disconnecting the damn ignition parking light

[Zachariah Mully]

Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> On May 3, 2007, at 2:42 PM, David Peontek wrote: >> The owners manual says to ride the new KLR 500 miles and then take >> it to the >> dealer to have the oil changed and the valves adjusted. I have 700 >> miles. >> I can change the oil. > > Hi David! Get your butt in gear and change that oil and > filter! Personally, I change the oil in a new engine at 50, > 500, and 1,500 miles. There's a lot of crud and cruft left in the > engine as it comes out of the plant--especially with Kawi's old > school manufacturing processes.

I'd be curious for someone with a new KLR, say < 500 miles, to pull the oil strainer screen to see how much slag and stuff is in the engine from the factory. When I pulled mine on my A5 at 12,000 miles (due to a cracked engine case) it was pretty well packed up with crap. If I ever bought a new KLR (unlikely I'd immediately pull the oil strainer and do a valve check. Z

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> > On May 3, 2007, at 3:33 PM, Jeff Saline wrote: > > An owner can do the valve adjustment if interested enough. No > > expensive > > and fancy tools required. > > Jeff, I hate to disagree, but I think that most folks should have a > 1/4" torque wrench that measures in inch-pounds before attempting the > valves. At least in my experience, a 1/4" torque wrench is an > "expensive and fancy tool," but one that's certainly necessary if > you're going to do all the maintenance on a KLR. The torque settings > are too important to attempt by feel, and we all know how annoyingly > easy it is to strip the head cover bolts--and what a huge hassle it > is to get that fixed. > --

Geez, I wish I had known this when I started turning wrenches about 48 years ago. I have been doing it wrong all this time. I'm overdue to strip one if I don't change my ways.

[Blake Sobiloff]

On May 5, 2007, at 11:22 AM, Jud Jones wrote:

> Geez, I wish I had known this when I started turning wrenches about > 48 years ago. I have > been doing it wrong all this time. I'm overdue to strip one if I > don't change my ways.

Jud, I compliment you on your extraordinary sense of feel. Unfortunately, such a skill is notably absent from the vast majority of the population. So, for us mere mortals I believe that a 1/4"- drive torque wrench is well advised. -- Blake Sobiloff http://sobiloff.typepad.com/blakeblog/> http://sobiloff.typepad.com/klr_adventure/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Zachariah Mully]

Jud Jones wrote:

> --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote: >> On May 3, 2007, at 3:33 PM, Jeff Saline wrote: >>> An owner can do the valve adjustment if interested enough. No >>> expensive >>> and fancy tools required. >> Jeff, I hate to disagree, but I think that most folks should have a >> 1/4" torque wrench that measures in inch-pounds before attempting the >> valves. At least in my experience, a 1/4" torque wrench is an >> "expensive and fancy tool," but one that's certainly necessary if >> you're going to do all the maintenance on a KLR. The torque settings >> are too important to attempt by feel, and we all know how annoyingly >> easy it is to strip the head cover bolts--and what a huge hassle it >> is to get that fixed. >> -- > > Geez, I wish I had known this when I started turning wrenches about 48 years ago. I have > been doing it wrong all this time. I'm overdue to strip one if I don't change my ways. >

And who says a 1/4" torque wrench has to be expensive? My Horrible Freight 1/4" wrench works great and only cost me $25. Z

[Jim Priest]

> And who says a 1/4" torque wrench has to be expensive? My Horrible > Freight 1/4" wrench works great and only cost me $25.

Yep. I use an old fashioned beam-type and it works just fine. No stripped bolts (yet). Jim

[mauiklr650]

a fishin' spring scale works for me, but i don't fish. larry

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Priest" wrote: > > > And who says a 1/4" torque wrench has to be expensive? My Horrible > > Freight 1/4" wrench works great and only cost me $25. > > Yep. I use an old fashioned beam-type and it works just fine. No > stripped bolts (yet). > > Jim >

[Doug Herr]

On Sat, 5 May 2007, Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> Jud, I compliment you on your extraordinary sense of feel. > Unfortunately, such a skill is notably absent from the vast majority > of the population. So, for us mere mortals I believe that a 1/4"- > drive torque wrench is well advised.

Yup, have to agree. Still, it *was* good experience to learn how to use a Helicoil. -- Doug Herr doug@... A16 in Oakland, California

[kestrelfal]

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=13&item=TW%2D1 http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=11387 Fred

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Priest" wrote: > > > And who says a 1/4" torque wrench has to be expensive? My Horrible > > Freight 1/4" wrench works great and only cost me $25. > > Yep. I use an old fashioned beam-type and it works just fine. No > stripped bolts (yet). > > Jim >

[C L Cooper]

You're just pullin' our collective leg.... right???

On 5/5/07, mauiklr650 wrote: > > a fishin' spring scale works for me, but i don't fish. > > larry > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com , "Jim > Priest" wrote: > > > > > And who says a 1/4" torque wrench has to be expensive? My Horrible > > > Freight 1/4" wrench works great and only cost me $25. > > > > Yep. I use an old fashioned beam-type and it works just fine. No > > stripped bolts (yet). > > > > Jim > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Zachariah Mully]

C L Cooper wrote:

> You're just pullin' our collective leg.... right???

No, you can certainly use an appropriate spring scale as long as you take into account the length of your wrench. Z