Timing Belts Changed

[Jess from VA]

I put these billet (best available) stems in my bikes years ago.  Much better than the $2 metal ones I've seen elsewhere (but cost more too).  I got the silver, and they shine up great just like the wheels.  No having to reach down and support the stems either, just punch the air gauge and chuck on them one handed. The nice metal caps even have Orings in them, should your shrader come loose in the valve.





The only thing about these, you have to cut off the little T's on the wheels to get them on the high side of the bike. No big deal on the front, but really necessary on the rear of any Valk hardbagger.  Look for the note in this link for Goldwings; same deal on Valks.  It's not like anyone would ever want to go back to the stupid rubber ones with elbows anyway.
http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/tire_valves/

After getting mine from the originators, I later found them elsewhere for about half price.  I think these are the same thing (but not positive).
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/bike-master-90-degree-valve-stems

[98valk]

Awesome info....time to get to polishing!!!  

I used this kit, the sealant work very well.  http://www.topoftheline.com/rolmetpolkit.html
with this setup. not my vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KGHuzv8qB0

https://www.pjtool.com/detailed-polishing-instructions/

[Harryc]

So I looked up the timing belt/s tension adjustment and it is 5 to 7mm (1/4") deflection with 4.5 lbs of force. Hmmm...most tools I see for belt tension are set at 10lbs of force. Are most guys just winging it for the Valk? There is no mention of a special tool in the Honda shop manual. I suppose using a 10 lb guage you could only press it half way down, but I'd question the accuracy of that. Conversely, you could assume 10 lbs of force should deflect the belt 1/2". Yes I am OCD and if it isn't perfect it isn't done right. Lol

[Harryc]

Don't often reply to my own posts, but this was too good not to share. I posed my question to a friend who is both intelligent and imaginative. He said...use a fish scale upside down. . Made me smile. It's backyard mechanic elegant. Lol

[The emperor has no clothes]

Don't often reply to my own posts, but this was too good not to share. I posed my question to a friend who is both intelligent and imaginative. He said...use a fish scale upside down. . Made me smile. It's backyard mechanic elegant. Lol

[Chrisj CMA]

I've changed many timing belts. If you try to achieve the tension described in the Honda book there is a good chance you will be over tight. The springs gat the tension very close. What I do is snug up the mounting bolts so there is very little wobble but free movement. Then attach the springs. Then compare the tension on both belts. I adjust slightly so both are the same as the one I liked better.

[oldsmokey]

For similar recommended "tension adjustments" on other applications, I acquired one of my grandfathers antique brass hanging scales some 30 plus years ago. Hook on each end, still very accurate. Still sits in one of the tool boxes.

[RonW]

The problem I'm having is hooking the scale to get it to pull straight up or down. Something always gets in the way of the lanyard and you end up pulling the scale at an angle. The vector makes the scale inaccurate since the belt gets slightly twisted where you hook the scale onto the belt. The twist in turn throws the true deflection off. It's a bigger problem on the right belt since you have to pull the scale up and pulling up you run into the radiator overhang so you pull the scale at more of an angle. This is on top of a luggage scale's inaccuracy at the 4.5 lbs lower range. I haven't tried a belt tensioner gauge yet. Yea, perhaps, it's simpler to let the tension springs get you in the ballpark. Then fine tune it. Anyways, just thinkin out loud.

[Harryc]

The problem I'm having is hooking the scale to get it to pull straight up or down. Something always gets in the way of the lanyard and you end up pulling the scale at an angle. The vector makes the scale inaccurate since the belt gets slightly twisted where you hook the scale onto the belt. The twist in turn throws the true deflection off. It's a bigger problem on the right belt since you have to pull the scale up and pulling up you run into the radiator overhang so you pull the scale at more of an angle. This is on top of a luggage scale's inaccuracy at the 4.5 lbs lower range. I haven't tried a belt tensioner gauge yet. Yea, perhaps, it's simpler to let the tension springs get you in the ballpark. Then fine tune it. Anyways, just thinkin out loud.

