Big problem this time - bike sounds like a sewing machine and no power

[lb99]

weird shit, are you sure you have got the valve timing correct?, check the basics first, spark, compression, fuel, timing.
Well done for the re assembly though, good luck with the fault finding.

lb

[xwhatsit]

No, I'm not worried about the stalling -- valve timing is spark is great, compression is f**king awesome (yay for head gaskets and no cracks in heads!). The thing has always been a bastard to start, and I was only half hoping a rebuild would cure that. The batter is dead flat, so that will cause some strange things. Now that the engine is sealed up properly, and has got your slightly more aggressive XR cam in it, I might have to play with things like pilot mixture and even idle speed.

Last night I was absolutely stuffed, I could barely muster enough strength to kick the thing over. Today I'll get it going -- then ride it to work, with a bit of luck

It's pretty desparate, innit, having no bike?

[gijoe1313]

Crikey! What a mission! On ya - want me to pootle Daisy over and let it give your baby some moral support?

[lb99]

No, I'm not worried about the stalling -- valve timing is spark is great, compression is f**king awesome (yay for head gaskets and no cracks in heads!). The thing has always been a bastard to start, and I was only half hoping a rebuild would cure that. The batter is dead flat, so that will cause some strange things. Now that the engine is sealed up properly, and has got your slightly more aggressive XR cam in it, I might have to play with things like pilot mixture and even idle speed.

Last night I was absolutely stuffed, I could barely muster enough strength to kick the thing over. Today I'll get it going -- then ride it to work, with a bit of luck

It's pretty desparate, innit, having no bike?

oh, ok it probably is just a flat battery, mine wnt like a pile of poos with a flat battery from memory it wouldn't rev out and stuff. kinda answers your question about removing the battery huh.

IMO I wouldn't bother rejetting to suit the XR cam, its not that much different to the cb one. I don't think it would make much difference to your overall performance, you should figure out how to make it easier to start, they should start first kick. ya dont wanna break that kickstarter (as someone else here has found out)

[xwhatsit]

Oh aye, the flat battery thing is giving me pause for thought about removing the thing.

That said, she started this morning 3rd kick, still with a dead flat battery. However, coming home tonight after work, I had to bump start her again. Odd. My thoughts are tending toward coils and other electrical things, to be honest. It's not the end of the world, I can live with that.

Yeah, got some verniers and checked the difference in the CB and the XR camshaft. Interestingly, the CB camshaft has a bit more lift, but the XR is much more aggressive in profile. My kneejerk reaction to that is, a dirtbike needs more lower-down power but not necessarily so much top-end max power. Looks like the exhaust valve opens slightly later, too. It's all moot, though, the fact I have full compression now far over-rides stuff like camshafts

Drained the `15-minute' oil this morning, glistening with aluminium. I think I've slightly over-filled the replacement oil, which I know isn't ideal. Is it worth draining some out? At the moment I'm leaking enough oil out of my tappet covers (shot O-rings -- will order some new ones on Monday) that it'll probably be right in a few hours .

Somebody must've told everybody that I'd rebuilt my engine, because everybody keeps trying to kill me today. Going through that arsehole of a Royal Oak roundabout, some young blonde bird did the usual; looked straight at me, then went anyway. Was about 2metres off the arse of my bike (would've been sweet anyway) when I saw her face turn to an `OH SHIT' and she slammed on brakes. Car behind her just about hit her. How exciting.

Thanks to the Kawasaki Adventure bike rider who gave me a lesson in lane-splitting in rush hour traffic on Manukau Rd. Very impressive. I've learned how to do a `wing-mirror shuffle' now, lol.

Cheers all.

[Ixion]

Flat battery will give very erratic results. Depends too on if its a short type flat or a high resistance type flat. Charge it up or replace it.

[xwhatsit]

Aye, well, just came home from a quick pootle to Mission Bay with young GiJoe and his mistress Daisy (cheers man!) -- battery's well and proper charged now, lol. Still had to bump start it. Thinking coils, or CDI or something. I really am not worried -- first thing is to replace the valve cover O-rings so people don't keep yelling out my bike is on fire with all the smoke (hell, my bike was smoking more than that dirty two-smokin Daisy whore!). I thought real men bump started their singles anyway

Unbelieveably good feeling to get back on two wheels again. Just about on par with when I rode for the first time, except with niggling feeling in the back of my head about every little noise in the engine. Nothing like the cool night breeze in your face, two-pot stroker scream mingling with my mellow thumping in a peculiarly melodic way.

Hope I've bolted her up for the last time. I'd bawl if she blew up again.

Thanks for the company, GiJoe -- and thanks to everybody else in this thread who've tirelessly given advice and answered my often trivial questions. Don't know what I'd do without you lot.

[gijoe1313]

Cor blimey - he's proper 'umble like this young'un he is! Ee by gum, I think he's a keeper!

Cheers for the spirit of the impromptu pootle! Always nice to have a fellow biker to chew the fat with! Funny thing on the way back home ... some boy racers were doing the "doof doof brrmm brrmm" thang (and no, Xerxesdaphat, it wasn't that other boi racer in Ellerslie ) ... they saw me and decided to "give that stoopid bikerboi the learn" , well wouldya know it ... I just happened to be riding little Miss Daisy rather then my more sedate little ol'Hornet!

