Sorry to disappoint, but I just don't give a hearty crap about the semantics.

If it actually mattered I might.

I wrote what I actually viewed when looking squarely in at the plane of the head. The picture isn't taken perpendicular to the surface and it is difficult to compensate for parallax present in that point of view. I did the work, it worked without problem. The bike is not in pieces and I'm not going to tear it down for this petty tripe.

If you take this as me blowing off the subject you'd be absolutely right. :rolleyes:

If I may... cause I agree with Richard that someone could be confused and do the mod incorrectly as a result.

The gears are definitely rotated two teeth relative to their original positions. It's impossible to have a fractional tooth rotation, the chain would not engage on the gear.

That being said, whenever I check my valve clearance (fourth time now), I always find that the marks are not well aligned with the head, both gears are about 6 deg. retarded, about half a tooth. Is it due to a stretched chain? Could it be within manufacturing tolerance? It's been that way since I have the bike (bought new in 2008). My engine runs well, as far as I can tell... I put new shims after one year, but the clearance did not move a single mil after that (25000km later).

Perhaps I didn't phrase it right, the marks are what are being looked at, and are about 2-1/2 teeth above the surface.

What I said: "Whenever the piston is at TDC compression and there is proper directional pull on the cam chain, the marks are 2-1/2 teeth above the surface." I guess I should have said about. Visually that is what I saw in the process of doing the work. The marks can be and are about 2-1/2 teeth above the surface with the minor variation in that neither mark is exactly in the center of the peak or root of the tooth. Such is life, it is merely an indicator. Don't think I ever did say the cams were moved 2-1/2 teeth, you are right, the crank at TDC wouldn't allow a half tooth rotation, but since it is the marking and the sprockets are in different holes - that can happen. It is very close.

Here is what I had in the summary:

With the engine still set at TDC, hopefully you didn’t move it while goofing with the cams, place the cams back in the engine, put some oil on the journals just because. You need to set them so the alignment mark that is normally horizontal with the head surface, is now rotated to the point where you see the mark between the two sprockets at 2.5 teeth above the surface - pretty simple… except if you are like me you will keep screwing up and moving them one tooth too far or the wrong way. But once you realize it is this simple to verify it now is quite easy to see.

Pretty much what the picture shows. The visual is worth a thousand words... I did it, it worked and I know what I was looking at. This wasn't my first rodeo dealing with cam timing.

I hate to interrupt you two during your CRAZY TIME,, Richard, RayCour can probably tell you most anything you ever wondered regarding the ignition tab modding you did..

My apologies. :rolleyes:

Quick,dumb question, too many post to read
 

Stoopid Q: Viewed from the cam side of the engine, right side? Which direction do the crank and cams rotate? CW or ACW? I can find out by pushing the bike in gear but I want this fully understood(in my head) before I tear into the engine. The semantics argument makes my head hurt. Besides, I intend to inscribe the initial position not only in the cam sprockets but in the ends of the cams themselves so I can do a clear sanity check when finished as to whether a cam has advanced or retarded WRT the crank at TDC. I have given up with the MCM thread, after 500 posts I am fatigued. At this point doing the mod will probably be easier than understanding all the words people have been writing about the mod. Since tomorrow is gonna be wet me thinks I will do it, if I don't have to wait on shims from the valve clearance check I am overdue for. Grammar Nazis have been tossed a softball, enjoy.

LOL, so true Snappster.. But through the sniveling and chest thumping there is this MCM procedure that must be done correctly.

To answer your question - As your sitting in front of your computer looking at the 3rd picture, (on MCM page 1) the chain rotates from your left toward your right (or clockwise).. You will see this when you have the cam cover off - just take a moment and touch the starter button.. Go very slow, this work must be infallible..

KLXSTER,
I see now that I looked at chapter 5 in the manual that they rotate CW as you said. The cam chain slack at the tensioner makes that apparent in the exploded diagram. I suppose I might be better off if I spend more time getting familiar with the manual and less reading so many opinions and getting myself confused trying to understand confused people. So when I am done I care less about what the sprockets look like. At TDC the intake cam will be advanced 1/2T and eX ret. by 1/2T with the sprockets as a sanity check referencing the forum MCM post mod pics. Is that the essence? intake 1/2T adv,. ex. 1/2T ret.? I reread the OP for the N+1 time and believe that is it. Piece of cake.

You are correct on all counts. Especially about it being a "piece of cake". Too easy for you (and some of us) - while impossible for others.. Only real test is knowing which "camp" one belongs to - as failure could be disastrous.

Started the fun
 

After installing a Galfer front brake semi-metallic pads and hose and bleeding it I ripped into the top end. No manual, just intuition. Cams are out and shims measured. I will need new shims, both interestingly on the drive chain side where the clearnces were too tight. Pretty easy so far. I lightly marked my cam ends so I can see the new cam positions regardless of the sprockets. I think I will just remove the ACR spring and call it done as far as it goes. But I did mark it too in case I decide to reposition it. And since the manual says: Check the valve clearance using this method only. Checking the clearance at any other cam position may result in improper valve clearance.: do we not need to alter the crank position appropriately to check clearances after the cams' timing is shifted WRT the crank? Perhaps not, just a question.