Kent Avalon 1st build tommorow 11/2018

[junglepig]

Looks cool. Your rag joint is nowhere near tight enough in your photo, but I assume it's just a mid-assembly photo and you haven't tightened the 9 bolts yet. In mine at least, I had to replace lots of hardware with better, starting with the nuts, bolts, and washers for the rag joint. (I used 1/4" instead of 6mm to replace those to save a little $ at the hardware store.

How do you plan to manage chain tension ? You can't just use that stock tensioner with rear suspension.

 

[junglepig]

I would recommend replacing the head acorn nuts from the kit with quality nuts from the hardware store. Until then, make sure you don't let them bottom out on the studs when you tighten them. You should have your head nuts tightened to about 15 foot pounds.

I'm still running the stock hardware for my head/jug studs. But I think one of them started to strip at about 9 ft-lbs so I stopped at 9 until I can get some M8 class 8.8 all-thread and make new studs. My booklet specified 12 ft-lbs.

It's very important that these are tight and even.

My engine came pretty much dry, so some pre-lube may be appropriate before you start it up.

 

[Tyler6357]

I'm still running the stock hardware for my head/jug studs. But I think one of them started to strip at about 9 ft-lbs so I stopped at 9 until I can get some M8 class 8.8 all-thread and make new studs. My booklet specified 12 ft-lbs.

It's very important that these are tight and even.

My engine came pretty much dry, so some pre-lube may be appropriate before you start it up.

Well, there was a time when every kit came with the short acorn nuts. As you screwed them in they would bottom out or the threads would strip, or worse, you would strip out the threads in the crank case that hold the studs. After a while kits started including the deeper acorn nuts but some kits still have the short ones. If you have the deeper ones you are probably good to go, unless the threads are just too horrible. I think the Chinese are thread challenged. Everyone used to just change out to regular nuts, not acorn nuts.

 

[junglepig]

Well, there was a time when every kit came with the short acorn nuts. As you screwed them in they would bottom out or the threads would strip, or worse, you would strip out the threads in the crank case that hold the studs. After a while kits started including the deeper acorn nuts but some kits still have the short ones. If you have the deeper ones you are probably good to go, unless the threads are just too horrible. I think the Chinese are thread challenged.

Thanks. Mine has deeper acorn nuts, and they are not bottomed out, but the stud threads are too weak to take 12 ft-lbs, .
When I get new studs, the acorns are gone as well.

I mainly wanted to caution xllxillusionxll that if they try to go to 15 ft-lbs the kit hardware may not take it.

 

[Tyler6357]

Thanks. Mine has deeper acorn nuts, and they are not bottomed out, but the stud threads are too weak to take 12 ft-lbs, .
When I get new studs, the acorns are gone as well.

I mainly wanted to caution xllxillusionxll that if they try to go to 15 ft-lbs the kit hardware may not take it.

Yeah, maybe, but you really should be close to 15ft-lbs because vibrations sometimes tends to loosen them. Also, I've seen these cheap heads actually become warped from heat and develop air leaks at the head gasket, haha, they are pretty cheap. One good upgrade is a high compression head with large fins for a much cooler and better running engine.

 

[xllxillusionxll]

Yes photos are Mid build . I definitly need to tighten and true the sprocket

As far as the suspension I have it tightened to the max .I had to stop for the night my back is killing me . but i have a springloaded tensioner on the way from ebay that screws into the cover plate .

So many ideas and things i want to add but safety and reliability are first .

Thank guys for participating in my thread I really appreciate the knowledge in the forum.

 

[junglepig]

Yeah, maybe, but you really should be close to 15ft-lbs because vibrations sometimes tends to loosen them.

I did replace the washers and lockwashers under the acorns with quality M8 hardware, but I was out of M8 nuts. So far they haven't budged.
Pretty much everywhere else I've used double nutting and that works really well to stop vibration loosening. Nothing that I used jam nuts on has loosened. Other parts have. I'm still in the "getting to know you" phase with my first MB. Like, the stock chain guard on the pedal side, which I had not touched loosened up the other day. The stuff I installed myself and paid attention to seems to be holding. But, like, my seat came loose the other day, as did my handlebar clamp. So the non-kit items really deserve thorough attention to be sure they are tight, and that you do something (lock nuts, jam nuts, lock tite, etc.) to prevent vibration from loosening fasteners!
So, xllxillusionxll, be sure to check these non-kit fasteners as well as taking care with you kit installation. The bike was not assembled at the factory to withstand the vibration you are about to subject it to!

 

[Tyler6357]

Thanks. Mine has deeper acorn nuts, and they are not bottomed out, but the stud threads are too weak to take 12 ft-lbs, .
When I get new studs, the acorns are gone as well.

I mainly wanted to caution xllxillusionxll that if they try to go to 15 ft-lbs the kit hardware may not take it.

Hey, just for your info, if you ever need it, sick bike parts sells a 4 stud 8M - 1.0 kits for these engines for only $10 ---> http://sickbikeparts.com/head-stud-kit-m8-1-0/

 

[Tyler6357]

I did replace the washers and lockwashers under the acorns with quality M8 hardware, but I was out of M8 nuts. So far they haven't budged.
Pretty much everywhere else I've used double nutting and that works really well to stop vibration loosening. Nothing that I used jam nuts on has loosened. Other parts have. I'm still in the "getting to know you" phase with my first MB. Like, the stock chain guard on the pedal side, which I had not touched loosened up the other day. The stuff I installed myself and paid attention to seems to be holding. But, like, my seat came loose the other day, as did my handlebar clamp. So the non-kit items really deserve thorough attention to be sure they are tight, and that you do something (lock nuts, jam nuts, lock tite, etc.) to prevent vibration from loosening fasteners!
So, xllxillusionxll, be sure to check these non-kit fasteners as well as taking care with you kit installation. The bike was not assembled at the factory to withstand the vibration you are about to subject it to!

Yeah, vibration really is a problem, use blue lock-tite on threads that loosen. Also, if you ever decide to put on fenders, make certain they are well secured and use durable metal that won't break, they are known for cheap bendable aluminum breaking off and shooting into the spokes, followed by, well, bad things, haha. Also, most people just lose the kit chain guard, I never even put mine on and never had my pants leg get caught or anything.

 

[Tyler6357]

Oh, one more thing, get padded gloves, haha, Okay, I'm an old guy, things were different when I was 30, but padded grip gloves really do help with the numbness in my old hands. Ha!!