
When I did this,the chain DID grab,but as I rotated the engine over,yes...it would bind periodically as I turned it over.
Did You have the cam chain off recently,or were You doing any top end work?
I know that if You're off by ONE tooth,You won't do any damage,but any more than that?...I have no idea.
Good luck,Bud...keep Us posted.

Hey Sandy. The bike was initially on the sidestand and the chain was not staying on the bottom crank gear, but I got the bike standing upright and the chain was staying in place on the bottom end gear. Haven't had the valve covers off since the spring as the bike was runnin' puuurrrfectly aside from a little carb-related flat spot around 7 grand.

I hate to say it, but I think the chain was off more than a few teeth. i know from previous experience, this is a recipe for disaster in the form of bent valves. On my 650/700 rebuild a few years ago I had the timing out 180 degrees and bent a couple of valves cranking the motor over with the starter button. Friggin' rookies:)

I'll keep my fingers crossed as the engine seems to turn over smoothly with the wrench and the cam chain tensioner assembly (inside the block) pushed in snugly against the chain's slack.

Maybe the chain just worked waaaaaaayyyyyy too hard on my regular high rpm blasts:(

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

Post edited by: reborn650, at: 2006/11/22 22:55

Post edited by: reborn650, at: 2006/11/22 22:58

Well Colin...I wish You well,and I really hate to say it,but I think You know You probably DID bend a valve or 2.Man,I hope NOT,cause it sucks(yup...been there too)

But it DOES smarten Ya UP!...if NOTHING else!
Anyway,I hate thinking negative,Bud,but...if it DID jump more than a few teeth?...it doesn't sound good.
When are You tearing into it,btw?

bummer!

When are You tearing into it,btw?

Thursday night, which is good because if I did kink a valve I'm gonna be looking for a good long drunk on Friday....and lucky for me, one has been planned with a dozen good friends to start off this weekend:)

No big deal if I did some top end damage. I tend not to sweat the small stuff in life and this riding season is pretty much finished. Anyhow, I was looking at doing another modified head this winter anyway and new valves were to be on the shopping list.

I might try to find another 650 to stuff a 1000 motor into as a winter project, so it would be tres cool if I could find one that has a reasonable top end to modify for my current ride.

Cheers-Colin Firth