8,000 mile service.

I finally got to my 8,000 mile service. I changed the engine oil for the 2nd time, lubed and adjusted the throttle and clutch cables, cleaned and lubricated the chain, lubed the foot pegs and shifter shaft, lubed the locks and service the valves. I do highly recommend doing the valves even though the dealers have been saying "wait till 16k". I did take the radiator off, it wasn't hard its just wasn't even worth trying to do it without taking it off. The room behind it still installed is minimal and I didn't want to damage the back of the radiator fins because I'm lazy, it takes longer to finally make your mind up to do it than it does to actually do it. Once off the rest is cake, there are 3 bolts holding on the valve cover, then all the timing holes (3 as well). After lining up all the marks I checked cylinder 1. Spec on the intake is .007" and exhaust is .011". The best fitting feeler on the intake was .005" and exhaust was .007". So all valves were slightly tight. Once lining up cylinder 2 the same results came out as cylinder 1. The valves are ultra easy to adjust, and after checking them again to be safe I put her back together. For anyone interested in knowing I did not change the valve cover gasket, it's rubber so I'm going to reuse it until as many times as possible. Also have a liter of coolant available, it took almost my whole jug to fill it back up and it takes a little while of running to get all the air out. I will be sending out an oil sample and will update when i get the results. Here's some pics for you guys!

Nice update and pics. How do you get the large pics to load? I used to able to do that, but now have some ridiculous limit of around 93k!

Cool, good to see some pics........

Use photobucket to copy and paste url's. I ran into the same issues trying to upload from my iPad. For some reason it works that way.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Thanks!!!!

Screw type adjusters rather than shim and bucket. I had no idea. Even more money saved on service vs. my Ducati!

Great write up. Thanks for the post and pics. I sure love the easy access to the cylinder head. Last bike I did valves on was a Ninja 250. It's a similar 8 valve screw adjust head, but a little tricky to get your tools in there. The NC looks so easy.

It's amazing how far engine design has come. They can now hold a valve cover on with just 3 bolts and it doesn't leak!

Questions about your coolant: A big thing with Hondas is to not use coolant containing silicates. Does the Maxima stuff meets that criteria? The Honda brand coolant in quarts is overpriced. Supposedly you can buy it in gallons because it's used in the Honda cars, too, but the price is still pretty steep. Prestone Extended Life is labeled no silicates, but I'm not sure if it's suitable for the bikes.

Congrats on reaching 8000 miles. Even more so if you did it on the stock seat!

Greg

nodirtburt said:

Screw type adjusters rather than shim and bucket. I had no idea. Even more money saved on service vs. my Ducati!

Click to expand...

Not only that, but roller rockers as well, for reduced wear and friction - uncommon on motorcycles.

Greg

670cc said:

Great write up. Thanks for the post and pics. I sure love the easy access to the cylinder head. Last bike I did valves on was a Ninja 250. It's a similar 8 valve screw adjust head, but a little tricky to get your tools in there. The NC looks so easy.

It's amazing how far engine design has come. They can now hold a valve cover on with just 3 bolts and it doesn't leak!

Questions about your coolant: A big thing with Hondas is to not use coolant containing silicates. Does the Maxima stuff meets that criteria? The Honda brand coolant in quarts is overpriced. Supposedly you can buy it in gallons because it's used in the Honda cars, too, but the price is still pretty steep. Prestone Extended Life is labeled no silicates, but I'm not sure if it's suitable for the bikes.

Congrats on reaching 8000 miles. Even more so if you did it on the stock seat!

Greg

Click to expand...

The jug does not specify on the silicates.. But I have been using all maxima products for years on all my bikes and haven't had any issues yet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Thanks for the write-up. I do have a couple of things I did differently at my first service.

As noted earlier it is not necessary to remove the radiator if you just remove the radiator hose on the right side. This doesn't save time as much as coolant which doesn't have to be changed until the third valve check at 24,000 miles or 24 months.

Lubing Honda cables usually shortens cable life as they are not meant to be lubricated with common lubes or solvents. It can attract dirt and degrade the lining of the cable sheath. The pivot pins and surfaces where the cable ends bear against metal benefit from a bit of grease though.

dduelin said:

Thanks for the write-up. I do have a couple of things I did differently at my first service.