The guage you pictured Ron is most likely one of the 10lb ones that I saw as well. I might just get one and fool around with calibrating it to 4.5 lbs with a fish scale or some sort of scale.

[Chrisj CMA]

You guys are making a simple easy job hard and complicated..  let those springs set the tension.  Make very slight adjustments from there.

If not to set the tension what do you think them springs are there for?  After you tighten the mounting bolts the springs can't do anything

[Tfrank59]

That's how I set my belts tension when I did it.  And they didn't make any strange sounds or need any further adjustment after and that was 3 years ago.

[Harryc]

You guys are making a simple easy job hard and complicated..  l

That's what I do . Thanks for the tip.

[The emperor has no clothes]

You guys are making a simple easy job hard and complicated..  l

That's what I do . Thanks for the tip.

[bentwrench]

Putting slight tension on the crank bolt in the direction that tightens the non slack side,then snug up the bolt in the adjuster slot.the tension should be near perfect.I've used this method on literally hundreds of car motors with this setup(mostly hondas) and never had a single failure or had to to retension it.

[Harryc]

Did the job today and I took Chris's advice and just let the springs set the tension. Seemed like it worked to me. I'll check it in a few months.  Just as a side note...after 20 years and 36k miles the belts looked good. If anything there was slight wear/unevenness on the top (non-grooved) side of the belts from riding the tensioner pulleys. I'll be long gone before they'll need replacement again, and the next owner can worry about it. The bearings in the tensioner pulleys spun well and free. (The pic below is a right after i took the cover off)

[The emperor has no clothes]

Did the job today and I took Chris's advice and just let the springs set the tension. Seemed like it worked to me. I'll check it in a few months.  Just as a side note...after 20 years and 36k miles the belts looked good. If anything there was slight wear/unevenness on the top (non-grooved) side of the belts from riding the tensioner pulleys. I'll be long gone before they'll need replacement again, and the next owner can worry about it. The bearings in the tensioner pulleys spun well and free. (The pic below is a right after i took the cover off)

Dang, Harry. Your bike is even spotless under the timing belt cover. 

[Motodad71]

Don't see myself ever messing with this, of course my 97 only has 6900 miles. LOL

[Jess from VA]

At some point, it's not just a miles issue, it becomes an age issue.

Although the truth is, most all stories about changes at 15-20yo, say they looked pretty good.  I can't ever remember a story saying they looked all worn out and cracked and frayed.  But my 15yo Dodge serpentine belt (with only 30K) looked OK, but it was bad. 

And I can't remember reading many broken belt stories.  But if that happens, it can be bad news.

Big Bill (BF) did mine, and rebuilt the tensioners (which seemed to concern him more than the belts).  He's got some system worked up for that where he changes out the wear part, when the whole part from Honda is somewhat spendier.

I think he sees it as a maintenance service he is providing that will be the one and only time they will ever be done in the current owners lifetime.  For me, that's an accurate assessment. 

[bentwrench]

Timing belt replacement is cheap insurance against bent valves period.Belts are available at napa stores for under 50 bucks.Once every 10 yrs or so really isn't an inconvenience .

[Motodad71]

Timing belt replacement is cheap insurance against bent valves period.Belts are available at napa stores for under 50 bucks.Once every 10 yrs or so really isn't an inconvenience .

They are not exposed to the elements like a car belt, so I guess IMHO that should in theory make a difference.

[Jess from VA]

And I think it does;  say 20 years, instead of 10 (or less).

Except some climates are more extreme than others, even in an enclosed space.

And I would add in the extremes of a bike getting ridden 800 miles a year, or 25K a year.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Timing belt replacement is cheap insurance against bent valves period.Belts are available at napa stores for under 50 bucks.Once every 10 yrs or so really isn't an inconvenience .

They are not exposed to the elements like a car belt, so I guess IMHO that should in theory make a difference.

