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Just enough rain to cancel Moto Friday. Next week, maybe Moto Monday and Moto Friday!

I knew after my shakedown run last Sunday that the carb synch was way off. I could even hear the cylinders fighting with each other a bit as it ran through the range. The bit I ran it before I disassembled it I had it going well and smoothly and I left the idle mixture and speed settings where they were working well on the old motor. Those settings were OK to start with, but the new pistons and rings wanted something different.

Before I'd used the same techniques I use on my dual carb VWs for idle adjustments--basically shut off the mixture screw one side at a time and observe the change in idle, and make adjustments on the other side. Try to remember how many turns of the screw it took to shut things off!

But I kept reading about this ignition shorting method. "Just make a tool out of some old spokes." I saw pictures of these shorting tools on the InterWebs and in BMW Owner's News, usually looking like this:



I'd look at those pics and wonder "Is there a hinge I can't see?" "Howz that work?" I was going to go about this using my VW method, but I did take the time (a LOT of time) to read SnowBum's write-up and I saw the light! It was this bit:

SnowBum wrote:Here is a way to make a rather neat adaptor, using an old spoke nipple. Spokes have the correct thread, 4 x 0.7 mm. Use that nipple, and the spoke that it fits, and cut the spoke to a couple inches in length or so;...and put a teeny notch on the upper end, and then the spoke will be pretty solid in the spark plug cap, which has a cross-wire to 'grip' the spark plug threads.

You're spozeta use ONE ON EACH SIDE BETWEEN THE PLUG AND CAP! So I got my bag o' defunct spokes:



Got a couple that didn't have frozen nipples and cut them a bit shorter mit the big boltcutters. Now for all y'all who were as confused as me about how these things work, HERE ARE SOME PIX TO 'SPLAIN THE PROCEDURE:

Remove spark plug cap and install the ShortMeister:



Put the plug cap on the end of the ShortMeister:



Start the motor up! When the idle settles, get the Big Screwdriver and close the ShortMeister to ground on the cylinder head. Make sure you hand is only touching the plastic! DAMHIK:



So I did all that and found that the right side wanted a lot more fuel and a bit less air and made the relevant adjustments. After that, I held it at 2500 and shorted each side in turn, finding that my static readjustment of the cables a couple days ago wasn't far enough off to be worth fiddling. We'll know more with the next ride later today or tomorrow. I also expect things to change as the rings get comfortable with their bores.

Yes, the valves will need a few adjustments, before they settle in. Make sure your timing is correct before attempting to adjust the carbs. Get it warm before trying to adjust the carbs, about a 10 -15 minute ride. Forget the baseline numbers and shorting one side. With it idling, slack cables, adjust each side for best running with the mixture screw... you'll hear it. Then get out your $5 carb synchronizer and get both sides pulling the same.

Tim Shepherd wrote:Yes, the valves will need a few adjustments, before they settle in. Make sure your timing is correct before attempting to adjust the carbs. Get it warm before trying to adjust the carbs, about a 10 -15 minute ride. Forget the baseline numbers and shorting one side. With it idling, slack cables, adjust each side for best running with the mixture screw... you'll hear it. Then get out your $5 carb synchronizer and get both sides pulling the same.

Adjustments should be made after a good ride. By "pulling the same" there are different camps. I find it best to get them balanced just off idle ( a slight twist). This will give you best response and nearly eliminate flat spots. This is where all the fun is. Balancing at sustained rpm will give you lesser results, in my opinion. The results will change with temp.

Got out and about today, 35 miles or so. Experienced 4th and 5th gear, and wound 3rd out to 6K for 70 mph or so for some load and unload on the rings. Made a few stops, first right near the house:



Then down the road a touch:



And just a bit further:



The first two are historical markers, the third is an odd ship. Not a cruise ship on which normal folk can book passage. More like this. I have no idea why they stopped where they did--I heard something about "taking on provisions" but there are no sources of maritime provisions there unless you are running a crab boat. Not a place for the beautiful people by any stretch. Hope they were able to keep the tweakers from coming aboard.

Bike ran great. The OP sender is leaking a bit right out the spade and will need to be replaced. It sure looks like a VW part. Idle was a bit high when I came back, 1800ish per the tach. A few minutes mit the ShortMeisters had it right where it should be.

Well done there Melville, a considerable amount of time, effort, dollars and skill.

I can picture you there now, trying to go to sleep, remembering that blast up to 6k.............thinking, now what am I going to do?

Maybe another bike when you turn 45?

ME 109 wrote:Well done there Melville, a considerable amount of time, effort, dollars and skill.

I can picture you there now, trying to go to sleep, remembering that blast up to 6k.............thinking, now what am I going to do?

Maybe another bike when you turn 45?

I am 45 now. We have to mobilise some of the VWs, particularly at the older boy turns 16 this fall. Mrs. melville produced an addendum to the MC contract--if I get another bike, it's to be HD, Indian(Springfield), or Norton. And it has to be in at least as sad a condition when it comes as was my Airhead. But first, to have a running Beetle or two!

melville wrote:
I am 45 now.

Wowsers! 5 years gone just like that.

Out and about on the motorbike today, and then some work on the bike.

Went here, just a touch inland and a mile or two up a twisty mountain road. Road was nice--they repaved it in the last couple years, nice and smooth. Historical spot:





I'm more than a little disappointed in the spray paint.

Back home, and with the oil hot I drained it and pulled the filter apart:



Looked alright for new bore and rings. The big bluish pieces look like the sealant I used on the cylinder bases (Kuril T) spooged out and caught by the filter. No big metallic bits!

Put in the regular oil (not the special 30W break-in stuff), a new filter, and called it a day. My local Airhead guy is going to check it for any glaring errors this upcoming Moto Friday.

Cool Stuff, Mellville.

I like the shot with the tree in the foreground and the bike in the background.

You have to kind of wonder if the Indian tribes honored their treaty with each other. Many treaties made by the white man were broken.

I wish we lived a little closer to each other. It would be fun to hit the trail for a ride with you. I just came back from a ride to warm up the transmission oil so it would drain well. Mui hot! On the newer bikes with two crossovers, it drains right onto the rear exhaust crossover! I'm kind of excited. When I was pulling away from a stop light in a right turn, I hit it pretty hard and it lifted the front wheel just a bit. None of my other airheads have done that. It may be me that hasn't done that but this one feels a little more powerful than my others. It is the bike I was doing at the same time as you were doing yours.

Chuey

Chuey wrote:Cool Stuff, Mellville.

I like the shot with the tree in the foreground and the bike in the background.

You have to kind of wonder if the Indian tribes honored their treaty with each other. Many treaties made by the white man were broken.

I wish we lived a little closer to each other. It would be fun to hit the trail for a ride with you. I just came back from a ride to warm up the transmission oil so it would drain well. Mui hot! On the newer bikes with two crossovers, it drains right onto the rear exhaust crossover! I'm kind of excited. When I was pulling away from a stop light in a right turn, I hit it pretty hard and it lifted the front wheel just a bit. None of my other airheads have done that. It may be me that hasn't done that but this one feels a little more powerful than my others. It is the bike I was doing at the same time as you were doing yours.

Chuey

That's an R100, right? No chance of my 750 doing so? Mrs. melville does not want or need to hear about Airhead wheelies. They're funny on the mountain bike. On the MC, not so much.

Indeed, much as you've got Palomar in your backyard, I've got 36, 96, and a buncha secret roads out here. Be neat to share mit you.