As noted earlier it is not necessary to remove the radiator if you just remove the radiator hose on the right side. This doesn't save time as much as coolant which doesn't have to be changed until the third valve check at 24,000 miles or 24 months.

Lubing Honda cables usually shortens cable life as they are not meant to be lubricated with common lubes or solvents. It can attract dirt and degrade the lining of the cable sheath. The pivot pins and surfaces where the cable ends bear against metal benefit from a bit of grease though.

Click to expand...

This may be true but from feel alone all the cables sure do feel much smoother than before I lubricated them. I have always lubed cables, and my riding buddy has never (laziness mainly lol) and his cables always break first.. Just food for thought.

By the way how were your valves when you did yours?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

dduelin said:

Thanks for the write-up. I do have a couple of things I did differently at my first service.

As noted earlier it is not necessary to remove the radiator if you just remove the radiator hose on the right side. This doesn't save time as much as coolant which doesn't have to be changed until the third valve check at 24,000 miles or 24 months.

Lubing Honda cables usually shortens cable life as they are not meant to be lubricated with common lubes or solvents. It can attract dirt and degrade the lining of the cable sheath. The pivot pins and surfaces where the cable ends bear against metal benefit from a bit of grease though.

Click to expand...

My throttle feels like it needs help...no, I'm not getting weaker! Is there something that can be done if lubing is not an option?

Nice job Hmcp88.

Hmcp88 said:

This may be true but from feel alone all the cables sure do feel much smoother than before I lubricated them. I have always lubed cables, and my riding buddy has never (laziness mainly lol) and his cables always break first.. Just food for thought.

By the way how were your valves when you did yours?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Click to expand...

I have never broken a cable on a modern Honda...since my CB350. My 117,000 mile Honda ST1300 has only had the cable pivots greased cuz that's what Honda recommends. They do not recommend lubing them but I already said so.

I had one intake at .006", the others were spec or spec +.001. This bike is so easy to maintain. My ST1300 requires the camshafts to come out when clearances no longer are spec. Fortunately they take a long time to go out of spec. 86,000 miles was the first time. NC700X with screw and lock nut...easy peasy oh so easy.

Ya my cbr had to have the camshafts out and that sucked. I ended up just rotating the camshaft to the side still attached to the chain and using a magnet to get the buckets out. That way is way easier and you don't have to check the timing because you never took the cam out. Still it took a couple hours just to get to the cams and you have to have a cam shim kit like a hot cams which costs money too. The nc is an all around way easier bike to service.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Word on the street is the Honda blue coolant will work just fine in their motorbikes. That be my plan until evidence says otherwise.

Thanks for the write up! Just under 4k miles to go and I'll be needing to do this myself. If the weather stays nice will be at 8k miles by April.

OriginalRocket said:

Word on the street is the Honda blue coolant will work just fine in their motorbikes. That be my plan until evidence says otherwise.

Click to expand...

I use Honda Type 2 automobile coolant in liquid cooled Honda motorcycles. The blue coolant.

dduelin said:

As noted earlier it is not necessary to remove the radiator if you just remove the radiator hose on the right side. This doesn't save time as much as coolant which doesn't have to be changed until the third valve check at 24,000 miles or 24 months.

Lubing Honda cables usually shortens cable life as they are not meant to be lubricated with common lubes or solvents. It can attract dirt and degrade the lining of the cable sheath. The pivot pins and surfaces where the cable ends bear against metal benefit from a bit of grease though.

Click to expand...

I've not had to do the job yet - and won't be doing it for a long time as first service will be at dealer for warranty preservation so I'm talking from no practical experience of the job. But I've read the service manual through on the subject a couple of times and it does not suggest removing the radiator. It specifies disconnecting the radiator mountings and the cooling fan but then says to just lower the radiator in order to access the cylinder head cover - it does add a special note to be careful not to damage the radiator fins so space will be tight no doubt.

Chris

Great pics !! Congratulations on 8K. Didn't recognize the Sparks Blackberry flavored "cable Lube" is that a Honda product ? (HAHAHA) Mechanics need lubrication too.