This morning at the not so bright and early time (for me) of 9:30 am I started the process for the timing belt change over.
The following link;
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/54109647/ST1100%20Timing%20Belt.mht certainly helped with getting the centre cover off and doing it wasn't has hard as expected. I think I had more trouble getting the cover out of the frame.
Covers offs and old belt waiting to come off. I lined up timing marks at this point and then removed the LH retaining plate. Needless to say that timing was checked everytime I did something (just in case).
I took some pics of the timing marks on the driven cam gears and drive gear but as luck would have it they are slightly out of focus. Finding the timing punch dot on the drive gear was assisted with the use of a torch. I just could see that tiny dot.
I tripple checked everything before I removed the belt. The hardest part was getting the old belt out from under the drive gear (about 15mins). Probably would have been easier with the clutch cover removed or the motor on a bench but I didn't want to go there. Eventually it came out and I ended up with this
I checked the belt condition and it looked hardly worn. I suppose it could have lasted another 50,000kms or another 10kms.....who knows.
All timing marks still in order so I took the old belt inside and bought the new one out. (hate mix them up) The new belt was easier to get in under the drive gear so I just left the belt roughly in line with all the gears and left it to go down the shop. About an hour later I started to put the belt on properly as instructed and ended up having to adjust the belt on the cam gears 1 tooth On the RH and two on the LH. While I was doing this the LH cam moved slighly so I had to start all over again after aligning the timing mark. The next hardest part was getting the new belt to slide on to the water pump pulley but eventually I got it right.
Timing still aligned up ok so spun the motor a few times to sit the belt in properly as written in the manual. Replaced the plate on the LH cam gear, loosened the tension bolt, turn the motor a couple more times, tighten the tension bolt and then notice there's more about installing a new belt on another page so I had to go and print that out.
Here we go again, loosen tension bolt, a couple more turns, make sure it all lines up again, turn motor until the (almost invisible) dot is three teeth past the timing mark and and then tighten tension bolt. One more check to make sure timing marks are ligned up and the putting back together begins.
This centre cover went back in past the drive gear easier than expected but getting the bolt holes to line up wasn't
The rest of the cam covers on, spark plugs and leads reinstalled.
Now ready for the next stage. Replace coolant hoses and and thermostat which means removing carbs as part of the process.