valve shims

[stoinkythepig]

I ordered a HotCams 7.48 mm valve shim kit today for my 9R. 7.48s are the little ones; about the size and shape of an aspirin. The kit is a steal at $74, delivered. When it comes in next week, I'll be willing to swap shims with folks who are doing their own valve adjustments since I'll have scads of low-to-mid-mileage-sized shims that I'll never use, just collecting dust.

While I'm waiting for it to arrive, it would be sweet if I could swap for, or borrow the following 9 shims: one 2.6, three 2.65s, three 2.70s, one 2.85 and one 2.90 so I can put my bike back together this weekend. I already did the shim shuffle and came up with: four 2.80s two 2.95s and three 3.00s to trade.


Anyone got these?

[keeena]

FYI - Performance Cycles in Shrewsbury will swap these for very little $, if not free. I only mention it b/c most other shops would not swap when I was doing my shims. They had every shim I needed...plenty on hand.

I believe a number of Suzuki's also use 7.48, including the TL1000.

[stoinkythepig]

Thanks for the info. Kills me to not be riding on a day like today. I wasn't planning to adjust the valves until this Winter but I had it all apart to fix the spark plug threads and figured, "why do the labor twice?" I've become quite quick at getting the cams out after 58,000 miles of riding and doing all my own work.

[ZX-12R]

I could have helped but I've got the 9.48mm kit for the 12R that has been mostly sold off to other people in need.

It's amazing the price hasn't changed in several years.

[richw]

Almost always you need thinner and anyone with a tool room surface grinder can grind down the old ones

Virtually every machine shop has a surface grinder. I also sometimes look to group and find that 1 size puts all the friskies within tolerence if not perfect

[stoinkythepig]

Never had a valve loosen up.I like to set mine at the loosest end of the tolerance and double or triple my adjustment intervals. Kit ought to arrive soon enough.

[naked-daytrader]

Need my valves done soon

[naked-daytrader]

I'm going to need my valves done soon.

[stoinkythepig]

What's your bike?

[stoinkythepig]

UPS dropped off the kit yesterday. Very nice! Good to be back on two wheels again.

[Tricky Mike]

Oh, I loooove the shim shuffle. Thankfully more often than not they've been in spec. 58K? Very nice.

[stoinkythepig]

Oh, I loooove the shim shuffle. Thankfully more often than not they've been in spec. 58K? Very nice.

Mine were out of spec at 7,500 miles, the first check. They'd hardly moved at 19,000 miles. They needed adjustment at 35,000 miles. I was going to go to 65,000 before checking again but I had the airbox and carbs off so I figured I'd adjust them while I was halfway there. They had all tightened, but none were too tight (I could have skipped this adjustment, just barely). I set them nice and loose and I won't check them again until 90,000 miles or so. By then, I am certain that some of the exhaust valves will be on the smallest shims available and I'll just run it until it dies. Once it's dead I'll probably buy a Concours 14 or whatever the best S/T bike is at the time, since I'll be approaching 50 years old and retirement by then.

I've always needed to get at least 8 new shims when making adjustments. Mostly the exhuast shims move to the intake valves and the new shims go on the exhaust valves.

[richw]

Ebay for a fresh head

[stoinkythepig]

Or a fresh engine. I imagine the rings and/or cylinders will be worn out by 100,000+ miles too.