Hello guys! Long time no see! I have ridden my F650GS (model 2001) from Cape Town (South Africa) to Lusaka (Zambia), and then after some TLC, from Lusaka to Nairobi (Kenya), where I reside.
I've changed the voltage regulator because the old one was dead. Also changed the battery (for a Yuasa one, same as the previous one, from YB12AL-A to YB12AL-A2, I thinl), because initially I thought the battery was dead, before I found out it was the faulty VR. Now with the new VR, all good, it says mildly warm but not hot to burning hot as was the previous one, and it spits a steady 13.5V, around that (I measured some time ago just after I replaced it). So all good from the viewpoint of the power supply, but the engine is knocking/vibrating a bit too much, and the engine is overheating a bit. The fan does go on when required, but it's required too often
I want to say that it didn't appear at once, from one day to the next: this excessive vibrating/knocking settled gradually, from the times I have been running on low battery, it seams. You know, it's pretty much the same symptoms: when your electrical system is not strong enough, the engine doesn't fire quite as neatly as it should, hence the overheating/knocking. At least that's what I have observed... But now that my electrical circuit is 100%, I want to revert to a healthy engine and easy, smooth rides.
I've recently changed the oil and just checked the valve clearances yesterday evening. Of course, on a COLD engine. They are as follows (in mm):
- intake R: 0.10 is ok/easy, 0.15 drags noticeably
- intake L: 0.10 drags slightly, 0.15 drags severely
- exhaust R: 0.25 easy, 0.30 drags, 0.35 no-go
- exhaust L: 0.25 easy, 0.30 still quite easy, 0.35 doesn't go
The Haynes says 0.10 to 0.15 for the intake valves and 0.25 to 0.30 for the exhaust, so we're pretty good here. No signs of excessive wear on the camshaft, looks pretty pristine actually.
Then the spark plug: an original NGK D8EA, hasn't been renewed in a while, was not having any oily deposit, no white deposit either, just the regular dry black stuff. But the electrode gap was quite big: 0.80 gauge went easily, 0.90 didn't go, but almost. The Haynes says 0.6 to 0.7 mm for a healthy electrode gap, so I'm definitely replacing the spark plug, but I was wondering whether there could be something else worth checking, now that I have removed the stuff above the cylinder head... Any idea?
Thanks!
I've changed the voltage regulator because the old one was dead. Also changed the battery (for a Yuasa one, same as the previous one, from YB12AL-A to YB12AL-A2, I thinl), because initially I thought the battery was dead, before I found out it was the faulty VR. Now with the new VR, all good, it says mildly warm but not hot to burning hot as was the previous one, and it spits a steady 13.5V, around that (I measured some time ago just after I replaced it). So all good from the viewpoint of the power supply, but the engine is knocking/vibrating a bit too much, and the engine is overheating a bit. The fan does go on when required, but it's required too often
I want to say that it didn't appear at once, from one day to the next: this excessive vibrating/knocking settled gradually, from the times I have been running on low battery, it seams. You know, it's pretty much the same symptoms: when your electrical system is not strong enough, the engine doesn't fire quite as neatly as it should, hence the overheating/knocking. At least that's what I have observed... But now that my electrical circuit is 100%, I want to revert to a healthy engine and easy, smooth rides.
I've recently changed the oil and just checked the valve clearances yesterday evening. Of course, on a COLD engine. They are as follows (in mm):
- intake R: 0.10 is ok/easy, 0.15 drags noticeably
- intake L: 0.10 drags slightly, 0.15 drags severely
- exhaust R: 0.25 easy, 0.30 drags, 0.35 no-go
- exhaust L: 0.25 easy, 0.30 still quite easy, 0.35 doesn't go
The Haynes says 0.10 to 0.15 for the intake valves and 0.25 to 0.30 for the exhaust, so we're pretty good here. No signs of excessive wear on the camshaft, looks pretty pristine actually.
Then the spark plug: an original NGK D8EA, hasn't been renewed in a while, was not having any oily deposit, no white deposit either, just the regular dry black stuff. But the electrode gap was quite big: 0.80 gauge went easily, 0.90 didn't go, but almost. The Haynes says 0.6 to 0.7 mm for a healthy electrode gap, so I'm definitely replacing the spark plug, but I was wondering whether there could be something else worth checking, now that I have removed the stuff above the cylinder head... Any idea?
Thanks!