Miss November XS2 tribute

Ouch!! Sorry for your loss. But thanks for posting. I have my original tank at a powder coater to have have coat of clear put on it. I'll have to point out to him about the neck and see if he thinks it's safe to put in the oven. Anyone else have experience with the early tanks and powder coating them?
 
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I think some powder coaters are tanking now. I think that’s what ate up Bobs steering lock.
 
My lock was in the frame during powder coating and came out fine. I don’t think it’s the oven, it’s the stripper. Think about it. A ass of time on a blaster or drop it in a caustic tank and come back in a day. Hmmm. The EPA is coming down hard on caustic tanks now anyway. Probably won’t be around much longer. That may be why chrome plating has gone sky high. You gotta send your stuff to Mexico via Browns Plating to get a deal. And be willing to wait a while. They gotta fill the 53 foot box and send the whole load down. I know. Crazy right?
 
So far this morning, have been diverted - been reading threads about lash screw radius, valve rotation, valve train geometry. All started by Paul, who is re-grinding my cratered adjustment screws. There really is a lot of reading and information on this forum. Very impressed by the engineering which goes on in people's garages across the XS community.

But, back to work. Gave the barrels to a welder for repair. Today, valves to lap, pistons to clean, head to de-coke.
 
nerdy-pals-4569720.jpg
 
Well, not having too much fun just yet today with the cam chain. Managed to get the chain apart, but not impressed with the chain tool I bought. Which claims to be good for splitting as well as riveting cam chains. Hah. Pins bent right away like they were made of cheese. Had to resort to not very pretty methods involving a drill with a grinder bit to cut the pins back. I think somebody warned me not to use the chain tool to split the chain. But it said it there in black & white . . .

Have removed not just the rivet link but one additional, so that the chain will be the correct length when the new rivet link is installed.

And that's where I've given up for today. Try as I might, just cannot persuade the side plate to push onto the pins. It's awkward to get at - the engine is half-dismantled with no cylinder head or barrels, so am working in 'mid-air'. But I find it hard to believe it is necessary to use real force to get the side plate fitted. Surely, force is not needed until you come to the flattening the pins to hold it on stage?

And I don't think that what is left of the chain tool will be up to that job anyway.

No photos 'coz I doubt anybody would be very interested in a couple of mangled chain links. Or a bent tool, if you'll pardon the expression.
 
Paul Sutton said:
Those glasses TM showed are really cool, I have a pair. They make everything smaller and farther away so you can enjoy the ride for longer. Be warned, several cases of depression have then put down to riders accidentally wearing them to the bathroom!!
Click to expand...

You made me snort Paul!

...and Raymond, many tears have been shed over those f@cking el-cheapo chain splitters so you are in good company.
 
Thank you Pete. Tool just not fit for purpose IMHO.

But my problem - well among others, but don't walk to talk about all that stuff here - is that the side plate will not fit onto the pins on the rivet link. Anybody else ever experienced difficulty? The link and side plates were sold as a set and I expected the side plate to be a slide fit with just firm finger pressure.
 
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Don't join the chain now, wait until the topend is put back together. Then you wrap the chain around the sprocket on the cam and join it there. That will make getting the side plate on the link easier too. There should be some plate pressing fittings included with your cam chain tool. There should also be a specific riveting pin with a rounded end on it .....

hBEX2Z7.jpg


The chain braking pins are just flat on the end. As I warned you and as you discovered, they don't work so well on these tiny chains and pins .....

zqy3GXp.jpg


This pic shows the chain plate pressing attachments. They are the rectangular plates on the upper left .....

Kg9NTpj.jpg
 
There is shurely shomething wrong with what I have bought. Apart from the chain tool being in my opinion not up to the job.

My query was about the side plate not fitting over the pins on the rivet link. I have tried fitting just one end of the side plate over just one pin and it won't go, even squeezed with pliers. Perhaps they are meant to be this tight?

But of even greater concern is that the pins on the rivet link are different diameter from the pins in the cam chain. Using my cheap Aldi micrometer, the pins from the chain are 3.00 mm and those from the link are 2.60 mm. Both are marked as DID. The link is marked 219 FTH. The chain is harder to read but may be 219 FT.

Don't think I can make any progress today. Next week will try and speak to somebody who knows chains - unfortunately, not likely to find such by contacting a chain retailer. And will probably end up buying a matched chain and rivet link. At least, with the chain still in place, it will be easy to feed a new chain through.
 
Sounds like the cam chain and link aren't compatible. The link plate should fit without too much trouble. Since the cam chain is a known issue, I agree with you...get a matching set that you know are the same.
 

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