cam install

Good to know, push down on the chain to mimic the valve cover?

And if I push on the chain to give slack, won't that bring ex out of alignment??

If the chain is tight in front,no.
Steve

Don't worry about the intake cam alignment mark.

Get the exhaust cam alignment marks right, then focus on the pin count back to the intake cam and call it done.

Wow, can't believe it was that simple...i did it. Although the lines aren't exactly even (I'm probably being too thorough) do these look good? Btw, there's slack on top. And it intersects the 43&44 pin.

Went ahead and spun it around.. one full Cam rotation and it seems to have levelled itself out. Cool.

Don't forget to pull the cap and spring out of the tensioner before you install the valve cover, then reinstall after the cover is on.

Good job!

So, 550 clearances are measured more accurately, to where I can get the proper shims, now it's on to the 750..while I was lining it up to get measurements on the clearances. What I did. Notice was on the advancer that the actual letter T not the mark for it was painted. I'm guessing to be able to line it up easier. Also when I rotate it to line up with the paint line on the letter T, the timing marks on the cams are more level with the gasket surface than they are when it's on the T line. (proper tdc mark)
Any ideas why it would be this way?

and if its not a problem, i assume i can just re align it? to the proper marks, right?

kayodash wrote: So, 550 clearances are measured more accurately, to where I can get the proper shims, now it's on to the 750..while I was lining it up to get measurements on the clearances. What I did. Notice was on the advancer that the actual letter T not the mark for it was painted. I'm guessing to be able to line it up easier. Also when I rotate it to line up with the paint line on the letter T, the timing marks on the cams are more level with the gasket surface than they are when it's on the T line. (proper tdc mark)
Any ideas why it would be this way?

Most likely chain stretch.

Another possibility is that the line next to the T mark is not the actual TDC. You can find true TDC by putting a skinny (weak) metal rod into a spark plug hole to feel the piston. Then use visegrips on the crank bolt and rock the crank back and forth a couple degrees on either side of the TDC. Note where the piston stops in one direction, then note where it stops in the other direction, and the center of those two positions is TDC. I've done this on my 550's and the actual TDC is close enough to the mark, that I did not feel this was worth documenting.

There is a very slight possibility that someone shaved the head (as someone, I think, did on one of my 550's). That will cause the marks to look like the chain stretched. But I don't see why someone would do that on a cruiser.

ok, ill check tonight. there was no additional marks for 2&3 i should've taken pictures, but it was getting late, and i had to fix the filler neck on my vans gas tank. assuming that the letter T is true tdc. is it a big enough gap between the letter and the line to even worry about? like when i pop these cams off to reshim would it matter if a lined up with the letter or line?

kayodash wrote: ok, ill check tonight. there was no additional marks for 2&3 i should've taken pictures, but it was getting late, and i had to fix the filler neck on my vans gas tank. assuming that the letter T is true tdc. is it a big enough gap between the letter and the line to even worry about? like when i pop these cams off to reshim would it matter if a lined up with the letter or line?

If true TDC is off by that much, you may want to do a brief investigation as to why. That would be pretty far off.
Maybe someone stuck on an advancer from another model, like a 750, but I doubt it.

Your photos look about right (even with the mark set to the actual "T", so I doubt there is any real issue to worry about. With it on the scribe line, I would expect the line of the "EX" mark to be slightly above the deck.

2&3 will only have the T mark as it is only used for measuring clearance. Ignition timing (and timing for valves) are done with 1&4.