No turning back now ...

.... that both timing belts are off. =8-0

Carb balancing (Ta, Robbo) was surprisingly simple, as they were
barely different in the first place.

Emboldened, I wheeled the Wing out of the garage, then the CBX,
dragged the lift into position, and wheeled the Wing aboard. I don't
ride on, anymore, as there's nowhere to put your feet when on top.

Anyhow, I then whipped off another couple of acres of plastic, and set
about the timing gear covers. Twelve 10mm bolts to hold one (well,
two) plastic cover? That was the least of it. The little rhs bit came
off easy as you like - but the big lhs bit didn't want to emerge into
the big, wide world.

Myriad pipes, cables, wires, tubes and other paraphernalia run down
the front of the engine, and then disappear underneath into the
darkness. These are so snug, it's almost impossible to get the timing
cover off without subtle levering with a big screwdriver. Ahem.

Well, it's off now.

Next - line up the timing marks, simple. All "up"s pointing up, and
the centre pulley in the right place. I should hope so, too, as I
hadn't interfered at this point.

Deep breath time - unbolt the tensioner pulleys.

Another deep breath - pull of the rhs belt, then remove the pulse
generators.

Final deep breath, for today - take off the other belt.

New belts went on easily, but I decided against refitting the
tensioner pulleys, as Top Gear was on in fifteen minutes.

So, tense evening tomorrow then. Ho hum.

Then, I can do the clutch.

Memo to self - it's got no oil in it. This is important.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..87918../..23274.../..31893.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG*
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11
'^' RBR Clues: 00 Pts:0000 Miles:0000

 

Stick a post-it with that note on the clocks. Seriously.

 

Heh. I have sellotaped a sign across the clocks of more than one bike,
in the past, reading: NO OIL

Generally, on those occasions when I think I'll just change the oil, and
perform one other, really simple task, and the "really simple" task
turns into a nightmare, and when I've sorted that I've discovered I've
got no oil in the garage and the shops are shut and...

You know the scene.

OTOH, today I have cast a quick eye over The Lad's 125, lubed the chain,
adjusted the brakes, counted the wheels, and generally made certain it's
OK. It hasn't used a drop of oil in 1000 miles, either, which impresses
me.

 

You could do, but SD would never see it. He's miles away!

Did you get all the shit off, btw?

 

"No oil" sticker now attached. Across the ignition keyhole.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..87918../..23274.../..31893.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG*
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11
'^' RBR Clues: 00 Pts:0000 Miles:0000

 

Champ said:

I do a similar thing - but put the duct tape around the ignition key...

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in
message

I generally stuff a screwdriver in the oil filler so something sticks
out to remind me that I need to add oil.

Touch wood I've never started a vehicle without oil. Have been very
tempted though... just to see *exactly* what happens.

 

I don't usually drop the oil without having the replacement lined up.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative.”

 

Very sensible place. It's where I'd put it.

 

So long as you don't simply thoroughly lube the keyhole, before starting up
with an empty sump.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

You'll be designing ladies underwear next

 

Or hop on and head to halfords for some more lubricant.

 

Oh, the designs are complete. I'm currently working on scaling them up to
fit.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

It's probably a "diesel fitter" joke ramping up.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

Well, I was originally thinking of a pair of knickers with "Some Lube"
on the front and "No Lube" on the back, but then as it's Platy, it'll be
far wrongerer than that as his mind don't work like normal folk.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

Unless it's a race bike, obviously.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

<strokes trunk, polishes tusks>[1]


[1] Euphemism? Reader, only you can decide.
--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

message

Wotcha.

Oh indeedy.

Let's change the oil on the little green Guzzi.
Oil drain pan ( plastic bowl ) happily in place.
Undo the sump bolt.
Sump bolt promptly drops into the drain pan - no problem, I'll rescue it
later.
Dirty oil starts filling drain pan - seriously filling drain pan - OH SHIT -
overfilling drain pan.
Oil stops draining just as the pan is full, and I mean *full*.
Carefully pick up drain pan and carry it to the other garage, where the
waste oil drum lives.
Pour the contents of the drain pan into the waste oil drum - which has a
bloody great huge funnel stuck in the hole.
Wonder what it was that went "thunk" in the bottom of the waste oil drum.
Ah - that would be the sump bolt then.
Now how do I rescue the sump bolt ? - Magnet onna stick, that's how.
After a bit of 'fishing', out comes the sump bolt.

Now due to the waste oil drum being made of steel, and also having sat in
the garage for quite a while, all the water in the drum must have gathered
in the bottom and duly rusted the steel. Rusted the steel to a point where
something as small as a sump bolt could poke a hole in it.
I now had a five gallon drum of waste oil leaking across the garage floor. .
... . luckily I also had a few five gallon plastic oil drums, which I always
tend to 'save' from work. Much funnel waving later and the contents of the
steel drum were now in the plastic drum. The sump bolt was put back in the
sump, and the Guzzi had a feed of fresh oil.

Simple tasks turning into nightmares ? Oh yes - been there, done that. . .
.. . more than once ;-)

 

I remember the length of masking tape stuck to the race bike tank with
the numbers 1 to 6 on it - with crosses through the gears that were no
longer present, increasing with every stop.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Pip

<G> Engineering elegance at its finest.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer