Dragonslayer

Out of all of the maintenance/repair/mods that I've done to my MK11 (which includes just about all of them) I've always dreaded the Valve Shim adjustment Task. And now I know for good reason. To me this maintenance task requirement is one on the biggest negatives of the Yamaha V-4 engines. I've read all of the articles and manuals written about this task and had a good general understanding of the process. But, having studied up on the subject, the task really struck me as a major PITA for several reasons. My first reservations were about work space access to do tedious micro measurement task in a confined area with my ageing eyesight and fat clumsy arthretic fingers. (And my seemingly constant lack of suitable and locatable lighting source issues.) Visualizing the task, I just could not imagine it being physically possible to actually do. But, of course it is. In fact, as RandyR (who graciously agreed to help me) and I discovered my fears were unfounded and the factors I feared the most were actually quite easy. Thats not to say that the job was without it's obstacles and did in fact turn into a major PITA, as I first suspected but, for very different and unforeseeable reasons that I never would have imagined. The first problem that presented itself was a tool issue. The feeler gauges needed for the measurement of the valve/shim clearences needed to be within certain ranges for the intake and exhaust shim specs. We discovered early that the offset or bent gauges made access easier than the flat ones. Then of course the set I had on hand was not that type and had the measurement markings rubbed off...... Of Course. :doh:So we jumped on the bikes:7_6_3[1]: to ride around the corner to the nearest Advance auto parts store to remedy that situation. Four Hours, fifty miles and multiple stops at every,Auto Zone, Napa, Pep Boys and Northern Handyman retail locations we could find we eventually discovered that each of them sells several different type sets but no one set contained all of the gauges we needed in the exact sizes we needed..... Of Course.:doh: We finally settled for having to buy multiple sets which we adapted to satisfy our needs. At least it was a nice day for a ride. That problem solved, the next wrestling match was mental due to a counterintuative issue resulting from the tightening of the valve from wear rather than loosening (as Randy explained it to me and one might imagine). Or more specifically how that translates mathmatically (Not my long suit) for the proper replacement shim selection. Being somewhat mathmatically challenged at that stage of the day, I left all the mathmatical calculations, converstions and contemplations to Randy who seemed to be good at it and really getting into it. But evidently, it was a long day for both of us because after completing the clearence measurement for each valve, the out of spec shim removal and installation of the "correct" replacement shims we remeasured the valve/shim clearence on the replace shims to check our work. To our dismay the "corrected" clearences were ten times more out of spec then they were before we "Fixed" them. Apparently, when doing math calculations decimal point placement is critical. Who would have thunked it? After all, who really spends a lot of time mentally dealing with decimal points and metric converstions unless your like ah counting money. :mo money:There are probably a lot of people like Randy that are good at and get into that sort of thing. I myself, am more of a generalist. I know it, I admit it. Upon that realization, we decided to call it a day and regroup for the next. The next day, being armed with the mathematical truth of the error of our ways we jump into the appropiate corrective action with fresh minds and energy. Note to self: When things appear to be going smoothly, it would be prudent to pay extra special focused attention and proceed with extreme caution. I'm not sure if the foregoing concept is one of the reconized "Murphy's Laws" or not, but, if not it should be. Half way through the secondary corrective-corrective action shim replacement, we find for no explicable reason, a stubborn valve shim that refused to be removed from it's shim bucket....Of Course. After repeated failed attempts Randy gives up in frustration so that I get a chance take my shot at it. Being the adaptive,suedo-mechanical engineering master mind that I think that I am, I immediately decide that it is another tool issue and decide to apply a jeweler's screw driver to the problem. Finding the smaller blade more accessable to take purchase on the shim it apparently lacked the tinsel strength necessary to be used as a pry bar. As I soon found out. Suddenly there was a barely audible snap sound as I noticed the end of the screwdrive bit had broken off. But, where did it go? Could it have fallen down the open spark plug hole into the cylinder directly below? If so it has proven to be unretreavable thus far using a telescopic magnet. Or could it have flipped over and fallen down the space along side of the timing chain down into the dark oiley bowels of the engine inevitably destined to be the perverbal "monkey wrench in the machinery". If I ignore it's disappearence and relocation. So far it is nowhere visually or magnetically apparent within a six foot radius in all directions that I can tell.:bang head: The only recourse I can think of after days of searching is to start a disassembly process on the bike until I either find it or hear it hit the floor. Any suggestions?

