#14A Q: How do I properly adjust the pilot screw?
First, a quick definition to clear up a common misconception I see. The BRP
has a pilot screw that can also be called a fuel screw because it is
located on the outlet side of the carb. That means that screwing it in
meters less fuel to the pilot circuit, while screwing it out meters more
fuel to the circuit. If the screw were on the inlet side of the carb, it
would be called an air screw and do just the opposite. Screwing it in would
supply less air, screwing it out would supply more. Someone please
correct me if I'm wrong, or if you
have a better, more understandable, definition.
Anyway, here's the adjustment procedure for a
fuel screw per Gary, our local
group Einstein on stuff like this:
Make sure your engine is fully warmed up and
set the pilot screw to 1.5 turns out. Then with the 68s installed, turn the
pilot screw clockwise until the idle slows. Then turn the pilot screw
counterclockwise until the idle slows again. Make a mental note of how many
turns you made in between the low idle points. Then turn the pilot screw
half way between the low idle points to finish the adjustment. If you turn
the adjuster counterclockwise and the idle doesn't drop down, then you need
a larger pilot jet. If you turn the pilot screw clockwise and the idle
doesn't drop down, then you need a smaller pilot jet. After adjusting your
pilot circuit, re-adjust your idle speed if necessary.
#17 Q: Why doesn't my suspension have grease fittings?
I have no idea! My personal opinion is that on a dirtbike they are a waste
anyway. You can pump as much super-duper-lithium into your bearings as you
want, yet it still will not remove water and dirt. The fresh grease will
simply follow the path of least resistance and come out in just one or two
spots. Take it apart, clean it and regrease it and you know it is done
right.
A word to the wise on greasing. Don't use a
lithium base grease. No matter what others tell you, all greases are not
waterproof just because they have oil in them. A lithium (plus others) based
grease will actually absorb water, even the moisture in the air. It will
take on a whitish tint, almost waxy looking, when this happens. Use an
aluminum complex grease. It's a bit harder to find than your garden variety
wheel bearing grease that all the parts guys sell, but it's worth it. BelRay
waterproof is aluminum based.
Aluminum complex is compatible with all others
but bentone, but still be sure to clean the old stuff out thoroughly. Tons
of info can be found on the net. One good informative site is
here.
#23 Q: Why is my headlight so lame as to not even draw
moths?
In the words of Mr. Owl, "The World, may never know." They all use a 35W
bulb, which simply isn't good enough. The plastic lens on the cheese ass
sorry excuse for a headlight on the NA bikes makes matters even worse. For
off road use, NA bikes can upgrade to an identical sized glass lens with a
55W Halogen H3 bulb and socket (PN 33120-MG3-003, or 33120-MK2-671; the MG3
has a better upper pivot mount). For on-road dual-sport use, something like
the Baja-Designs light with a H4 55/60W bulb in a DOT approved lens is a
better choice.
ED bikes can apparently use a H4 socket and/or
lens from an earlier XL to get a 55/60W hi-lo bulb in use.
With only 40% of the stator being used for the
headlight, it will be dull at lower RPM when using a 55W bulb. You might be
willing to accept that. If not, then use my
#27A Q: How do I change or check my oil?
Pay attention here Grasshoppah! If you've read this far you'll notice that
the previous three FAQs and the following one have some association with oil
changing or checking procedures. Do you get the hint? Make sure you do it
right!
To check your oil, the bike MUST be run first. If you don't, you'll end
up with 1/2qt too much oil in the system. Do the math and you'll see why
this can cause problems. The excess oil has no place to go except through
the seals and out the vent. I'm not talking about just starting the bike and
running it for a minute, run it for five minutes and maybe even take a quick
rip across the neighbors lawn, preferably on a sunday morning at 6, when the
magnetic poles have no effect on oil level. Shut off the bike and
immediately check the oil level.
To change the oil, start by letting the bike get good and hot first. Go
for a ride, maybe even go back and finish excavating the neighbors lawn.
Cold oil will not drain properly. After you've got her smoking hot, steal a
lobster pot from moms kitchen for a drain tub and place it under the drain
that is located on the frame downtube. Sure, I know there's two, but ignore
the other for a minute. Stuff paper towels in the front of the skidplate if
you care about cleanliness, (if you don't, then why bother reading my stuff,
as you obviously don't love your BRP) and try to shape the towl so it
directs any oil that drips towards the plate out and away. Remove the
dipstick and then the downtube drain bolt, and then frantically wipe off the
hot oil that just squirted up to your armpit.
After the oil has stopped flowing and is merely a drip, remove the
lobsterpot and throw a stack of towels in it's place. (cleanliness!) Now go
over and remove the case drain bolt located on the lefthand side under the
CS sprocket. You will want to make a chute for the oil from an old beer can
or whatever you have on hand. Cut a stip of aluminum 3 or 4 inches long and
1.25 inches wide, then fold it lengthwise into a "V" shape. About 5/8 of an
inch from one end, fold a 90 degree bend down, you may have to cut this part
a bit to get the bend needed. Shove this high tech tool between the frame
and drain to guide the oil out away from the frame and skid. When the oil
quits flowing, rock the bike back and forth to get that extra little
bit of lube out.
