100k service

Well, after not getting to do my major service before heading off to WSBK at Phillip Island due to work and outright laziness, I've now got started with no way back unless I finish.
There was always the danger of my mates calling to advise of a weekend ride, with me quickly reassembling before job was finished to join them.
Now I've gone too far.
The plan is to remove everything, all the body work, the cooling system, the TB's and most other things to get to everything and clean, adjust, modify.
I will post some pictures along the way and post findings.

 

Not bad, 3 hrs to get this far including cleaning between the V.
Lots of crap in there, specially after 100km of dirt road to PI.

 

Yep, I'd say she's apart all right Hope all goes as planned.

 

I am amazed that you got that far in three hours
I would think it would take me three hours to just pull the plastics off

 

Where the 5th gen magic happens

 

You can see where I painted a white mark on the cam gears to make reassembly faster.





I find using a magnet to pull the bucketts the best way to go, and save dropping a shim into the engine.

 

There were some very tight valves in the rear head.
All fixed now, but I've used up all my 1.8mm shims, seems to be the most commonly used.
I'll have to get some more before I pull the front.

 

If you know what sizes you need, these guys offer a good price and turnaround:

https://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/T7ENSNN74/title/torpedo7-valve-shims-7-48mm---5-pack

 

Thanks Terry, I might drive past the Honda dealer tomorrow before I order.
You never know, they might surprise me and actually have something in stock.

Just checked torpedo7, and they don't have anything between 1.55 and 1.9 in stock.

 

Nice job!!! Quality time with the viffer, I had an employer that used to chew me a new arse hole when I would rest a tool on a bike, that being said, Get that heinous yellow handled screwdriver off your bike!!! ound: Nice use of the 1/4 ratchet (love my 1/4 chit) :thumbsup: I got time on my hands, hence the long replies. Years ago I broke a feeler gauge in half once working on (yuk, Ninja 250) I had a telescoping magnetic that I deployed on the cam chain side of the bike, and thankfully I heard the magic "clink" when I retracted the tool, the broken .004 (memory serves) feeler gauge was attached to the end of the magnet, I bought a lottery ticket that day on the way home. :lol:

 

That yellow screwdriver is on a rubber matt, so doesn't count.
I like your use of the correct "arse" instead of ass.
1/4" is my go to for anything 12mm or bellow, makes over torquing much more difficult.
I have 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2", right tools for the right job.

 

:wink: far out, I got a calibrated elbow for most stuff, I like t-handles btw and my 1/4 speed handle from (shameless plug) Snap-On. Got a nice 1/2 one that has the folding block where you can use it as breaker bar, then flip it and use it as a speeder. So many tools, so little time as of lately. No place I would rather be than in my garage, second thought spending time with the 11 month old has the ova-ride factor, throw a play pen in the garage then you got it all :thumbsup:

 

It took me a long time to teach her the difference between metric and imperial fasteners, but her nappies were great at absorbing oil spills!

 

I went past the local Honda dealer and surprise surprise, they had three 1.8mm shims.
I got the lot of them and tackled the front head, only 1 intake needed replacing, and another one within spec (0.14), but changed it to get it back to 0.16.
So all exhaust clearences were spot on (0.3mm) except for one bad one (0.15) and one just out (0.25).
The intake valves on the rear head were all over the place, mostly too tight but not badly.
Now I have all exhaust spot on at 0.3mm, and all intake within 0.01mm of the 0.16mm setting.
I will next remove the sump to replace it, as it has one tab where fairing attaches broken off, I've already picked up a new second hand one very cheap.

A bit of advice to anyone else doing this, put the buckets back were they came from as they vary slightly in size and will stuff up your maths.
Be very careful installing new shims, they are very small and you can easily drop one into the engine (I was but still managed to drop one, luck went my way as it bounced out).
Rotate the engine untill you have the least resistance on the cams, as in most lobes not pushing on buckets, this will make it much easier to get the cams back in.
Once you do this, mark the position of the gears onto the large idler gear to make reinstalling easier (I used a white paint marker), once you mark DO NOT MOVE THE CRANK AGAIN UNTIL CAMS ARE BACK IN.
Once it is all back in and torqued, rotate crank a few times and double check your valve clearences again.
Keep everything super clean and have a cup of new oil for reassembly. (don't drink it, just to oil everything up)
I also used liberal amounts of Jack Daniels to make all the work more pleasent, but you can choose your own poison.

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures and advice. These are the best threads -- we learn a lot from them.

Hey, if you like corn squeezins, try Woodford's Reserve if you can get it down there. Everything Jack Daniels wants to be, but never is.

 

:lol: Nappies thats as good as putting her in the pram and going for a walkie walk. What happened with the Suzuki? Isnt it sacrilegious not having her in front of a honda? I gave my only BS spanner to an old employer who ironically was missing the one I gifted him (the set were his fathers.)

My wife thinks in the metric system, I think she knows the difference between a T27 and a T30 which is really impressive, I hope my kid has an interest in mechanical things. No more thread jacking, ^nice job sussing out those valve clearances.

 

My favourites are Gentlemen Jack, Woodford Reserve and Wild Turkey.
I'm not that picky over them, just what happens to be on special at the time. (Around AU$50 a bottle here)

 

I owned that Suzuki RF900 from 1996 to 2014, during which time we produced two daughters and moved house, so the finances were limited. The RF gave excellent service for 55000km from new, and with an Ohlins shock with raising links and Racetech parts up front, was a stellar handler, and very fast with it, saw 260km/hr on a couple of occasions (on a closed course, and under adult supervision). Fairly reliable except the 2nd gear failed (not uncommon on those GSXR11-based engines) and I needed new emulsion tubes in the carbs, capable but perhaps just a little dull, and replaced with the 5G in 2014.

Here's the same daughter, on her first pillion ride in 2014, she still rides with me on occasions when she's not at work or university...wow how time flies!

 

: ) thanks, thats a beautiful kid. Time flies, I got quality suspension on all my bikes, its makes a difference, analogy I make is like this; "you could be eating some lousy meal out of a tin can, but if your doing it on a nice piece china and some decent cutlery, you feel less of a slob." Maybe not the best comparison but the suspension and tyres are the first thing I always suss out, that and braided brake lines. Cheers and happy motoring, that RF had a rear tail section like a Freightliner,

 

It is all done now, spent a few hours cleaning and tidying up all the wiring as I've removed a fair amount of original gear over the years, so I've got a lot of space.
Also rerouted the wiring for my heated grips, air horns and volt meter to make it more proffessional looking.
I'm now waiting for a new rocker cover bolt, as one broke when I was putting it back in, looks like a stress break.
It was on the front head, and I had to drill out the stubb as it was in too deep to get it out.
It wasn't too bad, it only took me a few minutes, but I did have a slight heart attack when I thought I had stripped the head.


Once radiators and tank are back in, I'll start her up and do the starter valves, with a bit of luck it won't rain this weekend and I'll take her out for a good ride.