We decided to do the following; Check all of the plugs again. Set all valves. Change the oil and filter.
After the two excellent runs on Sunday, we did not want to change anything in the suspension at this point. I had asked Outlaw if the engine was making the “musical valve sound” on the return road Sunday. He had said, “No”. This answer was not what I wanted to hear. This normally means I did not set the valves correct, or they had changed for some reason.
I warmed the engine and set the passenger side valves first. All of the intake valves were correct or very close. The intakes get set at .026″. Two of the exhaust valves were not correct. One was too tight and one was loose.
I returned the passenger side too normal and warmed the engine too N.O.T. again. The drivers side was worse than the other one. All four exhaust valves were not correct (.028″). One was too loose and the other three were too tight.
I am guessing that I was having a bad day back in June of last year when I set them the last time. The fact that the intake valves are under the stud girdle and they make it hard to see the intake rocker when it is “starting to open”.
Anyway, we had six of eight exhaust valves out of adjustment and a couple of intake valves. Maybe, that’s why it ran quicker than it had in the past. Maybe I should set all the exhaust valves at .046″, and see how that works. I have done this in the past with my SBC engines. Sometimes you get good results.
The plug inspection did not tell us anything, mainly because we drove it back to the trailer and into the shop. We should check the plugs at the end of the end of a run, at the top end of the track.
The oil and filter change did not show anything out of the ordinary.
We still have our smoke problem. This will not be corrected until we can get the Low Tension Rings out of the engine.
We had planned to change the jets in the carburetor, but we will wait until we see what the valve lash correction has done.
Note: Last year this time, Barbara and I were in Daytona Beach, FL during “Bike Week” 2020.