Did the front Isolastic conversion today.

I've had a good couple of days sorting a few of the smaller jobs ready for when the head comes back from vapour blasting.

I'm off this week and woke up in a positive frame of mind, so thought I'd have a go at the front Iso. conversion with the kit I bought a couple of weeks ago from AN. I've already got my header pipes off, so they're out of the way.


Once I'd got the bike locked in an upright position, off the stand & with a lift under the engine, I began disassembling the original shimmed Iso.

After having to nip out to buy a 9/16 combi spanner that I frustratingly didn't have, I found the unit came off a P.O.P.

Over a cuppa, I did a 'refresher course' (watching Mike's Mighty Garage Iso. You Tube vid), and my bike being the same year, I was expecting a real mess but was amazed at the condition of my old unit.

Here, I didn't clean anything, this is just as it presented itself to me..







I was actually tempted to just put it all back together again & save the kit for a few years, however the tube was slightly off centre and I knew it would be bad inside. (the photo makes it look pretty centered, but it was 1.5mm off)..



Like I say, expecting a container full of crumbling black rubber, I tapped the rubbers out with one of my cycle bearing drifts..



..and out popped this..



Incredible!

I didn't need the flapper wheel I bought along with the 9/16 spanner as a bit of a rub with wire wool was all that was needed for this..



I opened the AN front Iso. kit and got ready for the install..



I don't own a vice yet, so feared a struggle fitting the new rubbers, but simply holding the mounting in between my legs and with both the rubbers and the mount prepped in red rubber grease, the lot pretty much slid in (much like Mike's video). I packed it with red rubber grease..



..and installed the end caps, PTFE washers etc..



Fitting the unit back to the bike was fairly painless, with a bit of soft mallet use and a couple of engine height adjustments..



Thanks again to Mike's video, I knew the most easily accessible location to begin the vernier adjustments (at the rear, under the timing cover). I finished with .006. That may be too harsh, or just right, we'll see when we get on the road, I'll know where and how to make adjustments if needed.

Only one issue I had, was the timing side rubber gaiter, got snagged on the way into the frame, between the mountings, like a partial eclipse of where I wanted to slot the Iso. centre stud. I couldn't shift the bugger as it was trapped good & proper, so rather than knacker it, I removed the upper & lower studs again and tapped the unit down & out and was able to release the side of the gaitor. It all went back sweetly. A car scissor jack helped lining up the Iso. to the mount.

If it hadn't have been for the trapped gaitor and the annoying tool shopping trip, I reckon it would've taken 2-21/2 hours and if I can do it, anyone can. The rear? Hmmm. Maybe another time

Cheers..

Bonzo said:

Only one issue I had, was the timing side rubber gaiter, got snagged on the way into the frame, between the mountings, like a partial eclipse of where I wanted to slot the Iso. centre stud. I couldn't shift the bugger as it was trapped good & proper, so rather than knacker it, I removed the upper & lower studs again and tapped the unit down & out and was able to release the side of the gaitor. It all went back sweetly. A car scissor jack helped lining up the Iso. to the mount.

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Looking at the picture you appear to have copied the error in Mike's video as he didn't fit the outer ends of the gaiters correctly and why your gaiter snagged because the outer rim of each gaiter should locate in the groove of the fixed abutment and adjuster and why Mike had some difficulty adjusting the Iso. If left as they are then the Mk3 gaiters will let in water.
Gaiter correctly located in the (fixed abutment) groove. Same at the adjuster end:

L.A.B. said:

Looking at the picture you appear to have copied the error in Mike's video as he didn't fit the outer ends of the gaiters correctly and why your gaiter snagged because the outer rim of each gaiter should locate in the groove of the fixed abutment and adjuster and why Mike had some difficulty adjusting the Iso. If left as they are then the Mk3 gaiters will let in water.

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Hi Les, thanks for mentioning that.

I've had to read your words 3 or 4 times before it made sense, but now I get what you're saying.

I'll sort that tomorrow.

Cheers mate.

Bonzo said:

Hi Les, thanks for mentioning that.

I've had to read your words 3 or 4 times before it made sense, but now I get what you're saying.

I'll sort that tomorrow.

Cheers mate.

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Ok, I've added a picture.

Gotcha, ta.

It's just like everyone says. "That's why you're on the big money"

Bonzo said:

Gotcha, ta.