Lubricate the odometer motor and cable.

In a perfect world that might work.

Sounds like a keeper................Congratulations

Ok I'm having a bowl of left over Halloween candy. Like the Kit Kats don't care much for those peanut butter chewy things in the orange and black wax paper wrapping.

Carbon Copy???? What is that???? Doesn't your xerox have a multiple copy button?

Aint that the truth, rode the bike to work today to Alpharetta and back , Glorious day. However, tomorrow looks like it's gonna suck. I guess it will be in the cage again tomorrow.

Your new ride will be the best investment you will ever make. The next best investment will be the twelve bucks you pony up to join this group. First tech tip will more than pay you back and how can you put a price on all the good friends and times with brother 1st gen riders... I mean Ventureriders that are destined in your future. Welcome aboard:thumbsup2:

What Don, No Pictures........You know the rules.

I did the same thing and it works.

Nice story Thom, I too have been known to spin a yarn or too. Welcome aboard, but, we have a rule in these parts. Where's the pics. Looking forward to meeting you for the next N. Georgia Meet & Eat 11/13/10 2nd Saturday of the month, every month. BlackJack from Snellville is the organizer. He don't post much but, he's a great guy and a good friend.

Mine came from when I was a teenager (16) and had a head on bike wreck at a combined impact of 150 MPH. Me, the bike (Honda CB 750) and the car (69 Pontiac Bonneville) that hit me were all totalled. After 3 months in a coma, then 1 1/2 years in traction I spent 3 years in a wheel chair and physical therapy learning how to walk again. When I would get in a defeated mood and want to give up my Mother would encourage me by telling me over and over again, " Don't let this Dragon Slay you, You Be the Dragonslayer" and it kinda stuck from there.

There is actually a local legend stripper named Morgana, here in Atlanta at the Clairmont Lounge. (A must visit when in Atlanta) that crushes beer cans in her cleavage and has done so three shows a night for the past thirty years. She also does an act with a live full grown Boa Constrictor. If I'm Lying I'm Dying.

Good Idea, I like that..... Better yet a saddle type shotgun scabbard

I have a tool I call a pingger. It is a spring loaded center punch used for making a drill start point when doing metal work. It only takes a fraction of a second with no noise involved to shatter a windshield.And untraceable. Had the windshield on the bike been damaged. I do believe in the Biblical scripture "A windshield for a windshield" I'm sorry maybe that's not a biblical reference.

24 hours later: The calm, reasonable, responable adult side of my brain makes me a little bit ashamed of the way I delt with the situation. Because I know that anger can be a destructive influence and is never a good platform to react from. But, only a very small little bit. The human being with human emotions side of my brain says I should have dotted his eyes and put a knot on his head big enough to require it's own zip code. Probably a good thing I didn't go that far. I do apoligize to anyone reading my original post that might have been offended by my colorful language. I normally don't talk that way but, did so in this case for dramatical effect and descriptive depiction of my emotions at the time in the writting. Connie did talk to him after the fact and he timidly apoligized to her with the excuse that he was only trying to do his job. But he did take the opportunity to attack her patio furniture which somehow violates some obscure property covenant written in 1964. There was no damage to the windshield, but there very easily could have been. Since the bike I'm riding is not mine the possiblity of it being damage while in my care was probably the underlying factor that caused my anger. In the future I won't risk it being damaged by not taking it back on the property. Connie is renting the condo and does not own it. Her lease makes no mention of motorcycles or offending patio furniture. Her lease is up in December and she was contemplating moving anyway. In the mean time Connie felt that it might be appropiate to approach the Managers wife who she knows, to make her aware of and ask her to attempt to influence her husbands inappropiate behavior while conducting business on the property. A letter from her attorney to the Condo Association Board might also be appropiate. With that, enough said on this unfortunate incident.

