Preparing to refresh my first top-end, pics and questions

[04rkryder]

Speaking of studs and flange nuts for the cam plate dowel holes. If you decide to go that route,  PM me and I'll send you a set as I have spares.

One suggestion, I always turn off my cell phone when working in the motor.  Got a call and missed tightening a jam but on a pushrod tube while changing cams.  A mile from home during the test ride it came loose and dropped  the rear cylinder. Ended up pushing my RK home in the heat of a Phoenix summer.

[Dogbone45ACP]

EVOS don't have cam plates.

[kd]

       I guess it is a '97.  Sometime I forget which thread I'm in.   

[04rkryder]

Guess I wasn't paying attention either

[thumper 823]

The devil is in the details and pulling a couple of cylinders is Hot soup on a cold day-pretty simple.
BUT the mistake is not adhering to the advice given here as to why the oil leaks as they are a  typical EVO problem.'
just replacing gaskets will not fix the problem is what one wants to pay attn to here.

[JW113]

Having the engine case machined at the top of the spigots would be nice to do if the engine was out and pulled apart, but it does not sound like he wants to or needs to go in that deep.

Try a set of the James or Cometic "Foamet" or steel with silicon printed base gaskets. One reason the stock HD base gaskets leak is less than ideal surfaces, but the other is they are made from thin paper. Have years of heat cycles they get brittle and crack, and that's when you really have a serious oil leak. The steel ones don't/can't do that, and the foamet or silicon is pretty forgiving of the surface quality.

-JW

[SixShooter14]

Alright fellers, do these nuts mean adjustable pushrods?

Should I loosen them before pulling the rocker boxes apart?

[JW113]

YEP.

I guess you now need to pop the nose cone and see what cam is in it?

-JW

[kd]

That's what I'm thinkin too.   

[SixShooter14]

The nose cone is still riveted, so either it's factory or they replaced the rivets instead of screws.

But, one step at a time.

Do I still need the piston at TDC to loosen the pushrods and remove the lower rocker assy?

[kd]

The easy way is to roll it over until both lifters on the cylinder are at the low point then do the next one.  Pull the plugs when you do it to kill any compression. Those look like Smith Bros pushrods and may not be quick-change.  If the lifter is at the bottom for the travel and you wind them all the way in but they still won't come out, you'll have to pull them out the top like one piece.

[FSG]

don't look like quick change to me, but we'll know when they're wound back and can see the bottom

drill out the tops of the PR Tubes to 5/8" , look for witness marks on the PRs and perhaps install Rocker Lockers just because

[SixShooter14]

I didn't loosen the pushrods, just slowly loosened the rocker bolts and pulled the lower off that way.

[SixShooter14]

A dirty head

[SixShooter14]

And a dirty piston.

I didn't pull the cylinder off yet, it was 10pm and I still have to cook dinner. So, tomorrow, I will pull the cylinder and piston out.

[FSG]

it was 10pm and I still have to cook dinner

why ?  a few drinks and it'll be breakfast time   

[SixShooter14]

it was 10pm and I still have to cook dinner

why ?  a few drinks and it'll be breakfast time   

ha, because my stomach and back are pretty hard things to ignore once they go to screaming.

[rageglide]

Do yourself a favor and do not use the james umbrellas for the breathers.  In my experience they are too stiff and you will have a nose bleed.  OEM or Cometic.

Check the cam journals and cam bearing while it's apart  Hopefully who ever put the adjustables in changed out the inner cam bearing. 

That oil usage looks worthy of a re-ring/overbore.  How many miles on the engine?

[SixShooter14]

Do yourself a favor and do not use the james umbrellas for the breathers.  In my experience they are too stiff and you will have a nose bleed.  OEM or Cometic.

Check the cam journals and cam bearing while it's apart  Hopefully who ever put the adjustables in changed out the inner cam bearing. 

That oil usage looks worthy of a re-ring/overbore.  How many miles on the engine?

about 55k

[hbkeith]

The nose cone is still riveted, so either it's factory or they replaced the rivets instead of screws.

But, one step at a time.

Do I still need the piston at TDC to loosen the pushrods and remove the lower rocker assy?

You read the manual yet ?

[SixShooter14]

The nose cone is still riveted, so either it's factory or they replaced the rivets instead of screws.

But, one step at a time.

Do I still need the piston at TDC to loosen the pushrods and remove the lower rocker assy?

You read the manual yet ?

Many times.

[SixShooter14]

don't look like quick change to me, but we'll know when they're wound back and can see the bottom

drill out the tops of the PR Tubes to 5/8" , look for witness marks on the PRs and perhaps install Rocker Lockers just because

What's the purpose of drilling out the tubes? just for additional clearance? I'll look at the PR tonight to see if there's any marks.

Rockout Lockers have been ordered.

Thanks

[Pete_Vit]

Yep, I have an electronic and hard SM and bookmarked the online parts manual that has the exploded views and part numbers.

I've replaced the rocker box gaskets before with the help of Pete. But this is my first time tackling it alone and then going further.


I have boxes labeled for front and rear and will bag and tag the parts to match fr/rr, in/ex. And I will be taking pictures as well, for my use and to share here so that I know what I'm looking at. Should be able to get both rocker boxes off tomorrow, might get the heads and jugs off too.

I did my base gaskets 2 years ago, took my jugs and heads to Rodney's, @ 110,000 miles, I needed some valves, new guides and seats, the jugs were good, just a freshen up, I got new pistons and rings, like others have said it depends on how deep you want to get, I did go too far I guess with new hardware (studs and head bolts) but that was my choice.
the job was not so bad, just took my time, step by step, the most important was the touque pattern and values, I think you'll be Ok if you just want to do the base gaskets, I forget how many miles you had on that bike 

[SixShooter14]

Yep, I have an electronic and hard SM and bookmarked the online parts manual that has the exploded views and part numbers.

I've replaced the rocker box gaskets before with the help of Pete. But this is my first time tackling it alone and then going further.


I have boxes labeled for front and rear and will bag and tag the parts to match fr/rr, in/ex. And I will be taking pictures as well, for my use and to share here so that I know what I'm looking at. Should be able to get both rocker boxes off tomorrow, might get the heads and jugs off too.

I did my base gaskets 2 years ago, took my jugs and heads to Rodney's, @ 110,000 miles, I needed some valves, new guides and seats, the jugs were good, just a freshen up, I got new pistons and rings, like others have said it depends on how deep you want to get, I did go too far I guess with new hardware (studs and head bolts) but that was my choice.
the job was not so bad, just took my time, step by step, the most important was the touque pattern and values, I think you'll be Ok if you just want to do the base gaskets, I forget how many miles you had on that bike 

Hey Pete, Do you know if they still do machine work at Rodney's?

[Deye76]

Anyone have luck with these?
https://www.haydensm6.com/tof_single.htm

A friend of mine said they worked, that was a few years ago, though.