Honda XL250R - Valve seals Need Replacing

[poreilly101]

@Johnny_Limerick I was going to have a go at it myself, when I had the head off, I was also going to pop in a new set of rings as well...

How to manage the cam chain is what put me off.

@-alan- I had visions of starting the job, getting so far and then hitting the wall. I am sorry now i didn't take it on... It's electronic free and pretty much a few bolts to pop the head off. I can tell you the theory on how to do it, but the practical may be very much another thing...

[-alan-]

Yeah - I had to split and then re-rivet the cam chain on the old 450 Bomber I had. Longest cam-chain on any production motorcycle I believe. Did manage that ok, but also managed to bend one of the valves turning the engine over by hand with the cam-chain off - just the slightest 'kiss' twixt piston and valve, with a little metallic click you could hardly even hear, but the damage was done All part of life's rich tapestry..

The XL would be a nice Winter project, but if you'd already decided to hand it over to a shop, I can imagine how reluctant you'd be to start back into it now. Hope it works out, and you're back on (off ?) the roads again soon.

[turlock]

Yeah - I had to split and then re-rivet the cam chain on the old 450 Bomber I had. Longest cam-chain on any production motorcycle I believe. Did manage that ok, but also managed to bend one of the valves turning the engine over by hand with the cam-chain off - just the slightest 'kiss' twixt piston and valve, with a little metallic click you could hardly even hear, but the damage was done All part of life's rich tapestry..

The XL would be a nice Winter project, but if you'd already decided to hand it over to a shop, I can imagine how reluctant you'd be to start back into it now. Hope it works out, and you're back on (off ?) the roads again soon.

Bent it by hand??? That's one of those spanners across the garage moments

[-alan-]

Was trying to line up all the alignment marks across the crankshaft and two overhead camshafts - realised it was 180 degrees out, so put a ratchet on the nut on the end of the crank and rotated it - gently - to bring it round another 180 degrees. Forgot there was no cam-chain rotating the cams, and the marks were set with one pair of valves partially open...

No tantrums at that stage actually, because I didn't think anything had happened, the touch really was that soft. The stems on the valve are long and thin. Was only when I couldn't get the engine to rotate beyond a certain point I started wondering. Googled it and saw the warning "caution, if the piston touches the valves at any point - they will bend". Bl00dy engine out of the frame job to get the head off on those things (two man job, as it's pig heavy), gingerly undo all of the bolts from the threads (many butchered by even more cack-handed hands than mine over the years), and then take the whole head back down to Dan Daly's in Meath (again) to check all of the valves, and the tunnels they ride in for damage, and then back on Ebay looking for NOS Honda valves for a 1972 machine

You live and learn