Spark Plug Tunnel/and Tool

[clayton]

Ok
I think I might have found a gem of a tool for removing the Spark Plug Tunnel.
I have been looking for things today to make one but I stopped at Home Depot and for some reason I turned down the plumbing isle.
Low and Behold....for 6 bucks and some change I got something that is called a Shower Valve Socket Wrench made by Brasscraft and their model numbers is T159, it has two ends, a 29/32 and a 31/32 however on the 29/32 end the outside surface (diameter) was very close to what I had measured before leaving the house (thinking I could find a large Nut) so I bought it, took it out to the bike and pulled a plug wire and gently slipped it right into the Tunnel.
It is a bit snug so I might gently sand the flat areas to a nice neat slip fit which from the way it fits now would not take a lot of work.
I'm not sure how much the tool is from Ma Kaw or something on Ebay but for a total of $6.37 I'm not gonna complain :)
Now for the important stuff....
This will be the 1st time I have removed these tunnels so what should or shouldn't I do.
Do I need to use loctite on the re-insertion?
Should I use No Cease and no loctite?
Is there a Torc setting I need to know other than Gut-n-Tite?
Please share all of your wealth upon my existence...

[cactusjack]

Isn't there a tool in the OEM toolkit to remove the spark plug tunnels?

[blowndodge]

That's what I thought...

[trosco]

unless they were damaged (by cam chains) and you were going to replace them, for what reason (other than you are tearing the whole engine apart) would a person remove their spark plug tunnels?

[ells]

Originally Posted by trosco

unless they were damaged (by cam chains) and you were going to replace them, for what reason (other than you are tearing the whole engine apart) would a person remove their spark plug tunnels?

To see if they are damaged, maybe.

[clayton]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Isn't there a tool in the OEM toolkit to remove the spark plug tunnels?

Not an option in my Kit

[ringadingh]

I don't have a socket to fit it in my tool kit either. I doubt anyone does.
Removing the tunnel is an easy way to check if your cam chains are rubbing, and you need the extenders installed.

[clayton]

Yes Ring that is my main intention.
So basically I just remove them and take a peek and re-insert them?
Do I need any loctite or is there a torc setting?
Thanks

[macmac]

Nooooooooooooo don't, but if you do use anti seize on the threads. There is no reason to remove these, you can get in bad dog water doing this and for no reason to just see!

The is one thing and one thing only that can happen to these sleeves and that is the timing chain can eat them up.

If you pay attention to the chain cam tensioners you won't let the chain eat them up either.

If you suspect the chain is hitting then use a stethescope and listen to them. If oil is spewing forth it's to late and first fixing the chains and then replacing the tubes is the sole reason to remove them , or a major engine build.

No No No. Buy the bloomin fuel modual before you find me camped in yer door yard.

See if the tool fit the ft axel........ If it does and i think it may use it for that.

What Ring does, and what you should do are 2 different things.

[clayton]

I need some teachin' ;)
You said "If you pay attention to the chain cam tensioners"....
In many readings on this site "I thought" the way to check the tentioners was to look at the tubes?
Am I supposed to remove them (tentioners) to see?
I'm cornfussed...
Please enlighten me.
Thanks

[Cajunrider]

Clayton, I can't open Gadjet's site here at work to attach the link. Go to that site and find the Cam Chain Tensioner link. There you will find detailed instructions on how to check the travel on the tensioners. You can also find it in the service manual. Follow the directions closely and you won't go wrong. No need to pull the spark plug tunnels unless the tensioners have been out of travel and the chains have cut into the tunnels.

[MAS Tequila]

http://www.gadgetjq.com/cc_tensioner.htm

MT

[macmac]

Unless you are very close to 28,000 miles there is no need to check a thing that way. If you are close to that order chucksters extenders now. Still there is no need to pull the tunnels.

The best fastest way to check the tunnels is hearing. You would use any long steel rod, preferably a clean and polished extention, or a techs stethescope and listen to them with the proble directly on them. If the chains are hitting you will really hear it clatter bad.

Even if you do looking at them isn't going to do a bloomin' thing. The only reason to pull any is if they have been cut thru and oil is welling up in the holes chain cut, and then to replace them. The only other reason would be a lot of work with the engine out of the frame for a total over haul. And then it would mean they were cut up pretty bad.

Gadjet's instructions are not exactly true. Some where in the checking he got a little confused.

You can pull the cap to see with out first undoing the side lock bolt. But in the installing to put every thing back you would then need to pull that lock side bolt anyway, so more or less it is moot as to what I am saying.

If you check the tentioners, take care to see the order of the 2 springs that pop out, and get the bearing holder and bearing. The bearing holder has a inside taper, and you must not flip it over. The holder has one way to be installed and only one way. Flipping it over will runin the day.

If you are not close to 28,000 don't even check the tentioners. 30,000 is considered to be the time to check them anyway. Flavor had 34,000 and needed extenders, and he still had 3 and 4 clicks to go. 3 and 4 clicks between 2 units (tensioners) is a good time to install extenders.

And when i did I still DID NOT pull the tunnels. The chain on his bike was NOT hitting, since the tensioners were still working and holding the timing chain snug enough.

Messin with this stuff is killing the bike with kindness. That means taking a risk not needed to be taken in the first place, or over filling a fluid because more is somehow better, when it ain't.

To install tensioners, it gets confusing. You need to read gadjets info well and you need to have the book and read that well. I read each 6 times and was still confused.

What saved me was I did one tensioner first leaving the other as back up. Flavor got as confused as i did. We tried to prove each outher incorrect which is a good thing. It made us both look and read harder.

I am not sure if you still have a left side air filter backing plate and or the air cross over big black tube, but if you do that will make checking the ft cly very hard to do. That black plastic air cross over is smack in the way to remove the bolts and then pull the tensioner.

Pretty much there is no way I will ever pull the tensioners with out a set of chucksters extenders in my hand too. There is no point. If the engine is found to need them and time passes to get them, the brain is just that far removed from the project and that isn't going to be good.

There are or at least there were a few other issues on Flavors bike. I found the rear cly chain guide falls away from the cahin. Several times I pushed it IN and could feel it ride onto a ball like something and adding a little more finger pressure could feel the chain guide pop on, but no sooner did I let go and the guide fell away again.

You can't see what is going on, the book isn't so very clear either.

When the time came to install the rear tensioner I did and then with a finger pushed the plunger rod of the tensioner in and could feel the guide take up that same going on a ball feel.

Then with the 2 springs the bearing holder and bearing LOCKED back with the side bolt holding them BACK, I installed the cap. With the cap installed you then release the lock bolt and HEAR the bearing and holder click into place.

This is probably confusing to read, it is as confusing to do, and if you get it wrong, the chain could jump time, chain time is absolutley critical, no room for the slightest of errors.

[clayton]

Thanks Mac, I will wait a bit longer...I only have 12 grand on my Nomad....
Thanks very much for your explaination :)