Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 05:27:26 -0800 From: shelly takacs Organization: University of Alberta To: rblanders@uwaterloo.ca Subject: My own Honda V4 experience I thought I would e-mail some info that would be useful to some v-4 owners (chain driven anyway - more later). I first purchased my 83 VF750 Interceptor in 1991. I had been working all summer, riding a bicycle, to go back to school in the fall and had some money left over. I decided to get my motorcycle licence. Shortly after, I bought a bike. I saw it every day of my one week motorcycle course, languishing in some military compound. Due to my inexperience I had just purchased a camshaft eating, 2nd gear missing, bent forked, 39 000 km, rough looking excuse of a bike for $500 dollars. $1400 dollars later it had 2nd gear, straight forks and new crank & rod bearings. It's alive! After working at a Honda shop for two years, I had learned more about the cam problem and felt more oil pressure would be the first solution. Did you know the VF1000R runs with 100 lbs of oil pressure? (the oil pump rotor is thicker than the VF750F) I was surprised as well to find out that the engine block is the same size as the VF750F. Order one VF1000R oil pump please! The first indication that the oil pump increased top end lubrication was that after I installed it, the cylinder head banjo bolts leaked oil like they were loose!! Gaining some engineering experience at school and motorcycle experience working at the shop, I felt I could tackle the unfiltered top end oil problem after seeing the Tierney Hollen ad in the back of a magazine. I made my own bypass plate to fit behind the oil filter, based on the ads' one inch square picture. I used braided steel lines and fittings from an aircraft supply warehouse. One of the previous owners had installed Megacycle rocker arms but the rear exhaust cam was toast. A new cam and several attempts at the gasket between the block and the plate followed. I like using motorcycle specific oil*, changed every 2 000 kms (shifting deteriorates rapidly after that; don't know why, have tried 15 different brands & 4 weights of oil, same result*). 76 000 kms** later it still has good cams but it needs more power. I have sent a set of old cams to Megacycle for a more aggressive grind. As for the oil pump fitting only chain driven v4's, the crankshaft on the shaft driven bikes rotates backwards. So to does the pump. The entrance and exit to the pump rotor is different. All of the shafties run about the same oil pressure as the stock VF750F so I don't believe a different pump would be any advantage. I did all of this before ever surfing the net, and I am happy to see I am not alone in trying to revive motorcycles with such engineering flaws. I will try and forward some more info and photos in the future. *Tried Esso 10w30 (needed oil late at night), Motul 3100 10W40 & Silkolene 10W40 (trying different brands sold at shop). Changed to M/C oil next day!! Shifting was awful right from start. Good results from Honda 10W40 #CB66578 (including drag race weekend in 30 degree heat), Klotz 100% synthetic 10W40 (smells like cherries!), Belray 100% synthetic 10W50 - 3 000 kms and counting but $14.95/litre retail **Total 115 000 kms. turned over 100 000 kms during 1994 Alberta 2000. 61 000 kms from spring 92 to summer 94!! Jamon Dahlberg turk333@telusplanet.net