OK, please forgive me, I have searched and read, have the clymers and the factory service manuel.  I have looked in them and will look again.

I have a new cam chain, tensioner, clutch cover gasket and rubber plug for the head leak.  I am planning on jumping into it this week, if I can get or make the time.  I would appreciate any words of wisdom that I can get.

I read somewhere to soak the chain in oil before I install it.

Anything else?  I have read up on the procedure, but sometimes things come to me later (I should have done it this way, etc.)

Thanks alot for any help.  I will try to take a picture or two, but I am really not a photographer.

If you've read clymers and whats available here you're well on your way to doing a good job.  For every thing that's unfamiliar, take a picture.  especially if you have digital.  What may seem to be a dum a$$ picture now may be a life saver later.  If you think your pict's are bad, take a look at clymers.  just getting something in color can solve a question.

bolts go back in with either a little oil or anti-sieze.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1256079122

Here is the current detailed trip inside the motor.


Here are the gotcha warnings:



Hit it with the hose and then reinspect to see you really got all the crap out of there.

OK, you are good.  Trundle the bike back into the garage and put it up for the night -- it needs lots of time for all that water to evaporate before you proceed any further.



=======================

GREETINGS EARTHLING -- THIS IS THE FUTURE SPEAKING TO YOU.

It is now at the end of the job and we wish we had done this differently, so we are sending you this message into the past in hopes it keeps you from screwing up or doing it wrong like you already did -- so pay attention !!

=======================


Hindsight Section:

Any time you do a major job you have things you wished you had done differently.  So here they are as they come up to my mind.

1)  Cleaning up the spark plug area for embedded sand grit.  I originally used engine cleaner and then had to go back after it with brake cleaner later on.  Brake cleaner is acetone in a spray can and it can cut the baked on oil/sand crap MUCH FASTER & better than the engine cleaner did.  

I think I did the order of the things backwards, I should have started with the brake cleaner (fast, effective - but temporary) to fast dissolve the encrusted oil, and then hit it with the engine cleaner before the brake cleaner had completely evaporated, this would have suspended all the dissolved crud in the fast disappearing brake cleaner.

(brake cleaner goes away fast, but the thicker engine cleaner does not evaporate much at all).  

All the  fast acting advantage gained by the brake cleaner would have been transferred over to the engine cleaner which then would have continued removing even more of the crud.  I should have paid a lot more attention to the hidy-hole behind the spark plug == a lot more attention.  Then the hard hitting water blast could have flushed ALL the sand away on the first cleaning session instead of making me do two different clean ups.

Ya gotta get all the sand out of all the pockets and hidy-holes or you may wind up with some down inside your cylinder.    

2) Brake cleaner (acetone) is neat stuff, but it isn't neat for cleaning the clutch cover.  The clear plastic oil level window is fogged by it.  It can likely get fogged by most carb cleaners too.  Engine cleaner may not fog it, but I can't say that for sure because I didn't use engine cleaner on mine.  (Yep, I fogged mine up).  You might try hot soapy water in your wife's sink ....

3) When you work on your clutch rod don't try to take 100% all of the "wear" out of the system.  You do want a little stressed motion left in the system to release the clutch pack.  This is hard to judge because of all the free motion slop that exists in the squared off flat/round junction that actuates the little powdered metal eccentric piece.

4) Assembly lubes on the cam are neat & necessary, as is the Web Cam anti-friction moly coating they leave on the cam itself.  So are all the solvents you used so freely during the rebuild.  Just remember to change your oil after the first hour or so of use to GET ALL THAT CRAP OUT OF YOUR ENGINE BEFORE IT TOASTS YOUR CLUTCH PACK !!!

5)  I sprayed brake cleaner (acetone) on my clutch pack when cleaning the cover surfaces.  The fiber discs absorbed the acetone and thinned out the oil that was originally in them, causing the clutch to lose oil viscosity and "stiction".  The clutch slipped for 3 days but then repeated heatup cycles and oil flowing through the clutch itself stabilized the situtation and my clutch returned to normal function.  Scared me good, but had no lasting bad effects other than that.

Of all the little bolts that hole the cam cover onto the head, some of them have a sealing crsh washer.  Make a map of where all the bolts come from and which one have that washer.
BTW There is one of them you should NOT remove merely to get the cover off.

Phelonius

serenity3743 wrote on 02/23/10 at 10:29:25:


But I really want to know!

Savage Gregs CD is a valuable addition to the manuals. I highly recommend it. Also new sealing washers on the required bolts helps prevent leaks. Need a package of 10 as  recollect to do the top and RH side cover. Max

Phelonius wrote on 02/24/10 at 09:41:10:

You are correct.  And there is another one beside the exhaust valve inspection cover (front of motor) and portside (left as you sit on the bike).  Be sure to leave the centermost bolt (directly under the top motor mount) in place:  You can't get it out OR in while the cam cover is sitting in place.  

Don't be intimidated by all of the "Be sure you do this or that."  Take your time, plan your work, and you can do it.

The clymers and factory service manuel were god tools, but the advice from here was probebly better.  Thanks for your support. Wink  


Not even god tools can hold a candle to the advice from this bunch.