It's time to start a winter Project. The Red Bike

[Kevin Werner]

Beautiful, beautiful build & write up.
If i had a workshop & didn't work 6 days a week I'd be thoroughly inspired!
I reckon mine'll have to stay stock for a while yet.

I hope you noticed all of the help I recieved from forum members advising and expaining things to me. This place rocks. My shop is one car bay in my garage. I have a small vice on a grinderstand, a 24" belt/9"disc sander, 4"grinder , 3" cutoff wheel, drill motors, a borrowed wire welder when I need it. I also have another XS to ride. I figured how to do a job with the tools I have on hand or can get to. Cheers

 

[robtattoo]

You're one car bay in a garage ahead of me! I have a car port & tent! My truck tailgate is my bench.

I still make it work though......
Before & after of my little T-Dub

 

[Kevin Werner]

Well, I heeded the advice "first go richer". Problem is I also discovered other anomalies. So I went from 195s to 200s on the mains. Problem is at that same time (dumbassery here) I corrected some sync and air mix issues. I made more than one change at a time. These foolish moves had me hunting in the #200 range. Further, I probably fouled some plugs and was a little myopic. Any way, I went down to 190s on the mains. Results suggested down on the pilots to #20. That done, idle set, resync'd and jacket, helmet and gloves on, remove the manometer and go off for a ride. Runs like shit! Parked it in the garage just before rain came through and went to consider my confusion. Returned to the bike to rejet (again) to 22.5 pilots and saw the vacuum port nipple exactly where I put them. ON THE BENCH, when I connect the manometer. (Dumbassery)
Replaced the nipples, checked air mix and went for a ride. Holy Ship she rides nice. Smooth power, no barking at higher rims, no popping on decell. Now I install fresh plugs again and put 25 or 50 miles and do a plug read. I don't mind a touch rich but up to this point my plugs, after a long ride, were confusing.

 

[Mikey]

Well, I heeded the advice "first go richer". Problem is I also discovered other anomalies. So I went from 195s to 200s on the mains. Problem is at that same time (dumbassery here) I corrected some sync and air mix issues. I made more than one change at a time. These foolish moves had me hunting in the #200 range. Further, I probably fouled some plugs and was a little myopic. Any way, I went down to 190s on the mains. Results suggested down on the pilots to #20. That done, idle set, resync'd and jacket, helmet and gloves on, remove the manometer and go off for a ride. Runs like shit! Parked it in the garage just before rain came through and went to consider my confusion. Returned to the bike to rejet (again) to 22.5 pilots and saw the vacuum port nipple exactly where I put them. ON THE BENCH, when I connect the manometer. (Dumbassery)
Replaced the nipples, checked air mix and went for a ride. Holy Ship she rides nice. Smooth power, no barking at higher rims, no popping on decell. Now I install fresh plugs again and put 25 or 50 miles and do a plug read. I don't mind a touch rich but up to this point my plugs, after a long ride, were confusing.

I was hoping that this wouldn't turn into a winter project 2023
And you got it!!
I mean you found the unicorn

 

[Kevin Werner]

I was hoping that this wouldn't turn into a winter project 2023
And you got it!!
I mean you found the unicorn

Even a blind squirrel...

 

[Kevin Werner]

I spent some time giving the Red Bike some love today. A weeping base gasket was a disappointment. I retorqued the 8 head bolts to 29 lb/ft, up from 27. There was a slight shudder under braking coming to a stop. Not at speed, just from 10 or so mph down. I snugged the steering bearings (tapered, new install last winter) and hope that is the problem. I have a slightly noisy lifter so all the lifters were checked and the right intake was near 0.005". While I had it apart I noticed some of my wire splices at the tailight had loose shrink wrap so those were addressed too. Finally, I arrived at jetting of 22.5 pilot and 190 main last week. That is real nice but the needle is 1 notch from center leaner. I lifted the needle to the center notch to evaluate the setup.

 

[5twins]

Yes, .005" on an intake will make noise. My '78 specs .004" for the intakes but when I tried that, they clattered like crazy, lol. Tightening them up just .001", to .003", quieted them right down. I do run .004" on the intakes now but that's only possible because when I rebuilt the topend, I installed those elephant foot valve adjuster screws. You can run slightly larger clearances with them because they run quieter. But, get too big and they'll clatter just like the originals, lol. Larger clearances are supposed to make more power but I can't say I've noticed any of that. I do it because I feel it lets more oil get in between the parts. I leave the exhausts at .006" though. I feel that's plenty big enough to let the oil in.

