Valve adjustment

[netputty]

Can anyone recommend a mechanic local to the Boston area that can check/adjust valves for a price that isn't dealership expensive?

Thanks in advance

[timmyho414]

Roger Jr said he would pay me to do your valves if you guys don't bump...

[Pittenger5]

Buy someone pizza and beer and learn to do them yourself.

[timmyho414]

hey seriously, I bet your bike uses shims. You have to measure the clearances of all valves, remove the cams(most of the time but not always), pull the shim of the valves that need adjusting, measure the shims, get shims that will bring the clearance into spec, replace shim(and cam if removed) the check the clearance again.

Getting the shims is the biggest pain, the rest is just time and patience.

edit: I know this doesn't answer your original question but I felt like seeing how to do it and figure I'd share.

http://www.600rr.net/vb/showthread.php?t=241983

[nhbubba]

Do you want to check your clearances, or adjust? The difference is checking does not require a shim kit.

I think I've resigned to DIYing the check and then if out of spec, outsourcing the adjustment to someone else.

[rsw81]

I've got a full shim kit in Boston if you end up doing this yourself. Happy to bring them your way for WAY cheaper than the dealership.

If you end up needing the dealership, I know the guys down at Weymouth Honda and they do good work. It's expensive obviously, but good work.

Let me know if you find someone familiar with your bike and I'll lend a hand if I'm available. I've done this only once on my bike with a friend who knew the bike well, so I can assist but not lead this surgery... I mean mechanical adventure.

-Rob

[netputty]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll look into what it takes to measure things myself and then see if I'm up to the task.

[SwiftTone]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll look into what it takes to measure things myself and then see if I'm up to the task.

O hey, I am in the town over from you. I am looking to get my valved checked and adjusted also. Let me know if you find someone local, maybe do it "package deal" haha.

We should go riding next season too!

[butcher bergs]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll look into what it takes to measure things myself and then see if I'm up to the task.

Forget what the book says about starting at TDC and all that nonsense. Simplest way is to point the cam lobe away from the shim bucket then take your measurement.

Also, as an added tip, you don't "need" to measure a specific clearance value for each lobe/ shim bucket. Simply check that the clearances fall between the high and low ends of the specification and be done with it. Only worry about a specific measurement value (as well as adjustment) if you see something outside of spec.

[rsw81]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll look into what it takes to measure things myself and then see if I'm up to the task.

Do you have a garage to work in? Decent tool selection? What is your mechanical knowledge and know-how?! If you can get ahold of the shop manual, this is doable. Just takes a long time to do and a LOT of patience. Mine took me 12-14 hours with someone who has just done his own recently on the exact same bike as mine.

[CBR929RE]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll look into what it takes to measure things myself and then see if I'm up to the task.

and once you figure it out and know what you're doing you can do mine next

If you don't have the service manual you can borrow mine.

[Degsy]

Wirelessly posted

HEATED garage to work in

It's no use doing valves in 10 degrees.

[nhbubba]

Why not?

[csmutty]

Why not?

I am going to guess it is because the metal contracts even further. Same reason that you should only do a valve adjustment after the bike has sat without running for a day or more.

Or maybe it is just because working in the cold sucks lol.

[nhbubba]

~10 degrees I guess I can undersand. Honestly I'd be in front of the wood stove watching TV if it were ~10 in my garage.

But really, from ~70 ambient to ~40 of even ~30, is the metal going to be different enough to matter?

I have every intention of checking my valves sometime this Jan or Feb.

[butcher bergs]

Bubba - When you're ready, gimme a call or drop the bike off for a weekend. Gotta check 'em when they are cold so the bike will have to sit for a min of 24hrs.

[SVRACER01]

when i did the valve adjustment on my SV i was able to play musical shims for the most part and just move them around. only had to buy 2 i think