Funny stuff, Rook [key]! Did you pull the plugs out? That would have no compression to suck the bags in. Not to worry. You're doing fine. Oh look! You pulled the cover and the gaskets stayed in place! What are you going to do? Try to pop the cover back on, do not disturb the rubber cover gaskets? Pull the gasket off, hand dry them with those spent paper towels and nothing else, but clean them and inspect for damage/reuse/discard... OR... Leave the rubbers there as it, cause you know it will plop right back over it if you did not move a thing.
Interesting observation about that hot carbon build on the threads. Were those the leakers for the washers or were they the most loose? If you need to pull the cam caps, address those 2 dirty holes with brake clean. Same with the 2 bolts, meaning, wipe them off.
Any 4-cycle engine, I don't care if it is boat/mower/plane/car/bike/train, you name it, there are only 4-strokes and the one stroke you want to study is that intake. take your time turning the engine with the plugs out don't forget. Same as the throttle bodies, you play with this and walk away from it. Somehow, that time lag and this digestion of the action finding TDC of any engine is child's play (kid!)
We know the intake cam is on the throttle body side. We want to watch that intake cam as we sit on the bike and now far left is #1 cylinder. Far right is #4. SM says to find TDC by watching the intake move the shim bucket down into the head. This compresses a spring. You'll see it once the cams come out. But for now, you want to watch the action of the cams move. This way, a few spins are not going to destroy any part of the bike's engine. the way it sits still wet with all that handling, that top end is going to be lubed before you can wink. Again, it takes a tremendous amount of heat and thousands of rpm's to start to cook parts. A few hand turns will not.
So practice following #1 TDC a few times. Then you can watch the intake cams follow the timing sequence: 1-2-4-3. See, by following the very first cylinder, you can figure out who is going to perform the next 'watch the intake push the valve/bucket/spring/retainer/keepers = DOWN!
Once you see that intake cam on #1 cylinder push that bucket [down-down-down], you then move your eyes to the timing wheel. You then find the 1-4 again and set it at TDC 1-4. And to know you are at #1 TDC; the lobes should be sticking out on #1 and the lobes should be facing in on #4 = YOU FOUND #1 TDC!
Pretty easy, no?
Tormenting the motorcycling community one post at a time