ACCT Installed Wrong?

[IanDMacDonald]

I'll be taking the head to the shop next week after I get paid. I have two complete Vesrah gasket sets that Scott gave me. What do you suggest I provide the shop with? I saw the valve stem oil seals, but I also saw the intake valve o-rings. Suggestions? Also, should I provide him with both sets of valves as a guide?

[Rasputin]

First I would like to say "Good for you" in that you are working still on making this bike live.
I have never had to get a machine shop to do stuff on my bike yet...Knock on wood... I imagine the best thing to do would be to take in everything you wish to use. They will tell you if they need it or not to do the job at hand if they know their stuff. At least that way there is no misunderstanding of parts if something goes wrong.
Suffice it to say, I do not know what all you need but I would try to get all possible info that they may need. Anything you can think of that they may need to know, such as available shim sizes or clearance numbers (if you can get any) stuff like that.
Good luck with it!

[IanDMacDonald]

Yeah, this will be a daunting task for me. I kept all the shims, cam caps, nuts, etc., organized by cylinder number and intake/exhaust. I'm having them reassemble the valves, etc. Didn't think to have them reinstall the cams as well. Maybe I should have them do that too. When it comes to re-aligning the cams, I will stop and possibly beg Scott to help me, as doing a simple ACCT install is how I bent my valves.

[CaptonZap]

If you do have them install the cams, tell them that if they set the head on a flat surface with the cams installed, they can bend a valve. We hate to lose valves that way.

CZ

[IanDMacDonald]

I dropped one of the cam cap nuts down the cam chain gap. How hard will it be to get that out? Magnet tool help me out? Pull the oil pan? Suggestions?

[bikerphil]

I'd look down there with a light and if you see it, grab it with a magnet. If you don't see it, probing an antenna type magnet around down there, you might get lucky.

[WMarshy]

I dropped one of the cam cap nuts down the cam chain gap. How hard will it be to get that out? Magnet tool help me out? Pull the oil pan? Suggestions?

Hope if didnt find a home on top of the cam chain sprocket on the crank.

Go fish.

[IanDMacDonald]

Took the head in today. Felt like an idiot as there was heads laying all over the shop floor (their line), and I was trying to explain what I needed done. He just looked at me with a blank state, then asked "specs in the manual?", and I realized I looked dumb, lol. I assume they know what they're doing.

[IanDMacDonald]

okay, so I'm thinking towards next week when I re-install the head. A couple of questions I have.

I don't remember seeing header pipe gaskets, unless they were really burned into the head. Does this bike have them?

Second question, because I am having the shop install my cams, how does that affect my head install procedure? The cam dots should face up, so should it be nothing more than putting the sprockets on the cams and slipping the chain on?

The cams have to be rotated independently of each other when installing the sprockets, or in unison to prevent bent valves?

Don't worry, I won't even dare touch the crank or a wrench without a specific walk through.

[bikerphil]

The exhaust gaskets are probably still in the head, they are usually metallic and look like they are part of the head. They can be reused many times, but new ones would be the better choice. When installing the head, have the crank set at TDC. The cam dots should be lined up with the marks on the caps, if they aren't, rotate them carefully to position them while watching the valves for interference. No bolts should be in the cam gears yet, the chain is to be installed on the sprockets, then the gears slipped on the cam shoulders and one bolt installed in each gear. There should be no chain slack at the rear of the engine side. Make sure the chain is on the crank sprocket by looking down the tunnel with a flashlight. Then the crank can be rotated 360º with your finger pushing in where the tensioner should be to take up the slack, and the other gear bolts can be installed. Install the tensioner and check for 1/4" slack at the top center chain guide after a few manual rotations.

[BA80]

If you rotate the cams independently while they're fully tightened down you'll probably bend a valve because they will hit each other. Leave the cams out until the head is installed and then put them in with ALL the marks lined up. With an old chain the cam dots probably won't line up perfectly but will be very close.

If you shim the valves before installing the head, which is the easiest way to do it, only have one cam installed at a time and set the head on some blocks so the valves don't contact the bench surface.

Have I confused you good yet?

[IanDMacDonald]

Lol, no Greg you have not. However, I am having the shop install the cams for me, as well as setting the valve lash.

on another note, I did not see that cam bearing cap nut down in the engine. Did that thing go all the way down into the oil pan? What the path od an object being dropped down the middle of the engine?

[CaptonZap]

Took the head in today. Felt like an idiot as there was heads laying all over the shop floor (their line), and I was trying to explain what I needed done. He just looked at me with a blank state, then asked "specs in the manual?", and I realized I looked dumb, lol. I assume they know what they're doing.

Oh contraire, Pierre, you look like a guy who is not wanting to put up with the harm done by some blasé machine operator who thinks they know it all, and who doesn't.
I hope you got a contract that says if they screw up the valves, they pay for replacement.
People who stand in front of machines all day, tend to get a small picture of the total job, and if they don't work on the odd stuff very often, they don't know about the "minor" differences that can cause problems.
I hope you told them that these have interference valves.
Good luck CZ

[IanDMacDonald]

Hey CZ. I ended-up calling the one guy back and saying not to sit the head on a bebch when installing the cams, and apologized if I insulted his intelligence. He laughed and said that he knew that already. I did not tell him they were interference valves.

[BA80]

Lol, no Greg you have not. However, I am having the shop install the cams for me, as well as setting the valve lash.

on another note, I did not see that cam bearing cap nut down in the engine. Did that thing go all the way down into the oil pan? What the path od an object being dropped down the middle of the engine?

I ran mine with a cap nut in the oil pan for a long time and didn't know it. PO dropped it down there I guess. Just drop the pan and get it. It won't hurt to clean out the pan and make sure the oil pickup screen is clear anyway.

Take heed of what I said about turning those cams while they are bolted down.