Gilera Coguar 125 valve clearances?

[StormCrow]

Hi guys

Need to check / adjust the valve clearances on my 2001 Gilera Coguar 125 rattlebox.

Anyone who has one of these bikes will tell you that the information 'out there' on service specifications etc is VERY thin on the ground...

I've found a Piaggio manual (the Coguar was produced by Piaggio) that says the clearances should be inlet 0.10mm exhaust 0.10mm but I'd like confirmation - does anyone out there HAVE a Coguar, or is there a big list of valve specs that bike mechanics have? (Like Autodata for cars!)

I did adjust to these specs, but the bike seemed harder to start, needed the choke to start (whereas before it generally wouldn't) and wouldn't stay running without the choke on... so I figure something isn't right.

If anyone can answer I'd greatly appreciate it - I figure at least it'd be picked up by Google searches in the future for other owners!

Thanks!

[hmmmnz]

clearances are kind of subjective,
normally you'd have the intake clearances tighter as the intake doesn't close up when the bike gets hot,

if it was my bike i would run 0.08mm intake and 0.1mm exhaust

you could go much tighter though, probably as tight as 0.05mm intake
and 0.08 exhaust,

up to you really,
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Odie]

Straight from the Gilera Cougar workshop manual:
0.1 + or - 0.02 COLD
For both inlet and exhaust
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You are so ugly when you were born the doctor said "I?m gonna drop it, if it falls is a rat, if it flies is a bat."

[StormCrow]

Thank you guys - Odie, you're a star!

OK then - I think I have another problem?!

Having (repeatedly! ) set the valve clearances to 0.1 mm, the bike won't idle properly now, unless the choke is half on or fully on. The bike used to start (assuming it wasn't freezing outside) without the choke, and idle fairly easily after a few twists of the throttle. Now it won't idle at all off choke.

Haven't given it a fair chance to warm up really as I was concerned that the clearances weren't right, now thanks to Odie I know they are...

Only other thing that I had to do was rebuild the cam chain tensioner by manually winding the clockspring inside it back in before putting it back together - could a slightly tight cam chain cause this? (Clutching at straws here!)

I'm wondering if it's a fueling issue - the bike seems to be running too rich on choke - it won't rev up cleanly without stuttering, but yet if you take the choke off it does the same (before dying as soon as you let off the throttle)

When I initially went to adjust the valves, I think the intake valve seemed tighter than the exhaust valve (but it's been through so many 'cycles' since then I can't quite remember!). Might I need to adjust the carb?


Thanks!

[Asharin]

Check the battery too, a poorly (almost dead) battery can cause idling problems...as I found out recently when I replaced the ancient battery in my Virago..it's never run so well!! It actually idles now, and starts much easier
Before it wouldn't even consider starting without choke, would always die on idling, often even when it'd been warmed up. In fact I had to turn up the idle speed to stop it stalling whenever I stopped....
Now with a new battery all the problems went away..so worth checking at least!

[StormCrow]

Thanks asharin

The battery is fully charged and only a few months old...

I've just rebuilt the carb and given it a clean out, looked OK but fingers crossed for the morning

[Asharin]

[Odie]

they are really sirseptable to mixture screw settings, (stock is 2 turns out from fully seated) turn the screw out 1/4 a turn and try again, if its better then try a further 1/4 turn and keep doing that till you get a clean idle, if it gets worse try turning the screw in by 1/4 of a turn till it runs right, you do still have the stock air box fitted dont you?
(the screw under the carb is the mixture screw)
____________________
You are so ugly when you were born the doctor said "I?m gonna drop it, if it falls is a rat, if it flies is a bat."

[StormCrow]

Thanks Odie

Yes, it's all standard stuff fitted.

Managed to get it started and idling this morning, think it still needs some more valve adjustment (they're noisey now so too loose)

Guess I'll play around with the fueling and see if I can get it set right, at the moment if you rev it quickly at idle it'll die, so the fueling can't be right!

So much for a relatively easy maintenance job! I can strip and rebuild a car engine in a day, this has taken almost a week on and off!