Hello all,
The DK/DS Special is still fighting me like its done for the past 5 years.
I'm almost there, got insured (Motorcycle Direct of Bristol - £79 for an old fogey), its off SORN, new helmet but it still doesn't run properly.
Start up is instant but it pops and bangs through the 1-4 cylinder silencer and when revving it actually spits flame. Me thinking I've got the valve timing wrong and that the engine has to come out again. But a bit more investigation revealed that all the valve clearances had gone down to not very much; and on some there is no play at al.I remember that I set the clearances when it was on the bench and just a few start ups has settled the valves back in the seats and eliminating the gap - exhaust valve stays open and that's why I get flames... at least I hope that is what it is.
The question is: it is difficult, even when I had one in the 1980s, to get a feeler gauge in there, with a ring spanner and my fat fingers and a torch, so I was wondering if at least to get it running I could set the clearances by counting the number of turns on the screw?
I seem to remember a post, but can't find it, that one turn of the screw = 0.1mm or 40 thou. So from that perspective you should be able to set a gap fairly accurately even if not exactly.
A good idea or not?