It's just like everyone says. "That's why you're on the big money"

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Gaiters locate as shown. Mk3 drawing but the pre-Mk3 vernier conversion kit is the basically same only the adjuster end cap is shorter and the gaiters in the kit are Mk3 but still fit with the adjustment holes outside the gaiter. The same for the rear Iso. gaiters.

Yes. It makes sense.

Mine are currently 'hanging' over the end of the cap, and not really doing anything.

Bonzo - did you find you had a nice even measurement all the way around the adjustment area? I was so careful to mate the new pieces together and assumed I would not find myself with differing measurements (.013 at 12 o'clock; .007 at 6 o'clock) when done. It is nagging me enough that I may untorque the through bolt and see if somehow things sorted themselves by way of 30 ft/lbs and then re-measuring my work. Or, I may let this go and do the 200-mile readjust. Thanks for your post and any experience in this area.

Jdub said:

Bonzo - did you find you had a nice even measurement all the way around the adjustment area? I was so careful to mate the new pieces together and assumed I would not find myself with differing measurements (.013 at 12 o'clock; .007 at 6 o'clock) when done. It is nagging me enough that I may untorque the through bolt and see if somehow things sorted themselves by way of 30 ft/lbs and then re-measuring my work. Or, I may let this go and do the 200-mile readjust. Thanks for your post and any experience in this area.

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I never worry about setting mine to any figure
I just adjust it until it's tight then back it off until the engine can move up and down

Bonzo said:

Fitting the unit back to the bike was fairly painless, with a bit of soft mallet use and a couple of engine height adjustments..

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That is why I suggested leaving the cap off.
The housing goes in easily, raise the engine a tad, cap on to seated, lower vertically with no binding between the frame lugs.
No hammers needed soft or otherwise.



Perhaps try that way in 2062.

One of your photos ( after the red rubber grease packing) shows a PTFE washer without any grease or visible lubrication to both sides of it. This is where you really need it ( where the feeler gauge goes to measure and adjust gap ) . You can run it dry ( as I've seen other owners do ) but I would not . Up to you.

Would someone be able to post a pic of where to put the feeler gauge? Bit of a noob question as I haven't started looking at mine in anger yet but getting iso anxiety anyway...

Time Warp said:

That is why I suggested leaving the cap off.
The housing goes in easily, raise the engine a tad, cap on to seated, lower vertically with no binding between the frame lugs.
No hammers needed soft or otherwise.

View attachment 96897

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I'd think the engine would need to be jacked up more than "a tad" to replace the adjuster cap and most likely involves disconnecting the head steady, unbolting the coil bracket etc. so I don't see the point of doing what seems to be unnecessary work, in my opinion, to simply remove and replace only the front Iso. when a few taps with a mallet does the same with less dismantling of parts (the assembly possibly would have gone back easier had the gaiters been fitted correctly).


If the arrow in the picture is supposed to indicate the adjuster cap overhanging the inner tube then that's how it is supposed to be as the tube has to be 'short' of the overall length and screwing the cap on 'before' or 'after' the Iso is attached to the engine won't change that.

Time Warp said:

Perhaps try that way in 2062.

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I'll try and eek another 12 months out of it so that the telegram from whoever is on the throne can serve as a reminder

Torontonian said:

One of your photos ( after the red rubber grease packing) shows a PTFE washer without any grease or visible lubrication to both sides of it. This is where you really need it ( where the feeler gauge goes to measure and adjust gap ) . You can run it dry ( as I've seen other owners do ) but I would not . Up to you.

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On the table pic above that, next to the Morris red rubber tub is a tube of clear silicone grease, I smeared them with that

Beefiddler said:

Would someone be able to post a pic of where to put the feeler gauge? Bit of a noob question as I haven't started looking at mine in anger yet but getting iso anxiety anyway...

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For the vernier Isos.?



For the standard shim Isos. I suggest you read the manual, from section F12:
When checking either the vernier or shimmed Iso. the bolt (front) or stud (rear) should be tight.

Beefiddler said:

Would someone be able to post a pic of where to put the feeler gauge? Bit of a noob question as I haven't started looking at mine in anger yet but getting iso anxiety anyway...

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Basically anywhere you can gain enough access to slide a feeler gauge in.

I had more access room as the header pipes were off.

baz said:

I never worry about setting mine to any figure
I just adjust it until it's tight then back it off until the engine can move up and down

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Same here.

I saw somewhere that CNW doesn't fit the rubber gaiters on their isos, do they use something else, or is it OK to just take off the rubbers and bin them?