rotating the engine...

[roadventure]

Have mercy on me. The California 1400 is the first European motorcycle I have owned in 49 years of riding.

I need to do a valve clearance check (and adjustment, if needed). I know the basics. But, on the California 1400 how do I rotate the engine so that I can get the piston to top-dead-center? Is there an accessible cover in the front of the engine that would permit me to turn the using a socket wrench?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[GuzziMoto]

I pull the spark plugs, put the engine in gear, and rotate the rear tire in the direction of travel (aka, forward). You can use higher gears like second or third, they give you better control as the motor will turn less for a given amount of wheel turning.

 

[GTM®]

All of the 8V motors have a rubber plug in front to access the nose of the crank alternator pulley. Use a 24mm socket.

 

[roadventure]

All of the 8V motors have a rubber plug in front to access the nose of the crank alternator pulley. Use a 24mm socket.

Thanks Todd, much appreciated.

 

[blakbird]

All of the 8V motors have a rubber plug in front to access the nose of the crank alternator pulley. Use a 24mm socket.

Even though the best answer to this question is probably RTFM...

Clockwise or counter clockwise?, when looking directly at the access port (aka hole)

 

[roadventure]

Even though the best answer to this question is probably RTFM...

Clockwise or counter clockwise?, when looking directly at the access port (aka hole)

It doesn't make any difference if you are trying to find top-dead-center for each piston. On past bikes I have uses a soft wood skewer (for shish-ka-bob, etc) suck in an open sparkplug hole. I stress "soft wood" because if a piece gets stuck inside the cylinder it will get burned up and exit via exhaust gas. When the greatest length of skewer is sticking up out of the spark plug hole the piston is at its highest position in the stroke (aka: TDC).

If anybody has a better idea, let me know!

 

[kiwi dave]

Even though the best answer to this question is probably RTFM...

Clockwise or counter clockwise?, when looking directly at the access port (aka hole)

Clockwise is the direction the motor runs.

 

[Trout]

It doesn't make any difference if you are trying to find top-dead-center for each piston. On past bikes I have uses a soft wood skewer (for shish-ka-bob, etc) suck in an open sparkplug hole. I stress "soft wood" because if a piece gets stuck inside the cylinder it will get burned up and exit via exhaust gas. When the greatest length of skewer is sticking up out of the spark plug hole the piston is at its highest position in the stroke (aka: TDC).

If anybody has a better idea, let me know!

Chop sticks, plastic straw, when I felt brave I did it with a small screw driver or an ice pick.

It is always a good idea to turn the engine in the same direction it normally runs in.
Also always turn in the same direction thru out the entire procedure.
If you go past the TDC & have to back up to find it again then go back a few extra degrees then forward to TDC.
The reason for all this is to allow for slop in the timing chain & worn timing gears.

One of the ways on cars & Guzzis that I checked for a loose timing chain was to turn the crank & watch the ignition rotor/dist shaft.
When the rotor moved a bit I would then reverse direction & see how many degrees of rotation it took before the rotor moved again.
When the rotor moved I reversed direction again & observed.
If the rotor was "lazy" the chain was loose.

 

[ploose]

Just did a valve check on the California 1400, rubber plug is between / behind the 2 horns, and the socket is a 24mm. Worked like a charm.

 

[blakbird]

Chop sticks, plastic straw, when I felt brave I did it with a small screw driver or an ice pick.

It is always a good idea to turn the engine in the same direction it normally runs in.
Also always turn in the same direction thru out the entire procedure.
If you go past the TDC & have to back up to find it again then go back a few extra degrees then forward to TDC.
The reason for all this is to allow for slop in the timing chain & worn timing gears.

One of the ways on cars & Guzzis that I checked for a loose timing chain was to turn the crank & watch the ignition rotor/dist shaft.
When the rotor moved a bit I would then reverse direction & see how many degrees of rotation it took before the rotor moved again.
When the rotor moved I reversed direction again & observed.
If the rotor was "lazy" the chain was loose.

Trout,

Thanks for your sage advice, and sound reasoning. somewhere in the dark and dusty unused portion of my brain I may have stored similar advice from my father, probably during my teenage years, when parental advice was automatically and immediately archived.

I'm going to send my son, a recently certified motorcycle mechanic, a link to this thread. He's just completing his 2nd year of wrenching on bikes.

He may already have picked up the logic and diagnostic pointers from his teacher and / or co-workers, but it can't hurt for Dad to show an interest and look a little bit educated

Impressive history with Guzzi's, Once a Guzzi man always a Guzzi man eh?

 

[blakbird]

Clockwise is the direction the motor runs.

Kiwi Dave, Thanks for the advice.

I was leaning, pun intended, to clockwise based on the "... equal and opposite reaction... " produced by a healthy blip of the throttle.

 

[Trout]

Trout,

Thanks for your sage advice, and sound reasoning. somewhere in the dark and dusty unused portion of my brain I may have stored similar advice from my father, probably during my teenage years, when parental advice was automatically and immediately archived.

I'm going to send my son, a recently certified motorcycle mechanic, a link to this thread. He's just completing his 2nd year of wrenching on bikes.

He may already have picked up the logic and diagnostic pointers from his teacher and / or co-workers, but it can't hurt for Dad to show an interest and look a little bit educated

Impressive history with Guzzi's, Once a Guzzi man always a Guzzi man eh?

LOL! If I had only listened to all the adults in my life earlier....
What's the old saying? We grow too old too soon & too smart too late.

Cool that your son is a bike wrench!
Looking back I'm not sure why I never pursued that direction probably not enough money in it at that time.

Looks like you have a nice coral of ponies!

When I find something that works & I like it I have a hard time trying anything new.
Discovered Guzzi in the early 70's & soon found what I considered to be the ideal bike.
I rode other brands that friends owned but they just never did anything for me.
Recently I got into Victories & I swear they are the American Guzzi, totally different bike but in many ways similar.
I'll always own Guzzi's nothing can give that satisfaction.

 

[roadventure]

Chop sticks, plastic straw, when I felt brave I did it with a small screw driver or an ice pick.

It is always a good idea to turn the engine in the same direction it normally runs in.
Also always turn in the same direction thru out the entire procedure.
If you go past the TDC & have to back up to find it again then go back a few extra degrees then forward to TDC.
The reason for all this is to allow for slop in the timing chain & worn timing gears.

One of the ways on cars & Guzzis that I checked for a loose timing chain was to turn the crank & watch the ignition rotor/dist shaft.
When the rotor moved a bit I would then reverse direction & see how many degrees of rotation it took before the rotor moved again.
When the rotor moved I reversed direction again & observed.
If the rotor was "lazy" the chain was loose.

I got the valves checked/adjusted. The left cylinder was "dead-on" with .oo6 exhaust and .008" intake. The right cylinder was .oo6 exhaust. The intake was tight (couldn't get the .008 feeler in place). So, I loosened up the screws the reset so the .008 feeler would slip in place. Satisfied, I put the valve covers back on and am waiting for winter to end so I can get the bikes out of my basement and back up into the garage. Next.... new air cleaner.

DAMMIT! I just read what I wrote and I got it backwards. So, it is remove the valve covers again and RE-SET to the correct .008" exhaust and .006" intake clearances.

Better to notice now that many miles later I suppose...

 

[roadventure]

DAMMIT! I just read what I wrote and I got it backwards. So, it is remove the valve covers again and RE-SET to the correct .008" exhaust and .006" intake clearance.

Okay, got the valve clearances adjusted CORRECTLY this time. Next, air cleaner replacement.