Today I 'made' this useful aid

[ivor]

Reading in the Haynes manual, it advises against strobing the bikes, to avoid excessive oil loss from the side casing. Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't feel happy relying on just static timing the ignition.
So, using a damaged alternator cover that had lost it's top screw boss, I cut a hole through so I can see the timing marks whilst running the motor. Just need to get my strobe back from the guy I lent it to last month. I'll tell you how I get on.

 

[HoughMade]

That is excellent!

 

[drewpy]

if you have it on the main stand, no oil will leak out.

it does when you forget and put it on the side stand

 

[ivor]

Oh, typical Haynes, they left that bit of info out

Never mind, it was a scrap cover anyway.

 

[jayel]

when timing a oil thrower it's a good idea to put the strobe gun into a clear plastic bag to keep oil off/out of the strobe

 

[ivor]

when timing a oil thrower it's a good idea to put the strobe gun into a clear plastic bag to keep oil off/out of the strobe

I guess I just saved a plastic bag then ...

Nice tip

 

[erna]

the alternator cover, especially the mount-holes are quite fragile and tend to crack once in while. somebody in the german forum produced very nice solid new ones with little plastic covered windows, you don´t have to take them off while using the strobo. so far, i think it is a cever idea. cheers from munich hannes

 

[drewpy]

the alternator cover, especially the mount-holes are quite fragile and tend to crack once in while. somebody in the german forum produced very nice solid new ones with little plastic covered windows, you don´t have to take them off while using the strobo. so far, i think it is a cever idea. cheers from munich hannes

wouldn't mind one of those, can you get me one?

do you have a link or picture of those?

 

[erna]

Hi drewpy, this is the link for the thread in the german forum, you know those guys allready. I think, thorsten sold those covers, maybe he starts again producing them. http://www.xs400-forum.de/t514012f11743782-Neues-von-der-Lima-Deckel-Front.html#msg7549205 Greets from Munich Hannes

 

[drewpy]

thanks Hannes. can you let me know if he produces them again, the google translate is a bit wonky!

 

[erna]

Just posted the demand, lets wait and see! Cheers Hannes

 

[WulfgartheBlack]

On "making" stuff:
Yesterday I had to remove the sprocket circlip from my parts bike and my rider but I live in the back of beyond so I filed the points of a cheapy pair of needlenose pliers into rounds. Well, they got the clips off but there wasn't near enough leverage to spread the sprocket retainer back on to the rear hub. Lucky for me I'd grabbed a LONG version of the pliers when they showed up in a local store. The same rounding-the-points trick gave me enough leverage to get the job done, saved me a seventy-mile round trip, and 50 greenbacks for a tool I may only need once or twice more in my lifetime. Best $4.00 I've spent in years - and they still do a passable job of of plier-ing
If I had access to a drill press I'd have drilled the sides of ChanelLock jaws to fit clipped nails of the right size. Welders, use your imagination.
Use the tools at hand or make them - otherwise spend lots of money [maybe you've got lots] and time [even YOU only get a limited amount of that, no matter how rich you are].

 

[drewpy]

good idea, made a few tools me-self as the needs arise.

 

[lhaolpa]

Yeah,that's that Frank Zappa thing,The Mother of Invention,HaHa!.I have altered or made many a tool that I needed for a single use,then used it almost daily,as I made the mistake of making it so that it was handier than I thought.I'm trying to get some pics of my antique valve seat grinders to post.They work like old egg beaters,but advance so that the whole valve seat gets equal coverage.They're made for flathead engines,but work on any motor.Hopefully won't take too long,but I'm very inept in as much as electronic stuff is concerned.Those covers are great examples of what you can do in the right frame of mind!. lha