To change the filter, you'll need an 8mm socket. Stuff rags below the
housing between the skidplate and cases, the more the merrier. It'll make
cleanup (cleanliness!!!!!!) much easier. Remove the cover and discard the
old filter, preferably over the fence and onto the neghbors lawn. Wipe any
debris from the filter cavity, be sure the spring is still hidden in the
back, and reinstall the new filter, rubber side out. Carefully reinstall the
cover, being absolutely sure that the oring thingy stays in it's grooves. If
it has swollen and keeps popping out, throw the oring and cover into the
freezer for a bit. This will make it behave long enough to reinstall. (this
trick also works on the clutch cover oring and carb top oring)Torque the
bolts down in a criss-cross pattern, being careful not to go beyond 8 or
9ft-lbs on them. Be especially careful of the longest bolt, it is known to
snap easily.
Reinstall the drain bolts, making sure that the copper washers are still
in place. Don't over torque these, the oiled threads will strip easily.
DON"T FORGET TO TIGHTEN THEM!!!!!!!!
Leaving the bike on the kickstand, (the angle helps the next step) turn
the bars to the left. Stuff paper towels (Cleanliness!!!!!!!!!!!) under the
front of the tank and a little down the frame sides. Carefully pour in your
first quart of oil. You can use a funnel, but I prefer to stay in practice
of this technique because I don't have a funnel at trailside if I need to
add any. Stop after the first quart, the 2nd won't fit yet and you'll end up
making a mess. Throw on the cap and fire up the bike for a minute. No
revving or anything here, just let her idle. Shut her down and add the
remainder of the oil.
Here's a rough reference for you, what you end up with may vary a bit.
if you've changed the filter, the bike will take two quarts. If you didn't,
start with 1.75 quarts. These amounts work for me, but others have stated
differently, so I'll just give you this ballpark and you can do what you
want.
Start the pig and take her for a quick spin, finally driving the
neighbor into nervous breakdown (insert mental images of groundskeeper from
"Caddyshack") and then come back. Shut her down, check the oil level
one more time, look for leaks around the filter housing, check the drain
bolts, and then go rip!
You're welcome Grasshoppah.
#40D Q: What's the trick to putting in the oil dipstick?
I should've put this one in here sooner. It seems to hit most of the
newbies, and even some of us guys who have been pig breeders for some time.
Many have found that if you just insert the
dipstick in the hole and start screwing (Ohhh behave!), the stick fetches up
some some unseen object. Number one thing is, when this happens, DON'T FORCE
IT! All you'll accomplish is ending up with a dipstick that looks like a
cork screw.
The procedure to get around this is pretty
simple. When you insert the stick, lean it so the tip is towards the right
side of the bike. Stick her in and screw. That's it! Be sure that the stick
is not twisted or bent, and it leaves the cap at a perfect 90 degree angle.
#44 Q:What are my options for coolant?
First tip here is to stick with a non-silicate (red or orange tint) coolant.
Just a little sidenote: The BRP is shipped
with a green coolant. When swap time comes, don't be fooled. It is a
non-silicate coolant, so don't pour just any old green stuff back in. Use
the recommended Honda, or a red over the counter non-silicate. Thanks to Jim
Cesari for pointing out I needed to clear this up.
Running green non-silicate in your piggy
will have two ill effects. First, red and green are not compatible and the
additives used to prevent corrosion in the system will cease to work. Green
coolant also uses fine silica to "sandblast" any scale buildup in the
system. It will erode away soft components and grind down seals.
Some add a "water wetter", such as Red Line, but
my vote is still out on that. I can't even get a straight answer as to
wether or not you run it with coolant or straight water. There is also a
straight glycol (Evans), but that too seems gimmicky to me. It will not boil
and does not expand, both of which are very good traits. the drawback there
is a 15 degree higher average temperature, according to some thermodynamic
calculations done by Rich.
I cannot stand behind either of the coolant
options, as I do not have the boiling problems that many have. I'm a firm
believer that proper jetting will cure 99.9% of the BRP boiling incidents.
#47 Q: What's this about seized and broken chain
adjusters?
This is another case of aluminum in contact with steel that results in a
festering mess of corrosion when damp. If you don't log a whole lot of
miles, it is possible to go a whole season without having to adjust the
chain. That is enough time for the corrosion to seize the bolts into the
swingarm to the point where they will twist off rather than undo. Several
people have already fallen victim to this, requiring a time consuming and
possibly expensive repair. So be smart, remove them while you still can and
coat them with an anti-seize compound, or even a layer of grease if that is
all you have. This tip is handy ANYWHERE that you have bolts of one material
being threaded into an object of dissimiliar material. ie: case bolts and
the kickstand bolts are both very good places to apply this.
Here's you free brain enlargement therapy for
today. The following definition of "Galavanic reaction" will be handy in
many ways if you pay attention and apply it to your BRP:
Galvanic corrosion (also called ' dissimilar
metal corrosion' or wrongly 'electrolysis') refers to corrosion damage
induced when two dissimilar materials are coupled in a corrosive
electrolyte. It occurs when two (or more) dissimilar metals (usually
steel and aluminum in our case)
are brought into electrical contact under water. When a galvanic couple
forms, one of the metals in the couple becomes the anode and corrodes faster
than it would all by itself, while the other becomes the cathode and
corrodes slower than it would alone. Either (or both) metal in the couple
may or may not corrode by itself (themselves) in sea water
(mud/water/muck, in our app.). When contact with a dissimilar metal
is made, however, the self corrosion rates will accelerate or decelerate.