 

[Kevin Werner]

Yes, .005" on an intake will make noise. My '78 specs .004" for the intakes but when I tried that, they clattered like crazy, lol. Tightening them up just .001", to .003", quieted them right down. I do run .004" on the intakes now but that's only possible because when I rebuilt the topend, I installed those elephant foot valve adjuster screws. You can run slightly larger clearances with them because they run quieter. But, get too big and they'll clatter just like the originals, lol. Larger clearances are supposed to make more power but I can't say I've noticed any of that. I do it because I feel it lets more oil get in between the parts. I leave the exhausts at .006" though. I feel that's plenty big enough to let the oil in.

I saw the article about the cams having slow lobe and that opening clearances on intake may give you a touch more combustion chamber pressure. But, honestly, I enjoy the rewarding midrange roll on and my seat of the pants would not know the difference between 40 and 41 hp.

 

[Kevin Werner]

I think I need to scour E-bay or Craigslist for a toy 10x microscope. After near 100 miles on the latest jetting, 20 Pilot, 190 main, I fell the bike is close. But... left side is all light tan/chocolate, right side is black. (Note, I use only the left side choke/enricher on start up) I dropped the left side jets to verify my 20/190 records. It took quite a bit of magnufying glass adjustments to verify those numbers. All good. Dropped the right side jets and surprise, surprise (after quite a bit of magnifying glass time) they matched the left side, 20/190. A microscope would make reading those tiny numbers so much easier and faster. I should have bargained "Lab time" into my retirement package. So, now, I will swap the Uni pods left to right and vice versa. I have sprayed the boots with WD40 already. I have almost 800 miles of "jetting checks" so far since early July and am liking this build more and more.

 

[Wingedwheel]

 

[Raymond]

I have a Captain Cook viewer -



comes in more and more useful as me pore old eyes get weaker. And yes, reading the numbers on carb jets is one use I've put it to. Bought mine from Nauticalia but there's one on Ebay for £25. Just sayin'.

 

[Vincenthdfan]

I think I need to scour E-bay or Craigslist for a toy 10x microscope. After near 100 miles on the latest jetting, 20 Pilot, 190 main, I fell the bike is close. But... left side is all light tan/chocolate, right side is black. (Note, I use only the left side choke/enricher on start up) I dropped the left side jets to verify my 20/190 records. It took quite a bit of magnufying glass adjustments to verify those numbers. All good. Dropped the right side jets and surprise, surprise (after quite a bit of magnifying glass time) they matched the left side, 20/190. A microscope would make reading those tiny numbers so much easier and faster. I should have bargained "Lab time" into my retirement package. So, now, I will swap the Uni pods left to right and vice versa. I have sprayed the boots with WD40 already. I have almost 800 miles of "jetting checks" so far since early July and am liking this build more and more.

Yeah, I finally got tired of wearing my reading glasses and holding a magnifying lens in one hand, while trying to hold a flashlight in the other hand, while rebuilding carbs on the bench and installed one of these

 

[jetmechmarty]

Yeah, I finally got tired of wearing my reading glasses and holding a magnifying lens in one hand, while trying to hold a flashlight in the other hand, while rebuilding carbs on the bench and installed one of these

View attachment 250575

My iPhone has a magnifier on it and the shortcut is factory installed. It works perfectly for reading those tiny numbers on needles and jets.

 

[Jim]

My iPhone has a magnifier on it and the shortcut is factory installed. It works perfectly for reading those tiny numbers on needles and jets.

My Pixel 7 Pro has an automatic macro mode on the camera. Once you get within a certain distance, it automatically switches to macro.

 

[Kevin Werner]

My Pixel 7 Pro has an automatic macro mode on the camera. Once you get within a certain distance, it automatically switches to macro.


View attachment 250585

I considered Marty's magnifier. I tried to down load one and now my f@#$ing phone has pop ups every 2 minutes and is virtually unusable.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I considered Marty's magnifier. I tried to down load one and now my f@#$ing phone has pop ups every 2 minutes and is virtually unusable.

 

[gggGary]

That darned Marty!
He's a sneaky one

 

[jetmechmarty]

That darned Marty!
He's a sneaky one

iPone comes with magnifier. I didn't download it.

 

[Kevin Werner]

My phantom brake problem emerged again today. It only happens when it is 90F or warmer. Bleeding off pressure reveals no bubbles. Do I have air half way down the brake line? I assembled the caliper to the carrier dry, did I need to add s lube?

 

[5twins]

You lube the rubber bush the caliper mounts to it's carrier through. This allows it to slide left and right a little bit as you use it (right when you apply the brake, left when you release it). So yes, lack of lube there may be your issue. When it gets really hot it may be hanging, sticking and not moving as it should. There's only one bolt and rubber bush that holds the caliper to it's bracket, the one with the yellow paint on it here .....

You can kind of test it by grabbing the caliper and seeing if you can move it in and out a little bit, check to see if it's sliding in the rubber bush as it should.