Lash Adjusters

Just pull them out with pliers.




Here's the checkball to burp.


Now clean them with WD-40.

Burp and pump up, a couple of times to flush out the junk.


Now that they're clean, we will fill them with fresh oil. Squeeze the adjuster and open the ball. Don't release it yet.



Now release submerged in new oil. Purge, clean, and refill all eight of them.

Now check the tiny hole in the rockers. Make sure they all are clean.


Here we are washing again.


Blow dry.


Oil the steel parts so they don't rust. A periodic correct oil can is the only way to do this.


Okay enough with the heads for now. What's with the ATF?



I was told by Hotsauce via The Judge that you can marinate the gaskets in ATF and they will stay where you put them during assembly and if you have to take things apart the gaskets won't stick and you can re-use them. Looks like a horror movie though.


We should be going up with this motor tomorrow!

Doo-Dads

Okay, I am not a fan of chrome bolt-ons. They don't do anything, but need to be cleaned. I bought a hub cap for the Vulcan anyway. It won't stay chrome though; I haven't decided if it will be black or blasted powdercoat.



I got my new tailight too. The light housings are plasti-chrome, but they may be rattlecanned black before I'm done.

Beautiful Shovelhead Ride Yesterday

It was beautiful a day on Friday. Here's the ride we went on. We ate at Hobo's Joe in Madill. About 125 miles.



View Larger Map

Here's the view from the top of the tower on Lake Murray.

Washing and Installing Valves

Here's how to bypass the carb warmer. Get someone weld up the little tubes. I need to paint those still.

Remember me writing that the heads needed to washed after the valve lapping? Well here you go. I would normally do this outside, but it was rainy and I did it inside. I washed my little gas can too, because I want put in the back of the van just in case.

The cylinders are back from the machine shop and they need washed, too.

Do you see the different surface finish? These were still a touch out of round even after the oversize. You can see, but not feel it. It is under where the rings will run so hopefully everything will be okay.

After washing the cylinders, all of the steel parts need to be oiled to keep them from rusting until I get the motor together.


Wash the heads.

Rinse the heads.

This was something I hadn't noticed yet. The rear head has a basketweave in the casting...

the front cylinder is smooth.

Blow dry the heads to get the water out of the crevices.

Wash the valves.

Don't put those back in the bag wet or things will get ugly.

Now let's put the valves back in. Oil it up.

Put it in the head.

Oil the seal.

Put the seal on.

Put the springs and retainer on with the tool.

Get the split keepers ready.

Work those in.

Take the tool off and one valve is done.

Do that three more times and the rear valves are done.

Now do it for the front, and the valves are all done.

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Vulcan 1500 Valve Lapping

Let's get to valve lapping on the 1500 Vulcan re-build. Here's the before on the front cylinder.


Here are the valve seals. They have to go.

Pry 'em off and throw them away.

Get the lapping compound.

Put a light coat on the valve sealing area.


Put the valve in to the hole it came out of and twist it back and forth, back and forth.

When you clean off the compound and see a nice even gray line in the seat, you're good to go.

You need a nice line on the valve, too.

Repeat that three more times and the front is done, but be sure to wash everything to get the compound off before you build the motor.

Repeat that 4 more times and the rear is done, too.

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