That's some good looking work.
How Out of Round did you make the hole?
Did you check out a spring from the stock petcock?

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 03/05/17 at 08:30:34:


I tried to determine ovality of mount hole based upon the pics I saw and then tried to use proportion to a known dimension to determine what had been done before.  But, I settled on going .050" out of round but only on the side closest to the "front" of the body.  In my little test fixture, it seemed adequate, but that will be determined by the use in the bike, i.e. just how much does it really need to spring back when the engine cools down, then heats up again?  I am not sure.  However, anything would be better and cause less wear on the cam chain than nothing as the original had!

No I hadn't checked any spring like that.  I had wanted to ask Mr. Verslagen  what he had used and what length he had cut it, but I felt that I might be stepping on his toes and thought that he might be offended if I asked.

What I did was to go to my local Ace hardware, where they have a pretty huge bin full of springs of all sorts of sizes and shapes and uses.  I picked out a handful and then tried each one.  It had to be stronger than the main spring, when the plunger is inserted as far as it needs to go on a new cam chain.  I settled on one at a certain length. I also had to make sure that it didn't "coil bind" - that is squeeze down to where the coils were closed up.

I don't know much about springs in an engineering way, except for the fact that they have a known spring rate.  The spring exerts so much pressure the first inch of travel, then more pressure each subsequent inch.

Also, thanks for the compliment.  I am no one special, I just enjoy doing things for myself just to feel good!  I think that it makes me take more pride in my bike and I certainly feel more pleasurable as I ride.

I THINK that all that is necessary , at most, is the pitch of a tooth on the tensioner.
That particular idea hasn't been being tested long enough to prove that it increases the miles the cam chain will go before the tensioner is at full extension. It's just an idea Being tested. I plan on giving it a go in about another ten thousand miles. If it's a bust, don't blame Verslagen. No, scratch that... He Agreed that it sounded good.
I think .050 is plenty.

How did you oval the hole?
I have a drill press and an X Y axis rotating vise. I'll hafta pick up a mill bit for that and I don't think the Verslavy Reelthing got was with the Anti-Gut Spitting roll pin, so I will install some kinda stopper.

A rough outline of the side cover with an Xacto knife slot where each bolt goes will make keeping the various lengths and which ones have the sealing washer in order.

Engine at TDC, cam lobes away from the lifters, lines on cam gear line up with the top of the head.
If the front of the line is high, that is from the chain stretch. Fine tuning is possible. It's not technically difficult. I just can't remember all of it.

Gotta check the crank timing marks inside the left side case plug. Easy to overtighten. Don't.
Hard to get loose. Antisieze is a good idea.
If you're not getting it off , holler back before you goober it up.

Check your marks before you button it up.
I put a breaker bar on the end of the crank.

Better to find a drop of oil in a week than a stripped thread today.