Valve adj/TBS complete...a report!...kinda long

[MGN54]

Hi Everyone!

 

Well, it is done! Being a total newbie, at times, it was very challenging/frustrating but the end result was worth it and very rewarding. If you are contemplating this kind of work I would say go ahead and dive in like I did. There are so many helpful people on this site that I don't think there is anything that you won't be able to conquer given time and determination. At least that was my experience.

 

Started the valves this past Thursday morning. Took me three hours but I really took my time and feel pretty confident in the valve adjust. Feel certain that I can cut this time considerably next time. Found two exhaust valves on the right side extremely tight. An intake valve on the left side that wouldn't hold the feeler! I did make a mental note that I will order up some nice Wurth feeler gauges before next time.

 

On to the TBS. Wow, this was quite a challenge for me, a first timer. There were times I wanted to get out the BFH (big f$%^g hammer) and beat the hell out of it but I soldiered on. Spent about 6 hours fiddling with it Thursday afternoon into the night. Took it for a test ride. Much surging. Could not seem to get it. Went to bed discouraged and rereading the procedure again. What was I missing. Hit it again after work/supper on Friday for another 3 hours. Got a little closer. Called Ken H and we talked it through. I thought I had it conquered. Up on Saturday anxious to put it to rest. Test ride. $^%# it was still surging. Pulled it back in and remembered what Ken had said about antipating the final snug of the wrench and it's effect on the adjuster. That did the trick. It took a bunch of trial and error but I finally got it within about 1/2 inch on the manometer at 2500 rpm. Luckily at 4000 it was almost dead on! Test ride. Yes! I was very pleased. Not entirely positively eradicated but sure close. Nice smooth accelleration and you really had to hunt for the surge. Put her tupperware back on, washed her, touched upsome stone chips, wax on-wax off, and put her to bed.

 

Took her on a 200 mile shake down today and I was in heaven. Up to now while riding the bike I couldn't help but think about the surge. Today, I could enjoy the ride. Only time I thought about surge was when I said to myself....this thing is smooth! She's a keeper. Must have done something right.

 

Gas mileage before OVAD/TBS/new plugs 46mpg.

Gas mileage after ----- 49mpg!!!

 

I want to thank some people without whose help I might still be in the garage!

 

Ken H - TBS procedure/TBS phone hotline!

Rightspin (Steve) - manometer instructions/tips/words of

encouragement

Joe Frickin Friday (Mitch)- tip on removing alternator cover

smiller - (Seth) - knowledge and support - come to find out

we live 30 minutes from each other!!

Robert Novielli - (BMW K over on SportTouring.net) - knowledge and

encouragement

Stan Walker - advice on Autolites

 

Hope I didn't forget anyone. If so chime in!

 

Now on to some other issues. See future posts!

 

Mark

[smiller]

Glad to hear that your efforts were rewarded Mark. If you are having difficulty getting the throttle cable locknut snugged down while maintaining your setting you might try this little doodad from Marc Parnes... it really helps a lot.

[kingpinofdisks]

Nice! I am also a total newbie. My first time was at a NoCal tech daze, and it took quite a while. My 2nd was only 2.5 hrs from tupperware off to tupperware on for valve adjust / oil change / TB Sync. It could have been much longer, but the nocal techdaze I went too had some great guys showing me what to do.

 

I haven't used or even seen a manometer, but the twinmax seems to work just fine for my bike. After the adjustments & sync, the engine feels & sounds like a turbine. I have never had a surge problem, and hope never to experience it.

 

I have just hit 12.5K miles on the bike (yikes, 6 months old), and twice re-used the gaskets that came with the bike originally. Next adjustment, I will install new gaskets, since I am seeing a tinsy bit of an oil leak around the cylinder valve covers.

 

You should feel quite good about your work - no beemer dealer can get it as close as you can because they don't have the time.

[GaryIF]

Ken H.'s the man on the TBS front. One key step no one else will go near was the step that cured my surging for good.

[BMT]

The valve cover gaskets are good for many more removal/refit cycles. It is absolutely necessary to take them off and clean both sides before reinstalling. If there's any oil on the mating faces, it will weep out -- could that be the source of your symptoms?

[steve.foote]

Mark, you have officially seen to the Oracle.

 

Congratulations. The next time it will be even easier and smoother.

[sgendler]

Gas mileage before OVAD/TBS/new plugs 46mpg.

Gas mileage after ----- 49mpg!!!

 

There's the source of your surging problem. You aren't revving the bike high enough. Get out of that 3.5K range where it surges and you'll never notice it, no matter how balanced your throttle bodies are. The bike wants to be revved.

 

--sam

[kingpinofdisks]

Yea, dirty gaskets was my first thought. I can't say for sure, but I don't think they had a drop of oil on them.

 

After removing the valve covers, I peeled off the gaskets and cleaned them very carefully. I then cleaned them again before putting them back on, using a new rag. I spent 10 minutes performing a careful cleaning the 2nd time.

 

Same with the valve covers - they sparkled like new before I would put them back on.

 

When I install the new gaskets, I plan on taking a razor and scrapping off any little tinsy bit of crap from the valve cover gasket mating surfaces, then cleaning with new clean rags, before putting everything back together.