The other ones were tough, but this guy is an A-Hole!  Can’t get a socket or box end on it.  And now I’ve rounded it off with an open-end wrench.  Vise grips are slipping too!  Argh!

So while stewing on how to remove the A-Hole nut, I decided to remove the rear cam chain adjuster/guide.  I’ve decided that the bigger your banana, the more you need a Versy CCT.  I could have waited until I pulled the head to remove the guide (easier), but I felt like fighting the guide out.  I’ve also decided that the bigger your banana bend, the harder it is to get the sucker out!

Aside from being a bit banana-shaped, the thing looks brand new.

IIRC = If I Remember Correctly

Thanks Michael and Dave.

IIRC - I never remember correctly according to my wife!

Dave - You nailed it with the relaxing hobby comment!  All 4 of the Savages/S40s I’ve bought and owned were with the intent of keeping for myself once I got them running well and given some TLC.  It is rewarding and kinda fun bringing them back to life and made truly road worthy again.  But as you know, I keep running hot/cold on how much I really like the Savage and end up selling.

This bike, Bumblebee (#5), was bought with the intent of getting some usable parts, like a head to practice porting, and then part-out the rest to cover my initial cost and maybe finance a few extra goodies.  Now I’m questioning my want to play with and practice porting the head.  Wanna buy it and save me some torture?  Save you some torture too when I have to post about it and ask 47 questions.  Lol.

Mad at myself for rounding off that nut.  I knew the open end was a bad idea but it worked fine on the nut up front.  The 12 point box end that I could fit in there wasn’t any better.  I’m getting a new set of small 6-point 15° offset combo wrenches today. I needed some metric 6-point combo wrenches anyway.  Perhaps just using the right tool will work.  Add some heat and try that if I have to.  It’s not a good spot to try to get penetrating oil or PB Blaster in there, but I’m trying that too.

I like the welded double-nut idea, but I don’t weld or have the equipment.

Another view.  Spark plug hole looks good!  Lol.

I need better lighting in the garage.

That looks like a lot of carbon on the top of the cylinder.....maybe it is just looking like that from sitting a while.

The weird part about carbon......is this:

If you take your bike apart soon after you last had it running.  The exhaust valves and the inside of the header are light tan or nearly white.  If you take an engine apart after it has sat idle for a while - the carbon on the exhaust valves and header has turned completely black.  And as you have noticed - some of the carbon has become soft or flaky and loose.

Interesting observation, Dave!  Thanks. Along those lines, the carbon on the exhaust valves is less thick and more of a tannish brown color while the other areas are black.

OhioMoto - I bought this bike for parts.  The carb was gone when I got it, so I have no idea about jetting.  It did have a SuperTrapp muffler on it, so a prior owner probably did tinker with the carb.  And the air box was cut open around the snorkel area (rather crudely butchered) presumably to accommodate a larger air filter setup.