[Chris Garrett]

I noticed my front end was making a clunking sound. Pulled over and discoved the front wheel is loose. There is a gap in the axle. Am I missing something? How do I fix this? Thanks

 

[66Sprint]

From your pic, you DO have the axle inserted properly (from the right side)..... Did you torque the axle to 54 to 61 ft/lbs BEFORE installing the wheel in the forks?.... Are the fork bottom caps properly mounted(arrow pointing forward)?.... were the nuts that secure the bottom caps tightened in the proper sequence (tighten forward nuts/locks/washers to torque first, then rears ...The "gap" should be towards the rear on both caps)?
The speedo drive should be "tight" against the inside of the right fork slider, the "hex" of the axle nut should be tight against the wheel spacer, and the inside of the left fork slider...
Are the forks damping smoothly, or is it possible that one is slightly bowed outwards?

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Me thinks you just got lucky. Or you have a guardian angel stalking you..


GB :lol:

 

[Chris Garrett]

Okay, I took off the wheel.
1. Where is the axle nut?
2. There are no arrows on my bottom caps.
3. Don't know what you mean by "the gap".
4. What is the hex of the axle nut and the wheel spacer?

Aren't you glad you got involved? :lol:

 

[Bird76Mojo]

This is SIMILAR to your axle nut: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3 ... AA280_.jpg The "hex" end is the end that has 6 flat sides that you put a wrench onto. The hex part of that nut needs to be tightened down against the wheel/axle spacer that is between the nut and the wheel.

GB :mrgreen:

 

[66Sprint]

Chris.... The axle nut is the "hexed" item in your red box on the pic.... the wheel spacer is the steel tube on the disc side of the wheel that fits in the seal (also in red box)...
If there are no arrows on your bottom caps, the longer side goes forward.... It appears correct in your pic on the left side, double check the right side.... As for the "gap", the longer (front) side should tighten flush, but a thin gap should remain after tightening the back nuts to spec.....

Yes,.... better I get involved than you get hurt.... Steve

NOTE!... If your forks bind or "stick" at all with the sliders pulled in tight by the corrected axle, you have a bent tube.......

 

[Chris Garrett]

Okay, this was just loose and spinning around. Can I just put a screw driver through the right side and torque down the spacer/nut thing? Also, what is the torque on the bottom caps?

 

[66Sprint]

Chris.... Yes, stick a strong bar through the hole...... I use a stocky Phillips driver
Turn the axle nut back around, the hex goes inside the fork slider....It is a part of the correct spacing....
The fork bottom nuts get 13 to 18 ft/lbs

 

[Chris Garrett]

Thanks for the help. I'll fix it tonight.

 

[Chris Garrett]

Okay, got everything torqued down. Now the road doesn't seem so wavy. This tuning is tuff when you don't know what the ---- you're doing. And adjusting the right side exhaust is proving to be the biggest challenge so far. Can't get it to stay off of the brake pedal. Boy that is a tight fit through there.
Got fed up and took it all off again. I'll try again tomorrow. I'm also having trouble with my car. When it rains . . . .

 

[66Sprint]

Chris...Now you have me confused... There is NO "adjustment" of the exhaust pipe....It is held in place by the header clamps up front and a bracket to the frame at the rear......Similarly, the brake pedal is held by its pivot tube and (unless bent) should not be able to "jam" against the exhaust....properly adjusted (the brake pedal) should not touch the exhaust at all... ????????... Got a pic of your problem?

 

[Chris Garrett]

When I say "adjust", I mean I'm trying to get the exhaust to go straight back without making contact with anything. No matter how I twist and pull the header and muffler, the header is making contact with the brake pedal. It just doesn't all seem to want to go in the right place.

 

[tbpmusic]

When I say "adjust", I mean I'm trying to get the exhaust to go straight back without making contact with anything. No matter how I twist and pull the header and muffler, the header is making contact with the brake pedal. It just doesn't all seem to want to go in the right place.

Chris -

The CB exhaust pipe fits neatly in the "loop" above the CB footpeg - tighten it down first, no fudging or you get an exhaust leak at the head. The muffler will have to deal with where the end of the exhaust pipe ends up.....
Do you have the exhaust pipes switched left to right??
What sort of muffler are we talking about??
Was this bike ever a CL450??
Was the brake lever bent at any time??
If nothing else, those brake levers bend pretty easily with a torch .......

 

[Chris Garrett]

I don't know what kind of mufflers they are. Can mufflers be switched? I didn't know the headers could be switched. I thought they were the same. I'll try again tonight to make it all go together.

 

[tbpmusic]

I don't know what kind of mufflers they are. Can mufflers be switched? I didn't know the headers could be switched. I thought they were the same. I'll try again tonight to make it all go together.

No, the exhaust pipes are left and right, mirror images, maybe not easy to see if you're not familiar with them - stock mufflers are obvious left/right, easy to see.
The pipes have kind of a slight twist, look carefully, you'll figure it out.........

 

[Chris Garrett]

Well, doggone it, that's where my problem lies. I assumed they were the same. Thanks Bill.

 

[tbpmusic]

OK - and make sure you didn't mess up those new copper exhaust pipe gaskets........

 

[Chris Garrett]

Thanks to Steve for helping me out with my front axle problem and thanks to Bill for figuring out what my latest bone-head move was. Yes, I had the headers reversed. When I re-reversed them, the whole thing went right together. Even when I held the two headers next to each other, they looked the same to me. But I figured the fit was so bad, you had to be right about reversing them.
Thanks again guys. You're making this much easier than it would otherwise be.
Now for those d--- carbs. :shock:

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Don't worry. The carbs are unbelieveably simple once they're C-L-E-A-N They do work very well if properly serviced and synced. Bill seems to be a huge fan of them..


GB :mrgreen:

 

[tbpmusic]

Don't worry. The carbs are unbelieveably simple once they're C-L-E-A-N They do work very well if properly serviced and synced. Bill seems to be a huge fan of them..
GB :mrgreen:

Simple is good - just ask any 70's SOHC Four owner if they'd like simple carbs........