Actually RandyR was with me yesterday and he had some Plexi Cleaner he uses to clean his windshield. We sprayed it and let soak for about 10 minutes then wiped it off with a soft rag. Do not try and scrape it off with anything or you will scratch the windsheild.

What started out as what I call a "Sh*T Eating Grin" when I first pulled up and he met me at the door, quickly turned into a sort of pukky lip flutter then wide eyed shrienking backstep before I got finished with my little speach. Can you see the visual?

They say restraint is the first step in anger mangement. I've got to keep remembering that. Unfortunately, I'm getting older and sometimes I think my memory is fading. Sometimes it's difficult to avoid the erge to go a little "Postal", especially when there are so many jerks in the world. I guess it was a good thing that I did not remember or did not think about the fact that I was packing heat in the trunk. So is loss of memory a good or Bad thing?

Many of you probably don't know, but, some of you might suspect that there have been periods of my life when I have struggled with anger issues. Yea thats right, I have times when my anger management techniques don't work. There I've said it. This morning was one of those times. Last night I spent the night at my girl friends, who happens to live in a condo. We have been dating for about a year and last night was not the first night I had spent the night. Nor the first night that my bike spent the night peacefully parked in the parking lot. But, this morning when I walked out the door the first thing I see is that some A*****E had put a F*****g 12" x 6" orange super sticker glue sticker across the windsheild (right at eye level) of the borrowed Midnight Venture I have been riding which read basically, and I quote "NO MOTORCYCLES ALLOWED" So at this moment i'm thinking F**K anger management. For the next thirty minutes I very carefully pealed the sticker off the windsheild as my blood boiled, making sure that the sticker came off in one whole piece. So that I could haul a** down to the management office armed with the knowledge: That there is no posted signage on the property informing the general public of that policy and I was realitively sure he could not enforce it. That my girl friend had complained to me on several occassions that she hated to go to the management office because the married Property Manager always hit on her making sexually suggestive comments to her. Suspecting that his attack on my motorcycle was probably personally motivated against me I sped on down to his office to carefully place that sticker in some conspicouse place while voicing my opinion about his management policy and my anger management technique or lack thereof. Did I display self control and maturity when I confronted that Property Manager. F**k that. Was I calm, cool and collected? I doubt it. Did I handle the situation in the best possible way? Probably not. Could some of my actions and words be legally construed as Terroristic threats. I'm sure. Did that Property Manager believe me when I told him where I would shove that sticker the next time he put one on my bike, or what I would do to him personally if he ever behaved inappropiately to her again, as I carefully rubbed out the air bubbles from between the sticker and his office door glass. He better. Did I feel better as I rode off. Yes I did Sorry for the rant, Thanks for letting me vent. I'm over it now.

Sounds like your singing to the choir to me. Do youself a favor and do yourself a favor.

Next Friday 10/29/10 RandyR is coming down to help me do a Valve shim check and change job and carb sync on my 87 1st gen. A couple of members that knew this was coming up expressed an interest in coming over to watch the process for these two common maintenance functions on these motors. To do these functions and other things I have planned, the bike will pretty much have it's skin stripped off and will be down to a running chassis stage. This stage of access will be conducive to talking about, explaining and showing other common problems and fixes for the 1st gen MK2 XVZ1300 platform. Well next Friday is the day. Randy will arrive at my house around 10:00 AM-ish and we will spend the day turning wrenches and talking mechanical stuff. We picked this Friday because it was the first date where I could get off work and coordinate with Randy's schedule. Even though it is a week day, All that are able, interested and willing to show up are welcome to come. I have set up a nice work area under cover in the backyard and there will be a cooler with beverages iced down near-by. If you think you can come PM me and I will give you address and directions. If there is any interest I'll make arrangements to have some meat on the grill to feed you as well.

I would like to fix the lower left fairing on the loaner bike my buddy loaned me while I'm doing some repairs on my 1st gen (As a gesture of appreciation for the loan, I didn't damage it.). The bike I'm riding is a 2007 midnight Venture so I am looking for one in black. Does anyone have one they would like to sell or know where I can find one. I'd would really rather avoid ordering one from a stealership if I can help it..

Yea I thought so Too........Thanks Freebird for confirming my suspicions:thumbsup2: