First startup after rebuild

[RodneyK]

Hi All,
Thanks to your help I have my 55 G9 assembled with a rebuilt engine, gearbox and mag. Everything seems to work as per the manual specs but as yet I have only turned it over once to adjust the valves. It’s very stiff. I have not added any oil or gasoline yet so it is completely dry.
I am looking for a check list or step by step procedure to get it started from this state without damaging anything in the process. I have no experience with this bike other than building it from parts. Any help in getting it running would be greatly appreciated.

[spookefoote1956]

I'd get a little oil down the barrel, if you haven't already, before you do some damage.

[RodneyK]

There is a little oil in the cylinders just from the assembly. How do I get oil from the tank into the pump and all the oil channels before I try to start it? Just kick it over dry?

[Groily]

I've normally poured a few fl oz of oil into the crankcase, made sure the crank had a goodly squirt when it was out, bores too, soaked the felt main filter in oil (and made a mess putting it in), liberally oiled the rockers on assembly, squirted some oil onto the valve stems and down the plug 'oles, filled the oil tank and let gravity get it to the pump.
You could spend ages kicking it over to get oil all round, or even push it round the garden / roll it down a hill in gear with the plugs out. But I usually just start them. If there's a bit of oil in the crankcase it takes less time to see the return at the tank - but the key thing is to watch the level go down as the engine runs gently, proving that the delivery side is doing its job. Which should be very visible - if it isn't, something's wrong. The return will show up quite soon on twins (compared to the singles) but the return alone is not an instant guide to well-being if there was a lot of oil poured downstairs after assembly. Need to be sure it's ongoing (spurts or trickle) and increases strongly with rising rpm.

When the oil level settles, then you can top up. It'll usually need over half a pint to get to full when the filter chamber and oil galleries are filled and there is the standard amount (about 8 fl oz) sitting in the crankcase. More if there's an add-on return line filter fitted - which if there is, I'd prime too on assembly.

When you say it's 'very stiff to turn', it's a matter of degree but probably OK as long as the crank was turning freely when you put the cases together having got the centre main bearing carrier settled centrally 'per book' and a dummy run before final tightening of the 6 nuts. Without the top end on, that is. It ought to go round reasonably easily with the plugs out but a rebore and new rings can make it harder.

After running it up to temperature, I'd stop it, let it cool and re-torque the heads/barrels next morning. Then do the same again after a few miles, and a third time after a few hundred, if using composite head gaskets. And check valve clearances obviously. Done right, it'll then do a load of miles and hopefully behave for years. But it might 'wet sump', so beware overfilling the oil tank with a cold engine that hasn't run for a while. Loads of stuff on that foible here, which affects most machines with gear oil pumps to some extent.

Our 500 Twins - Brilliant machines, really hope you enjoy her when she's settled down.

[RodneyK]

The crank spun quite freely before I installed the barrels so I think it’s just the new rings causing the friction. Thank you for the excellent advice. I will follow it carefully.

[RodneyK]

Sorry for my ignorance here, but how do I pour oil into the crankcase after the engine is assembled?

[spookefoote1956]

If you pour some in the spark plug hole and give it a few gentle kicks before putting the plug back in. Should work its way down to the crankcases.

[Groily]

hmm!
Easiest way is by pouring a bit down a pushrod hole probably, after taking a rocker box off. There's no easy route when the lids are all on. But if you were liberal with the oil can when assembling everything, it might be a non-issue.
I suppose you could take the crankcase breather out and squirt slime up the hollow crank . . . but not if you've sealed up the primary already!

[RodneyK]

As a very first step I thought I better fill my reconditioned Burman gearbox with oil. As I poured it in it leaked out just as fast through a hole in the back of the kick start case. When I pulled the cover off I found a hole near the bottom that goes right through the rear of the case to the outside! It does not show on my exploded diagram but it does seem to show an alignment stud in the rear case that might be missing. Part 35-3-2. Can I plug this hole with something else so I don’t have to pull the two cases apart? Any other suggestions? I’m getting off to a slow start.

[RodneyK]

Photo shows hole with a nail in it to mark the spot.