VALVES? Check!

[OreoGaborio]

Gonna finally get off my ass this weekend & check my valve clearances...... at the track

Anyone mind if I borrow a ton of their tools, including feeler gauges?

I'm hopin they're not too far outta spec cuz i've got a trackday comin up on the 13th.

If they need adjusting does anyone know of a good local (to Boston) mechanic that i could drop my bike off at? I haven't had to do any major service work on the powerplant & haven't researched any local mechanics.

Suppose I could do it myself but I'd have to order the shims & wait for em to come in... hopfully a mechanic would have them in stock or at least be able to get em sooner than I would. Not to mention have a much better work area & proper equipment to do the shimming.

Hopfully I won't have to bite the bullet & take it to a Stealer... errrrr.... Dealer

[bump909]

what about Jim Pidgeon? he's not local, but you know he's good!

[Honclfibr]

You can borrow my feeler gauges Pete, as mentioned before though you're gonna want to let that engine sit and cool for quite a while before checking the valve lash though....

[OreoGaborio]

ah yes... forgot about that aspect... how long again? I could do it Sunday afternoon

[R7]

Hey, we can handle the valve check no problem, check in time at NESR tent city Saturday night is 7pm. Bring beer, we can have Heath do the work and we can just hand him the tools as needed

[OreoGaborio]

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[SVRACER01]

pete.... i highlt DONT recommend you do this at the track for multiple reasons. (dust, distractions, idiots etc...) but most importantly...... time. if something doesnt either come apart or go together smoothly and the end of the day comes and your bike is still in peices ... then what? besides, taking it apart to put it back together to possibly take it apart again isnt the right way. do it once. if you are gonna take it apart then do it somewhere that if you have to shim anything you can leave it until your parts come in. if you try it at the track and some thing breaks or rips (gasket) and is unrepairable then youre stuck. do it once and do it right.

[OreoGaborio]

good points..... between your post & Heath being there i think i'll do it somewhere else


any volunteers? I don't have sheeet for space or tools

[SVRACER01]

maybe ask erin... shes got some garage space. dont know how far she is from you though

[richw]

the clearence allways get tighter

If you mix and match around you usually only need to get a few of the shims

Any machine shop with a surface grinder can make them thinner if you know someone its free.

If its a Yamaha the 26 K adjustment was BS mine were way over due at 16K

good luck

[SVRACER01]

OH!! you will also need a special tool from Kawi if they are shim over bucket so you dont have to take the cams out AND you will need a device to reinsert your cam cahain tensioner.................arent valves fun

[SWEET_Z]

Yeh no sense taking it all apart just to check them.

This should help ya out:

http://www.themcdonalds.net/richard/...t/valves.shtml

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by SVRACER01
OH!! you will also need a special tool from Kawi if they are shim over bucket so you dont have to take the cams out AND you will need a device to reinsert your cam cahain tensioner.................arent valves fun

They're shim under bucket, so you gotta take the cams out to swap the shims.

As for a device to reinsert the tensioner, that's true...you need one of those rare tools known in the industry as a "8mm socket". Available special order from Japan through yours truly for only eleventy billion yen (2 U.S. dollars).

[OreoGaborio]

........................................................



Yyyeeeeaaaahhhhh..... so anyone know any good shops & how much it's gonna run me?

[Honclfibr]

It should run you about 300, give or take. It's also one of those jobs that's really easy to half-ass, which is why so many of us do them ourselves. If you're going to have it done, take it to someone you trust. +1 on the Jim suggestion, I almost had him do mine before my masochistic streak made me decide it would be fun to do them myself.

[SVRACER01]

Originally posted by Honclfibr


As for a device to reinsert the tensioner, that's true...you need one of those rare tools known in the industry as a "8mm socket". Available special order from Japan through yours truly for only eleventy billion yen (2 U.S. dollars).

well, mine need a special tool to stick into the slot (insert sexual innuendo here) after you tensioned the spring and you removed it to release the spring onto the cam chain. YES. there was an 8mm bolt on the end... but that was just to keep dirt out

[OreoGaborio]

Aight, I think I'll ask around, see who can do it in the Boston area... If all else fails I'll give Jim a ring & see if he can get it done in the next two weeks... just gona need someone to head up there w/ me so I can get back into town.

[SVRACER01]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
.. just gona need someone to head up there w/ me so I can get back into town.

show some leg and someone will give you a ride home.... dont forget the "rules of the road"

[ZX-12R]

For anyone that reshims their valves on their own and are worried about quickly getting the correct size shim, this might be the kit for you: http://www.cyclebuy.com/shopping/shims/shimkits.htm

3 each of every size from 1.20mm to 3.5mm in 0.05mm increments. The kits are available in 9.48 and 7.48mm diameters. It is by far the best price I have ever come across for shims.

[OreoGaborio]

woa... sweet..... got any leftover?

[HBerry]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
woa... sweet..... got any leftover?

I'll give your lazy ass a ride if you go to Jim.

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
woa... sweet..... got any leftover?

Sorry but someone else already bought my kit off of me. They were in a pinch and offered me more for the kit than I paid for it so it was a no brainer!

[stoinkythepig]

What is your bike? If it's the one in your avatar, I would not worry much about the engine being cool but highly recommend not checking them at the track, regardless. The work required to check them is 90% of the work required to change them, on your bike. Why do it twice? Check them when you can also adjust them.

My advice: Order the kit and wait until it comes in to do them. Week or two won't matter much at all. Matter of fact, might as well just hold off and do them over the Winter. I have only adjusted mine twice in 42,000 miles on my 9R and they were just a bit tight both times.

Lemme know if you need any tips and such; this work is rather easy but time consuming.