Getting my projects in order in my head.

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Cervantes

Cervantes

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Joined
May 28, 2010
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Idaho - US
Well, the weather has improved and I think it is about time to get working on this Goldwing. My goal is to replace the timing belts so I don't end up with a bent valve disaster, and hopefully fix her "bad attitude" at low RPM at the same time.

I have to admit I am a little bit intimidated by all of this, but (with this list and the great step by step instructions on here ) all of the steps seem do-able... just a lot of steps. So before I jump in I wanted to be sure I am approaching things in the right general order. I will refer to the tutorials and posts on this site to get more info on how to do each step. But first I need to be sure I have the what worked out, and int he proper order. So here is what I am thinking.

1. Back of the valve gap as far as they go.
2. Pull the Spark Plugs
3. Replace the Timing Belts
4. Adjust the valve gap
5. Check out the gap on the points - replace them if the are pitted. otherwise, re-gap
6. Gap and replace the spark plugs.
7. Put all the parts back on (radiator with new coolant, etc.)
8. Pray she still runs!

Once all that is good I will look into a carb sync, perhaps. If that doesn't fix her, I will have to look into pullnig the carbs.. Oh I hope not! :beg: But first things first!

So am I doing this all in the right order? I am sure I will have questions about the specific steps, but I want to be sure my high level approach is right first.

FWIW, I already changed oil and filter plus added sea foam to the gas (almost through that tank). I also ordered and received a new air filter that I will put on.

Thanks!
Cervantes
1979 Goldwing
 
Perhaps you have already done this in your mind, but I would add several additional steps to number three. We have had two members bend valves during belt replacement recently. So, please, make sure you turn the engine by hand after you replace the belts to make sure you have the timing right.

No more bent valves!

Consider getting new plugs while you are at it. They are cheap and it made a big difference for me when I bought my wing.
 
And, one more thing...

Be confident that you can do this but listen to your inner insecure voice and let it guide you in checking, double checking and even triple checking if it insists. Once you have done it once and successfully started your baby back up, you will realize that you can handle it. There are a lot of steps but none of them are difficult. You just have to do them in the right order and not leave any out.

I was lucky in that I used to have a Subaru Turbo that needed new timing belts and heads. I am a cheap SOB and I did a lot of the work myself. By the time I got to my 1100, I was used to replacing timing belts on an opposed four. But, the first time I did it on the Subaru I was triple careful and paranoid. It paid off in the long run.

Good luck. And, do not hesitate to post here in the middle if you have questions.
 
I don't want to see any more bent valves either so I'll add to the belt change to put a mark on each belt where it sits on each cam gear and do the same where they sit on the crank gears. White fingernail polish or a white paint pen works good.

With the belts off, put the old belt on top of the new one so the marks can be transfered to the new belts.
Now once you put the belts back on you can double verify they are timed properly.

It would be a good idea to check the valve timing before pulling the belts off to make sure they were right in the first place.

The order of the work sounds good.
I would replace hoses and the thermostat, much easier now.
 
Andyb":1ql5cu5z said:
I was lucky in that I used to have a Subaru Turbo that needed new timing belts and heads. I am a cheap SOB and I did a lot of the work myself. By the time I got to my 1100, I was used to replacing timing belts on an opposed four. But, the first time I did it on the Subaru I was triple careful and paranoid. It paid off in the long run.

Good luck. And, do not hesitate to post here in the middle if you have questions.
Click to expand...
Funny thing, I owned an '86 Suburu DL wagon since new for close to 15 years and 189k miles before I sold it. I blew the timing belts 3 times! (They never made the 60k miles they were supposed to). Even though it was a boxer engine, I never had any valve or head problems after each break. Now I am looking back with the experience we have here and I am wondering why there was never any damage? That was with the 1.8 L engine with automatic trans.
 
dan filipi":39ubfq7w said:
I don't want to see any more bent valves either so I'll add to the belt change to put a mark on each belt where it sits on each cam gear and do the same where they sit on the crank gears. White fingernail polish or a white paint pen works good.
Click to expand...


As one of the nemrods that bent valves this is the best tip you can be given.Depending on the year there are decieving marks on some of the cam gears.Even rolling the engine over by hand did not prevent bent valves for some reason,but if Id had marked the correct mark in the first place Id have had no trouble.
This was the forth time I did timing belts(or a repair that required there removal)but the first time I had trouble.I just got to confident I guess.
 
Well, I spent most of the day working on the bike. (I am sooo sun burned!) :crying: I got the timing belt swapped out and adjusted the valve gap. :crying:

OK, so when I first took off the timing belt cover the first thing that caught my attention was that I noticed that the top (non-tensioner) side of the belt on the right side (while sitting on it) of the bike was really quite loose. It had quite a bit of play... like a .5 - .75 inch or more.

So I applued a little extra pressure to the tensioner to "help" it have a little more tension. This did help a little bit, but not much because it is not the tensioner side. But now I am wondering if that was a mistake... How loose should that top part be? Is it OK to add a little more pressure???

