defining "top dead center on compression stroke"

[lragan]

Terry, this a Handel opera called 'Alcina'.  My job as Technical Director is ultimately to implement the scenic designs for our operas, musicals, plays, and dance shows.  So 8-9 weeks a school year I get to work extra long hours.  Not to be confused with other regular longer hours    In a way, the scenic designer is like an architect, describing the scenery that needs to go onstage; I'm kinda like the engineer, project manager, and construction foreman rolled into one. 
As far as operas go, this design is different, not vary traditional.  All sorts of curvaceous platforms and 'ice-flame-like' sculptural shapes onstage.  It's pretty cool looking, and beautiful to listen to.  We're in rehearsals to put all the technical elements together (orchestra, scenery, props, special effects, lighting, costumes...).  It is a week long process usually.
Hop Along

pictures! pictures!  We need pictures!!

[Smoked U]

Let me tell you what you already know.

The #1 cylinder is on the left side of the rear cylinder head if you are seated on the bike. The #3 cylinder is on the right side of the rear cylinder head. The #2 cylinder is on the left side of the front cylinder head and the #4 cylinder is on the right side of the front cylinder head.
.[color]

Smoked U,
Thanks for this post.  I owe you a beer.  Or three.  I'd misread the manual 'front' and 'right' info on the cylinder layout diagrams.  All my original valve checking were incorrect.

When I was reading your original post and looking at the pictures I knew you were on the wrong cylinder, so i figured the smart thing to do was discuss the procedure and let you find out on your own.

Finally got to working on the bike just this morning.  It was the shortest valve check ever.  Everything was within spec except one intake valve that was within .oo2" instead of.oo1" within spec. 

Now I'm waiting til Tuesday for the cam chain guard to arrive before buttoning things up.

While valve checking I took a cursory glance at the intake and exhaust marks on the cam sprockets-nearly freaked out while looking from the left side of the bike, just how far off the marks were.  My buddy who was helping (not our Buddy) didn't understand why I was so astonished.  After re-checking the manual, and looking from his side (the right side) I realized all was well-dead on, front and rear cylinders.  So a question I'd had to myself is confirmed by evidence: replacing cam chain tensioners, even after riding while one is broken, seems to have no ill effect on the cam chain sprocket timing.

Unless a chain tensioner was gone and the chain was very stretched and the spockets were badly worn so that the chain could skip a tooth on a cam sprocket, you wouldn't find the marks off on the timing. If they were off one tooth, you can bet you will know because cam timing is critical and will manifest itself in very ugly ways.

So, hopefully the end of next week I'll be good to go.  We are about to open a show so I've been more or less at work 8am to 10pm... but we open Thursday
Hop Along

[Smoked U]

Alcina the sorceress. Should be really cool.

Speaking of "curvaceous platforms", what's going on with Megan? I think of her once in a while in her viking outfit photo.

Tough, tough, tough.

[hop along]

So the parts I ordered arrived today, I hope to have time to install Thursday evening, during opening of our opera.  I like to check in with the student Stage managers, who are effectively in charge of the show by opening night.  I bid them to 'have fun' (never say 'good luck' to people onstage on opening night, that is bad luck).  And then I congratulate the student on being in a position of responsibility and authority, by telling them that if they need me I will be having a drink to celebrate opening well before the show opens.  So if something goes wrong during the performance, they are in the position to fix it with a live audience to watch 

And yes, things have gone wrong.  But I digress.  While I hurry up and wait for the opportunity to spend quality time with the Purple People Eater (the bike's name), here is a pic of stage prior to tonight's rehearsal.  Scenic Design is by my friend, colleague, and Harley rider Jon Young; lighting be guest artist Kirk Fitzgerald (who has off-Broadway and Broadway assistant design credits). 

To give a sense of scale; the width of the stage is 36'.  There are three curved platforms, two of which hang over the orchestra and are structurally engineered (part of my job ).  The giant 'ice-flame-like' sculptural things are meant to be icy flames, but are actually wire mesh (fencing) on steel frames.  They have lots of color and glitter applied to them.  The setting is meant to be a mystic location, an island where the sorceress Alcina presides; a place where time stands still (and the souls of men are captured in an urn that glows... and their souls are released when the urn is shattered to set everything right!).  It sounds great.  It is a pleasure to hear the un amplified voice, with unamplified orchestra in an opera house that sounds good.  Makes me wish I worked on opera more!
Hop Along

[Smoked U]

Outstanding!

Congratulations.

[TLRam1]

Thanks for the photo, I take it this is a production put on by the school and is fee based attendance for the students and public, correct? How long does this run?

On the ice flames, there is nothing else on the wire other than paint and glitter? Looks like it has the clear cellophane crinkle type plastic covering that changes color covering the fence.

[Brad Badgett]

Scott- What a transformation!  Having attended a dozen 'end-of-year' dance recitials when Beth was growing up, and going to a few OU productions, Rupel Jones Theatre doesn't look the same.  Good job!  Wish we could get a break in the weather, 2 inches of sleet Sunday-ich.  I would settle for a 'dry' 50ish day to go riding.

Brad Badgett
OK Region
MOOT #164
1996 VF750C

[hop along]

Terry-
Shows open to public, students get the cheapest tickets, public pays a little more.  I honestly don't even know what we charge... Some of the designers are faculty/guest artists, others are students; the orchestra are mostly students, singers are all students, and although there are a few staff leading the way to implement the designs, it is mostly students who hang the lights, sew the costumes, build and paint the set, etc. 
The Ice Flame fence bits are glitter painted with colored paper from Hobby Lobby attached; there are lights below these units to really make them pop-and look a variety of different colors over the course of the production.  Luckily about half the opera was cut... so it is less than a two hour show (it should run four hours....)

Brad, This is actually on the Holmberg stage in the Reynolds Hall.  That's why the space is so gorgeous!  Rupel will close down for technical improvements at the end of this school year.

Scott