'81 gs1100ex, can't get valve cover off

[RipRoaringFun]

I need to adjust the valves. But I can't get the valve cover off.

I've got everything off (except the breather cover at the top, but it's not hitting anything) and the valve cover lifts well off the top of the head. I even removed both horns. All the valve cover bolts are removed.

BUT -- the very front middle of the valve cover, the 'raised' part that is raised so that it clears the cam chain and sprocket on the inside for the exhaust cam -- that is hitting the horizontal cross bar at the front of the frame right there in front of the valve cover. On my frame there's an upside-down 'T' right at the top center intersection of the 2 frame downtubes.

I have now f'ed around with it for 20 minutes, trying to remove it at an angle, rocking it backward, rocking it forward, NOPE.

Yet the manual clearly shows removal of the valve cover is possible with the motor still in the frame.

Before I bust out my sawzall in frustration to cut out a chunk of frame (it's tempting), what's the trick to getting the valve cover off here?

[Steve]

Try taking off the breather cover.

Does not seem like much, but it's about another half inch that you can raise the valve cover.

.

[gearhead13]

I have an 1100 engine in my 750 and I am able to get mine out without taking the breather off. Its tricky, likes to come off one side or the other, but its possible.

[81GS750]

I had the same problem, it comes out the right side the easiest. It takes lots of wiggling and maneuvering but it will come out. The hump that covers the cam chain sprocket on the front of the valve cover was hitting the frame on mine. I ended up removing all but the long mounting bolt in the rear of the engine, wrapped a ratchet tie down strap trough the header and over the frame and lifted the engine up. This gave me the clearance needed.

[tatu]

Before I bust out my sawzall in frustration to cut out a chunk of frame (it's tempting),

If you did that, you might get iron filings in the gubbins and it will spoil the motor.

[hikermikem]

I need to adjust the valves. But I can't get the valve cover off.

I remove the breather cover when I remove the valve cover on my 1100EX - makes my life easier

[RipRoaringFun]

I did it.

I didn't have to remove the breather cover after all.

This is the first time opening up a gs1100 motor so I chalk it up to learning experience.

WHAT DID NOT WORK
- trying to lift the valve cover upward and wiggle it out *while one the side of the bike*, facing the motor
- neither position (from the left side of the bike facing the motor; or from the right side of the bike facing the motor) allowed me to remove the valve cover.
- I could *seemingly* lift up the valve cover COMPLETELY, from either side of the bike while facing the motor. Key word on *seemingly.* It sure looked like I was getting the valve cover up all the way when reaching in from the side of the bike.


WHAT WORKED
- after I cooled down a bit, and could not locate the sawzall, I stood *in front of* the bike
- and lifted the valve cover upward
- and it came off easily

I think the removal, at least in my case, was aided by the fact that I removed both horns that are mounted on the frame tubes right below the gas tank. That opened up the maximum space possible between the breather cover and any obstruction. The harness was out of the way.

I think also that the reason my 'from the left (or right) side/reach in and lift' method failed is my gaze could only focus on the side of the valve cover I could see and the frame blocked my view of the other half of the cover.

When I bent at the knees, standing in front of the bike and facing backward to the rear of the bike -- with the front fender between the legs -- then grasped the valve cover -- this was the very first time this afternoon that I could see both halves of the valve cover during the removal and could lift up both sides of the cover equally at the same time.

When trying to lift off the cover from either side of the bike, reaching inward to the motor -- inadvertently I must not have been lifting the valve cover upward in a *level* manner.

Because I plopped down in front of the bike, grabbed the valve cover and wow what a difference.

THANKS FOLKS for your help here. All good advice.

I think the reason I didn't need to remove the breather cover was I took off the horns and got the harness clear first.

So now, to adjust the valves, I found that a 5/32" socket fits snugly enough on the tiny, square adjuster head. Since I won't be applying any torque, this should work -- but a question, where can I buy a proper valve adjust tool for this bike?

[gearhead13]

This is the one that I have:

http://www.z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=2870

[SVSooke]

A tip from Basscliff`s sight.A small square head(robertson)screw on a dowel.Have not actually done this yet myself but will the next time I check the valves.

[RipRoaringFun]

Thanks SV and GH. I like the tool set! The screw-and-dowel - definitely will try that. Homemade tools are special.

[SVSooke]

Tried it on the spare head I've got.Its a #2 robertson,I was slightly surprised as I thought it would be a #1.

[RipRoaringFun]

Okay, just wanted to share some really encouraging bits about the result of a simple valve adjustment.

I'd read on the board here that my very-hard-to-start problem with my 1981 GS1100Ex could be caused by poor valve adjustment.

The symptoms I had when trying to start the bike were:
- I had to open the throttle all the way, then crank and crank it
- meanwhile pulling the choke then releasing it, on-and-off, and keep cranking it with the starter (also supposedly not good for the starter to keep cranking it like this).
- finally after a few false startups, I could keep the motor running.

So I read on here that the 'hard to start' might be a valve adjustment problem, so I set out to check for that.
But I had no experience that valves being out of adjustment could hurt the ability of the motor to start, so I took it
on faith. I pulled the valve cover, then measured every tappet clearance. They were very bad.

Every tappet was WAY out of spec (a couple had .03mm, most of them I could not even slip my smallest (.03mm) feeler gauge in to get a reading)

After finding that every tappet/valve clearance was out of spec like that, and adjusting them, that is literally all I did to this bike, when I went to start it the first time -- I pushed the start button and it started instantly and didn't need the choke, just the throttle a bit.

MAJOR improvement. In fact, a hugely dramatic change.
One of the main reasons the seller sold the bike to me was his complaint "I can't get it started."


I'm glad I have this 'Before/After' of what the effects of very badly out-of-spec valve clearances can do. Just totally nixes the easy-starting of the motor.

Just wanted to share this with other folks out there who might be kind of new to dealing with 'hard-starting' symptoms.

And thanks to you folks for helping me out along the way in this thread.

[SVSooke]