Ringa-dinga-dinga-ding-ding later ... some haze of two-stroker smoker goodness, and they realised that the little yellow bike was faster then they thought! My goodness ... Miss Daisy is bringing out that hoon factor in me She's a little pocket rocket, and thank gosh Natalie was there to keep her in line! (Natalie is the CB250RS natch! ) Mad props and big ups to the boi racers though, when I slowed down - they pootled up quick smart and did the "chur chur" bro ta me - all good clean fun!

Lovely night for a pootle ... 500kms on Miss Daisy ... another 500km more to do before the end of this week!

[Deviant Esq]

Mate - where to start? xerxesdaphat - you're a legend buddy. Love the attitude and not losing hope - this saga's been going for 4 months and still you kept at it even without mechanical knowledge to begin with, dipping your mitts into your motor happily time and again, and getting it back together and running - you're a braver chap than I am for cracking it open! And much more patient sticking at it this long. I'd have probably panicked and pouted and sent it into a bike shop, where, hundreds of dollars later it would've emerged worse!

This thread was a bloody good read. Top marks to you for taking the time to post up your progress including photos etc, and honourable mentions must go to lb99 and Ixion for their useful advice as well. Had a good laugh at lb99's advice...

tink, tink, tink, tink, tink... do it under the neighbour's window late at night

That cracked me up, that man deserves more bling than the pitiful amount I dish out
As does xerxesdaphat. Can't say it enough - top effort, good guy. Hope your exams went well mate. I'd happily join you on Wendy (my NZ250 ) - go the singles - for a pootle if you lived a bit closer to Christchurch!

[xwhatsit]

Hey, cheers man, very kind words there! Oh yeah, I would've loved to have sent it into a bike shop, but I couldn't afford that so I didn't really have a choice. It's like being a crack addict -- getting a taste of it so you're hooked, then you'll do anything to get that taste of biking again.

Aye, Ixion and Lb99 in particular have been a huge help, would've been much slower progress without them. They do indeed deserve bling

Haha! Yeah I'd love to go for a crack around Christchurch someday -- at some point during my student days I want to take a month off work or so and head down to the South Island. Beautiful part of the world, you lot are lucky sods. Yep, I think I'm a confirmed single nut too ^_^ -- I like the simplicity and bare-bones nature of knowing each of those thumps is coming from the same place. Hard to explain.

Respect for wading through such a long thread, haha

[gijoe1313]

Oh poops, I don't have a single cylinder in my stable yet! Hmmm ... must start looking around for my next ride!

[Ixion]

There's something about a tuned single cylinder 250. Different sort of buzz to a two smoker (or a big single) but they can be pretty cool.

I like small bikes in many ways they're more fun than big ones, because you can ride them to their limits. Its really a buzz to push a bike so hard that you are right on the edge of the machine and your own capability for miles on end. Which you just cant do on a big bike on the public road. And the small bike shows you up immdediately if you don't get things EXACTLY right. With horsepower to spare, you can cover up mistakes just by giving it a bit more throttle, the brute power cover up. Can't do that on a small bike, so the buzz when you DO get it exacty right , swooping through a series of curves, holding the engine just *SO* on the cam, holding *ALL* your speed through the curve, is really nice.

'Tis the difference between Mozart and Metallica.

[avgas]

I second that Ixion. Its just pure fun.
While the big bikes are fantastic, these is nothing quite like a little single hitting an apex of revs, and apex of brakes then it hits the apex of the corner.
Pure art

[xwhatsit]

Well it hasn't packed up yet, so that's good. Starting hasn't improved; will fit the coil and HT lead from the parts bike when I have some spare time and see how that goes. Although the spark is blue when I check the plug with the thread against the head (this is correct method, no?), could it be that it's not producing such a nice spark inside the engine? I've heard this is the case. Also, to check the HT lead to see if it will jump spark across to ground (the head again?), do I pull off the plug cap? Or leave it on.

My valve inspection cover o-rings arrived this morning, so I fit them and head off to uni. It's cut down on oil leakage significantly, but it appears that there's still some leaking out between the head and the valve cover itself. Now, there's no gasket for here (well I bloody well hope not -- or it's been without one for some time), so my Uncle applied this black shit in a tin with a brush that dries and goes crusty (I think it's British). Obviously it's not doing the trick. Now, this is a valve cover off the parts bike, so could it be warped? Or perhaps my head has become warped when the camchain seized. There must be some misalignment for it to leak oil even with this black sealant. How can I stop it leaking? Silicone?

Thanks for your answers.

[Ixion]

What state is the battery in?

Have you tried a new plug? Is it possible that with all the drama with the cracked head that the carb settings have been maladjusted . Specifically, the cracked head would have tended to make the machine run lean - so someone may have wound the pilot jet adjustment in (or out, whichever way your one goes ) to richen the mixture. Now without the leak it's too rich

If you are getting a good spark and a new plug I doubt it is spark (your method of testing is fine).

Once running does it idle reliably and well, about 1000-1200 rpm? Respond cleanly to the throttle?

If the valve cover is just a cover, you can fit a gasket - I suspect there would have been one originally . Or is there a groove in the cover and/or head - in which case it was designed to have a plastic seal.

Sounds like your uncle used shellac (smelly stuff?) , which will seal almost any joint if it is not warped. So you may be correct about warping. The silicones will seal a SMALL gap . Alternatively (once again, assuming it is JUST a cover ) you could get a bit of sheet cork and cut a gasket.