Now that's pretty cool.  Looks like it will be a sanitary install too.  Nice.

So - I got a couple of stainless barrel nuts and cut one in half.

I then silver soldered a stainless washer on the cut end to make it a nut with a flange.

I will be able to torque this down properly with my torque wrench and box end wrench adapter.

I believe the length of the thread has some affect on the torque value - so I will use a drill in my lathe to shorten the threaded portion of the nut to match what the shorter (original) nut has.

Our warm riding weather has gone away for a while - it is dropping to 28 tonight and the high tomorrow will be 49.

And it works well with the temperature sensor.

Now I need to wait for a reasonable temperature to go for a ride and see if it changed the readings.......not much use in going out when the temperature is 30!  (The high today will be 40).

ThumperPaul wrote on 03/29/26 at 12:40:06:


Thanks Paul - I am trying to be a good understudy to DragBikeMike!


Tonight it was 65 degrees and dry, and I was able to go for a ride to see what changes would occur with the temperature readings.

Once I got out on the highway and got up to a steady 60 mph, 3,200 rpm, 10psi on the filter gauge and 5 psi on the cam cover gauge - the temperature leveled out at 228 degrees when going up the hills and 220 on the downhill side.

I suspect that these readings aren't much different than I was getting at the left rear stud...however the temperature readings fluctuate a bit more while negotiating the hills.  The temperature does appear to climb quickly while stopped - however I only had 2 very short stomps on my 30 minute ride (one advantage of living in a farm area).

The bike is running great - smooth and the piston coating appears to be making the piston run very quietly (or is my hearing getting worse?).

Mike:

My head temperature so far has been limited to 3,200 rpm and not a lot of throttle as I break in the skirt coating.

It is about time to start applying more throttle and even do some full throttle runs!!!!!

I also wonder about the fact that my cylinder head does not have as good of port work or larger valves, I am using the stock header and a muffler that is likely more restrictive, and I don't have any mountains to climb around here.  Our valleys are no deeper than the Ohio and Licking Rivers that are around 500' msl, and the tops of our hills are no higher than 825' msl......a 300' elevation change is the best we can do!