More on ignition weights and such

I went to buy new weights, but all I could get quickly was a full set of points with all the hardware, too. That's okay; I'll have some extra stuff for about the same money. Racerjim made a good point about checking to be sure the sides of the cone would clear a new set of weights and yet it appears that one side is a bit tight.


So I filed it down a bit and cleaned out the shavings.


I have messaging back and forth with HaWgRyder, too. I was trying to figure out his tip about drilling a hole in the points plate to allow the weights to be lubricated without pulling the points plates. Hopefully, I am following what he said correctly. His suggestion was a 3/8 inch hole about the 7 o'clock position. And don't try to drill with the plate installed in the cone.


Get this wire out of the way.


Center punch.


Center drill to start a hole.


Step drill just like OCC does.


Seems good.


A quick look and you can see the posts.


And check the springs, too.


But with everything in place, oops that's not a great place for a hole.


Make a new hole there as well.


That works.


I'm going to try these roller bearing style weights this time.


A little bit of grease.


All reassembled.


Weights into the cone.


New stand offs from the kit. Timing marks nice and lined up.


Hmmm... lots of extra hardware from the kit.


Yep, the old stand offs had washer and lock washers.


Let's redo that.


All back together. I swapped the tiny allen heads for the phillips from the kit to make it easier to mess with on the side of the road.

Stroker's gotta breathe

So, I'm blowing engine crank seals as fast as I can put new ones in. I know my breather timing is correct. But after talking to a bunch of people, I'm suspecting crankcase pressure is still the problem. I have heard of removing the screen from the breather gear, but I was hoping not to have to. Here's was the instructions from the S&S Sidewinder kit says though.



Time to drive fast and take chances I suppose. Let's get going.


Pushrods come out first.




Do that three more times.


Points cover off next.


Lots of "glitter" in there. That's not good.




Double check the marks for timing.


Remove the points plate.




Glitter.


Cone cover bolts.


Oops. This bolt needs to come off before the cone cover.


This is where the glitter came from. I guess I need a new set of weights, too.


ugh, wear spots.


Finally down to the goods.


I'm dumping this part. It wasn't what I needed and it's not helping it breathe either.


Don't lose this shim, it is for the breather gear.


Note the timing marks because I know they aren't stock.


I pulled the cam, but probably didn't need to.


Pulled the breather gear.


Screen needs to go.


I used a scratch awl to pop one end loose.


Grabbed the loose end with needle nose pliers and kept twisting.


Out it came.


Worked the cam back in. That's a way tougher job than it should be.


Fresh gasket.


Bolt cheat sheet.


Criss-cross install and torque.


Dang forgot the shim.


Open it back up and install the shim.


Re-install the cone cover and pushrods. I can't finish because I need new ignition weights,

Motorcycle Man painting

This painting hung in the back stairwell of Crapo Hall while I was at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology(1995-1999) http://www.rose-hulman.edu. I always loved this painting and I felt like I may have been the only person (at an engineering school full of painfully stereotypical engineers) that would stop and look at it. I wanted to steal it, but thought is would be too selfish to horde something so beautiful. The painting is huge, maybe 2ft by 4ft, and the bike is life size or a little bigger. The oil painted chrome is amazing. It is signed "M-B-M 1974"

The other thing that amazed me about this painting was the art curator for the school at the time. She was the tiniest old woman I had ever seen; she still wore a pillbox hat, this was the mid-1990's for goodness sake. I thought that she must never make it over to that stairwell and didn't know that this was hanging there. I've made several trips to Rose-Hulman since I've graduated and the painting was no where to be found. I figured it was in storage and forgotten or stolen and hanging in a fraternity house somewhere. At any rate, a few years ago, I found it again. It is in a major hallway of Moench Hall - the primary academic building. I guess someone else appreciates it too.

Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets

Preppers will tell you that you can do anything with these. Survival nuts say they aren't worth a darn. I keep one in my saddlebag(and a few in my four wheel vehicles, too).  I figure that I could lay on the hot asphalt if I had to, make shade if I needed to, or whatever. Then I actually used on of these riding across Illinois on Sunday. I was plenty geared up, but the cold wind was still getting to my chest. I just unfolded it, made a squarish wad of it, and shoved it inside the front of my jacket to cover up my chest. It helped a bunch. It was the first thing that had to come out when it finally warmed up 250 miles later in Missouri.

If had been riding with a buddy, I would have cut it in two and made more of a poncho out of each piece.

Comes packed this small.


Unpacks this huge, but probably doesn't repack very well.



Amazon has them in ten packs. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GCRWCG/ref=ox_ya_os_product_refresh_T1