Automotive timing belts have a replacement interval based on miles or time, whichever comes first. Timing belts are not as exposed to outside elements, but they are subjected to hotter environments due to their enclosed nature, right next to the engine block. I can't speak for the Valkyrie, but I've seen automotive timing belts strip teeth off due to degradation over time, with far less miles than the manufacturers mileage interval. On what's called a "non-interference" engine, no big deal. On an "interference" engine, you'll be pulling the head(s) to replace bent valves, broken guides, and sometimes a whole engine due to a broken off valve destroying the cylinder wall.

For less than $100 in parts, it seems like solid insurance to me.

[bentwrench]

Automotive belts do work a little harder,very little of the elements effect them if the covers are in good shape.Our valk belts carry a light load of 6 small valves and light springs.But again replacement at around 10 yrs is not an inconvenience.

[Avanti]

If there is a comparison between changing the timing belts due to miles used or age (mile-age), I would think that the best source of information would be from DDT and ALI.
ALI having 600,000 ++ miles on the clock and still in the filed testing.
I wonder how many timing belts have come and gone!

There is however a prudent maintenance interval for a wear part used in a zero tolerance engine; I think it is called "Sometime before failure".

[Tfrank59]

You know there's so much discussion and so many posts about when to change our timing belts. I put that one to bed a couple of years ago when my bike only had like 30,000 miles and I change them (even though the manual says check them at 100,000), but we've still yet to hear a report of a failed timing belt on a valkyrie.

[Harryc]

Dang, Harry. Your bike is even spotless under the timing belt cover. 

, it knew I was going in there. Lol

[notrader]

Belt deflection. I forget exactly what the spec is, lets says it's 1/4 inch with 10lbs pressure applied to the belts at their mid points. Is anyone really doing this? What tools/guage did you use?

I used the calibrated thumb method, not wanting to spend $490 for a belt tension tester. How many shops are there that actually have a belt tension tester? There is another tool considerably cheaper, the Krikit tool, but am not sure it tells you how much force is applied to the belt. The belt should be adjusted so that on the long run of the belt, with 2kg or 4.4 lbs of force applied there should be 5>7mm or 3/16 > 17/64 inch of play on the belt. This is per the Clymer manual on page 122. Don't know about the amount of force I applied with my thumb, but play on the belt was 1/4 inch. That was considerably less play than what was on the belts that I removed.

[Chrisj CMA]

Belt deflection. I forget exactly what the spec is, lets says it's 1/4 inch with 10lbs pressure applied to the belts at their mid points. Is anyone really doing this? What tools/guage did you use?

I used the calibrated thumb method, not wanting to spend $490 for a belt tension tester. How many shops are there that actually have a belt tension tester? There is another tool considerably cheaper, the Krikit tool, but am not sure it tells you how much force is applied to the belt. The belt should be adjusted so that on the long run of the belt, with 2kg or 4.4 lbs of force applied there should be 5>7mm or 3/16 > 17/64 inch of play on the belt. This is per the Clymer manual on page 122. Don't know about the amount of force I applied with my thumb, but play on the belt was 1/4 inch. That was considerably less play than what was on the belts that I removed.

No I let the springs set the tension, then if one side is tighter than the other I decide which side feels more right and make a slight adjustment so they are both the same.

[Shotgun]

I just did mine ('98 Standard) with 60000 miles thanks to all the info found here.........not a hard job, but you have to do it right.

[RonW]

A few weeks after this thread appeared, I took the timing belt cover off and re-set the tension by the springs. Added a smidgen more tension, about all.

[saddlesore]

I changed belts at 120,000 miles because it was overdue and they looked very good.  Now at 168,000 miles I shredded a belt last night.   I had just left home and things sounded bad.  I was reasonably sure it was a belt but I didn't think it lost tension...yet.  I heard it flapping around ( after I got home) .  So now I'm wondering what are the chances that I didn't lose tension in the process?  And what is the best way to make sure I didn't totally screw up the timing?

[RonW]

Remove the timing cover and inspect the hash marks