[Pete Casper]

Greetings All: Just want to introduce myself. As you may have guest by my handle my name is Pete. I recently "purchased" John Ruffo's old CB350s and a pile of parts - he really gave me a great deal and I thank him for that. I am also pretty good friends with Tim Tilghman and Alex. I've been told that I am now an official "Wanker". (The following question will underscore the importance of the title "Wanker" as applied to me).

What is the easiest way to check when the engine is at TDC when the alternator and associated TDC marking has been removed? Thanks in advance for any responses (comical or otherwise). Don't worry, I am wearing my lid, so no need to be kind!

Anyway, I am looking forward to a few races next season at NHIS and getting to know some folks.

Regards,

Pete

 

[n/a]

Hi Pete,

Ruffo + Wanker = Oh Boy....

Good luck and welcome to the foray. There are plenty of folks on board here to help with your questions!! I'm just not one of them when it comes to Honda stuff.

Again, Welcome!!!!

Champ

 

[bfd]

Pete
Pretty sure if you have the keyway on the crank in the 12 o'clock position and the pin on the cam at 6 oclock then it's on compression for the left side. those rockers should be a little loose at that point. If not, crank keyway at 12 and cam pin at 12. I can check tonight if Joe or Monkeyman don't beat me to it
bfd

 

[joe c]

to find it exactly, you need a tdc tool or guage. a screwdriver in the sparkplug hole on the piston will work too. watch the intake valve rocker on the cyl. youre working on. as the piston starts to drop on the intake stroke (when the valve starts to open) thats tdc. right at the point its about to drop. on the intake stroke. back up the motor and find the spot where the screwdriver stops moving up or down. thats tdc.

howd i do tanner??

oh yeah, if youre friends with those 2, no wonder you didnt ask them. or were you just double checking?

jc



Edited by - joe c on Oct 02 2006 5:53:43 PM

 

[jbranson]

I'm partial to the screw driver in the plug hole too. Simple, effective. If you really want to get exact you watch the screwdriver and when it starts to reverse direction you make a mark on the flywheel...then turn the crank the other way...when you see the screwdriver reverse direction again make another mark. The spot in the middle of the two marks should be TDC.
Of course turn everything very slowly and don't jam the screwdriver in so far that you smash it between the piston and the head.
JohnnyB

 

[ttilghman]

quote:


oh yeah, if youre friends with those 2, no wonder you didnt ask them. or were you just double checking?

jc



Edited by - joe c on Oct 02 2006 5:53:43 PM

dude-

we had bamboo (don't forget i'm a gardener) in the pete's cylinders just yesterday. we were hoping you had some trick, needle bushing-esque, nerd-tech, repeatable way of finding tdc without the factory marks (thanks Bill and JB). also, what's the best way to spin the crank without the rotor bolt on there....just use the rear wheel?

obviously we had a little 350 party in my garage this weekend, alex seems to be running strong above 6K now...just don't let him adjust your valves. and my new rearset-up is tons better, i may actually be able to move around on the bike a little now.

and be careful throwing gauntlets around until your running a bit faster on your new cheater bike.

best. tt





Edited by - ttilghman on Oct 02 2006 7:21:13 PM

 

[jbranson]

Put the bolt back in.
Turning it with the back wheel is way too much of a pain.

You need to be able to jog the crank back and forth a bit. Might be able to use the counter sprocket bolts if it has any. Problem is turning any of the bolts counter clockwise will of course try to loosen them.
You COULD try vise grips on the crank..but only if you wanted to ruin the crank.
JohnnyB

 

[monkey]

i am with the rest of these guys... first, i would remove the valve tappet covers and also remove the right side case. to turn the motor over... purchase one of the honda filter nut wrenches... ( it is a special honda tool you can purchase from numnerous suppliers) basically stick it in the barrel the filter rides in and use it to turn the motor over)

when the left side piston is at top dead center do the screwdriver check throught he sparkplug hole... you know you are there when the rocker arms are free ( on the left). also there are marks on the cylinder ( the filter rides in) 180 degrees from each other. one will line up at 12 o'clock when the motor is at tdc on the left side.
you have to be perpendicular with the head gasket.

hope i didn't confuse ya more. it is pretty simple... you could always put the flywheel back on to check timing and adjustments and then remove it afterwards... this would be the easiest way to the promiseland.

dudeman

 

[Pete Casper]

Great advise all... thanks. The bamboo was working, but it was really a pain to bump the rear wheel and watch the intake valve. Maybe it was the blurred vision from all the beer consumption the night before. I like the idea of buying the Honda filter tool. (any excuse to buy a new tool).

Tim - To supplement the Wanker Racing Group coffer, I suggest you trademark the precision bamboo TDC instrument and sell it to BMW riders (like me). You could probably mark it up 100% if you color it correctly with the correct amount of reflective paint. Maybe OSHA orange.

Pete

 

[joe c]

then paint bmw logos on the end.

jc

 

[imslow]

one problem with the filter tool is that you may have the lock washer tangs up in the grooves and unless you bang em down the tool will not engage in the 4 teeth. You'll see . . . and for the other guys like aaron who just leave the lock washer out, well . . . . .

use the screwdriver, or find someone like Lou Q who has TDC dial indicators.

But JB's method works best.

SEE YA AT THE TRACK! ! !

JB, is Mary coming with the 50?

 

[imslow]

PS: Rookie George, you are no longer the wanker! ! ! !

 

[ttilghman]

OK, i'm fine with the TDC tricks. Now how would I set timing. I suppose, once i've marked TDC for both pistons on the flywheel as per JB's method, then I could shoot a light with the advance dialed in....???

tt

 

[jbranson]

Tim,
Yeah...once you have a TDC mark on the flywheel, put a matching mark on the cases...then dial in your advance on the light, shoot the flywheel, adjust till they line up.

Evil,
Not sure which bikes Mary will want to ride. I told her there was a 50cc endurance....we'd need to find another very small rider. Her 50 is running good..but it's probably not really an endurance type of engine. I think it would finish....maybe...but we turn that thing a lot of rpm to get the power out of it.
JohnnyB

 

[RookieGeorge]

quote:
PS: Rookie George, you are no longer the wanker! ! ! !

Hooray! A promotion!

 

[ttilghman]

george-

not a wanker?...that ain't a promotion in my book. hell, sounds like vile just wishes he were a wanker and is talkin' like it's a bad thing.

see you all this weekend. JD?

-tt

 

[monkey]

wanker

 

[Pete Casper]

One should refer to the following link for a complete definition of the word "Wanker".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanker

I am proud to be one!

Pete