Hmm. As I type this, It sounds familiar. I think I may have just rad about this, but it didn't "stick" in my head because I had not seen how it works yet. Now that I have been through this, if I can find it again, I think it will make more sense. I will go look around a bit

I also *think* I got the valve gap about good. The feeler gauge is tight, but does move with some firm pressure. It has been since high school since I have done that, so it is hard to be sure it was correct.

Bottom line: Well, she still runs, but still has the hesitation and doesn't like to rev much. (Which is probably carburetor anyhow, but I am still hoping.) BUT SHE STILL RUNS!!! :yahoo: The engine does feel... tighter to me, which makes me think I did over tighten that right belt. Any thoughts?

Tomorrow is I can find that stinkin' bolt / plug thing that you remove to drain the coolant (grrr... I cannot find it now.) I will take it for a ride... unless you-all tell me that my belt being a little too tight is a big concern. If that is the case, I will pull the cover and loosen it all up a bit. (I wonder if I can do it with the radiator. Oddly enough, pulling and refitting the radiator was the hardest part for me! It was a stubborn bugger!!!

Next steps will be points gap and timing. I do feel much more comfortable with tearing into this thing.

Thanks so much I will keep you posted.

Cervantes
1979 Goldwing
 
the belt thing is hard to say ....they say your not suppose to use any pressure but spring pressure .....but in your case that spring is 31 yrs old or older so it might not be the spring it used to be ....ithink your on your own here in making that judgement .....i made that judgement once and put more tension on it and had no problems with it ....and for the same reason you did it was not as tight as the other side.....

on the ignition if i were you id rebuild it all the way i could and with me that would be ...dyna electronic ignition,dyna 3ohm coils and new wires and ends ...every wing ive ever mess with needed the ignition rebuilt..... the dyna setup is the best for 1000 and delivers better spark and all the adjustability of points best of both worlds and it gets rid of that ballist resister and all that heat .... they sell it in a all together kit .....a little pricey but worth every penny in performance and consistantcy.....

the carbs would be the last thing id do and untill then keep using atf in the gas and you might be surprised about how much better the bike will run after getting the ignition rebuilt i certainly was .......and then go after the carbs if need be ........
 
Cervantes, take a look at this thread we were discussing the belt tension https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/v ... 9748#p9748

The way I tension the belts after the belts are in place and in proper time is rotate the cam with a wrench only slightly to put the slack on the tensioner side then tighten the tensioner bolts while still holding the cam with a wrench, the slack should be pretty much taken up. Make sure to double check your cam timing before calling it good.
 
dan filipi":wwtta2sr said:
Cervantes, take a look at this thread we were discussing the belt tension https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/v ... 9748#p9748
Click to expand...

Hmm. I read and re-read the thread you suggested. (I *knew* I had read all that somewhere. Very helpful. :good: I am wondering, how much "slack" do most of you find you have when yours is done properly? I am thinking of pulling the cover again and see how it looks to be sure I am still feeling good about it. I hope I can do that with the radiator in place.

It would be nice if I could replace the ignition system with something more modern... Unfortunately, my budget won't allow that at this time, so I will start with clean points and go from there. I should be able to go for a ride tomorrow and see if it is any better or worse once it warms up. Also, need some more gas. Last time I ran Sea Foam, this time ATF :cool:

If it is worse, I will double check that the belt isn't super tight or anything, and then re-visit the valve gap. Hmm. Doesn't the belt change impact the timing?

Anyhow, I will keep you posted.

Jeffery
 
When the belts are too tight, the idler pully will sing or whine pretty loud. You should not really hear them other than a slight high pitch bearing sound. My belts usually have about 1/4" of play max.
 
mcgovern61":3uk9z5sm said:
When the belts are too tight, the idler pully will sing or whine pretty loud. You should not really hear them other than a slight high pitch bearing sound. My belts usually have about 1/4" of play max.
Click to expand...

Hmm... it sounds like if it is a bit too tight it would not be a terrible thing, and that if it is too bad it would "tell" me. Perhaps I will hold off on opening it up again. If it is running any worse will check the valve gap first.

It really is great having this list. It helps being able to kick ideas around like this, and get opinions from people with SO MUCH more experience than I have.

Thanks again,
Cervantes
 
Cervantes":8undxan2 said:
mcgovern61":8undxan2 said:
When the belts are too tight, the idler pully will sing or whine pretty loud. You should not really hear them other than a slight high pitch bearing sound. My belts usually have about 1/4" of play max.
Click to expand...

Hmm... it sounds like if it is a bit too tight it would not be a terrible thing, and that if it is too bad it would "tell" me. Perhaps I will hold off on opening it up again. If it is running any worse will check the valve gap first.

It really is great having this list. It helps being able to kick ideas around like this, and get opinions from people with SO MUCH more experience than I have.

Thanks again,
Cervantes
Click to expand...
Be careful, if they are bit too tight, you take the chance on putting undo pressure on the idler bearings. I assume they are as old as the bike. If the belts is too tight, you could overheat the belt and it can break.
 

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