[AzCal Retred]

Rotating the engine works best for me with the spark plug out, box in 4th gear, and bump the engine with the rear wheel. I usually end up using a foot to roll the wheel while I watch the cam gear timing marks. Tall guys may have more reach.

If you "get lost" just roll the engine thru until you have seen the exhaust, then intake finish cycling. TDC can be determined "close enough" by soda straw or similar LONG soft item...    Obviously if you have a real TDC tool use it. You can roll the wheel from the other side just as well while watching the TDC gauge.

Stinkwheels somewhat horrifying scenario needs to be checked also. It's a machine, things happen. Gawd alone knows what the dreaded PO did in the dark confines of his "Shed of Bodgery"...

[richard211]

Something else to look out for is that there a couple of different types of valves, for the IB engines. The main difference is the length of the valve tips, the older engines used a shorter valve tip with the valve stem caps, whereas the valves  with the longer valve tip does not use the valve stem caps. Using the longer valve with the valve stem caps, can cause the valves to hit the piston.

[Mageemagoo]

Hi guys, i just got back to the bike. It seems ive had a break through...did all the adjustments with the cover off and they stayed good aftwr a dozen kicks. Just put the cover back on and they have stayed good after another dozen kicks. Honestly i am wondering if i had the rods the wrong way round before i was rightfully convinced by you guys to take it apart and try again. If that is the case...likely so...i am a prat. Sorry for wasting everybody's time. Onto the ignition timing and hopefully ill get to start it a bit later on today. Thanks again chaps. 

[AzCal Retred]

No harm no foul. This is a learning forum, we share knowledge. A couple years back WillBrunei had to redo his 5-speed gearbox after the guts fell out whilst he was trying to replace kickstart pawls. We (at least the 5-speed savvy) chimed in with what we could from 8,000 - 12,000 miles away. Will persevered with reassembly, and after 4-5 tries got the magic combination right. At that point HE was the resident reassembly expert because he'd had the most recent success. Everyone knows something. It's just hardware, right? 

Ignition timing is easy-peasy IF you have the $5 advance mechanism extractor tool. The advance unit sits on a taper. The gear train up to the timing gear stack up to the timing pinion gear is easily disturbed when mucking about with the cams. With the extractor tool you can set the advance with the point cam anywhere it needs to be. Without it you need to have the timing cover still off and rotate the timing pinion to find the "magic combo" that was working before. It's $5 well spent - I bought two so I could always find one.

[SteveThackery]

Hi guys, i just got back to the bike. It seems ive had a break through...did all the adjustments with the cover off and they stayed good aftwr a dozen kicks.

If I were you I'd fix the off-by-one timing fault AzCal spotted.

[Yinzer]

If I were you I'd fix the off-by-one timing fault AzCal spotted.

You guys are amazing.

[Mr_84]

If I were you I'd fix the off-by-one timing fault AzCal spotted.

Fault ? It may not be , someone in the past may have been experimenting with this idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUEg4eDN_LY

[SteveThackery]

Fault ? It may not be , someone in the past may have been experimenting with this idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUEg4eDN_LY

Even so, unless the OP specifically wants to start experimenting with non-standard valve timing I advise putting it back to stock. It's a moment's work. Once the fault is fixed, then experiment if the fancy takes you.

I note that both cams will be retarded as shown in the OP's pic, not just the intake cam.

[SteveThackery]

Fault ? It may not be , someone in the past may have been experimenting with this idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUEg4eDN_LY

Something weird here. I think the inlet cam started one tooth advanced, and he retarded it to the correct position. Does it look that way to anyone else?

Attached is a close up after he's moved the inlet cam. Perhaps it's just the angle of the camera that is misleading. To be honest, the placement of the dots looks a bit ambiguous anyway.