Local shop quote for valve adjustment

[Burque73]

I wanted to put into perspective the value of this site and the information so generously shared by all who do. Earlier today I took my 83 GS 850G to a well known local shop to get a quote on inspecting and adjusting the valve clearances. They cringed when I told them the year of the bike and said it was up to their tech as to whether or not they would even touch it. After walking outside with the sales guy and the tech, they said ok, they would do it. I didn't anticipate a problem since it's so clean, but they had to see it.

Anyway just to check the valve clearance is $356, to adjust the shims another $89 possible total $450 plus tax!

New NOS gasket should be here this week from an ebay seller $30
Shims that I have collected hopefully will be the right size if needed, if not, shim club here I come! Those shims locally are $16 each.

Oh yeah, forgot the zip tie add another $.05

Ok I figure I'm saving about $340, and getting to know my bike better. Win win scenario!

Thank you all for sharing and I'll contribute when I can as well!

Roger

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Definitely worth doing it yourself!

 

[BigD_83]

I wouldn't let a shop near mine. Valve check and shim adjustments are a two-hour job your first time around and it's all pretty basic mechanics.

Good choice to do it yourself. That is a lot of Benjamins that can be used somewhere else.

 

[GSXR7ED]

I did my own valve adjustment and gasket replacement with the help of a friend who has a 16V Suzi. Wasn't too difficult but tedious with the gap checks. Definitely better doing it yourself.


Ed

 

[hampshirehog]

If all goes well it's an easy enough job and a couple of hours or so, depending on how the shims shuffle around. However, knackered threads and welded on old gaskets can make the job take a lot longer.

 

[Guest]

I wanted to put into perspective the value of this site and the information so generously shared by all who do. Earlier today I took my 83 GS 850G to a well known local shop to get a quote on inspecting and adjusting the valve clearances. They cringed when I told them the year of the bike and said it was up to their tech as to whether or not they would even touch it. After walking outside with the sales guy and the tech, they said ok, they would do it. I didn't anticipate a problem since it's so clean, but they had to see it.

Anyway just to check the valve clearance is $356, to adjust the shims another $89 possible total $450 plus tax!

New NOS gasket should be here this week from an ebay seller $30
Shims that I have collected hopefully will be the right size if needed, if not, shim club here I come! Those shims locally are $16 each.

Oh yeah, forgot the zip tie add another $.05

Ok I figure I'm saving about $340, and getting to know my bike better. Win win scenario!

Thank you all for sharing and I'll contribute when I can as well!

Roger

Would love to know what they based the $356 on.... how many freaking hours of labor?

Any shop that would have to think about it I'd do a pass on not matter what the job is

 

[Burque73]

Their quote was four hours at $89/hr.
I'm not worried about doing the work, just wanted to shop around on the price. Earlier in the spring I did the valve adjustment on the 82 GS1100 L that I sold. It went fine. The zip tie method worked like a charm. After tearing into another bike I noticed what one member said about the carbon build up possibly being dislodged under a valve and giving an inaccurate reading though. I know the tool is less than 20 bucks on ebay, maybe I'll spring for one.

Any thoughts on weather or not the valve will eventually displace the carbon?

Roger

 

[alke46]

Would love to know what they based the $356 on.... how many freaking hours of labor?

Any shop that would have to think about it I'd do a pass on not matter what the job is

Based on $78 an hour, they figured 4.5 hours to r/r the fairing and then get to the rest of it. That sounds like an incompetent shop. Just my opinion.

 

[BigD_83]

Based on $78 an hour, they figured 4.5 hours to r/r the fairing and then get to the rest of it. That sounds like an incompetent shop. Just my opinion.

Incompetent is a very polite way of putting it...

 

[dorkburger]

Incompetent, or intentionally priced themselves out of the job.

 

[robertbarr]

Well, count on at least one frustrating hour getting that old gasket off, if it's been a couple of years since it was installed. Add a full can of gasket dissolving spray. I think they're hedging their estimate based in part on the possibility of a damaged / impossible fastener, too, a very real possibility.

Actually, there's only one way I'd work on a bike that old -- if I owned it. I'd be the only PO'ed owner I had to deal with if something goes really wrong.

When my '79 GS850 was a baby, I paid $30 OTD for valve check / shimming. We won't see that again any time soon.

 

[Guest]

I paid 150 OTD for my first valve adjust. And with the advice of this site I did my second bike myself. I'd do it for 150 anytime.

 

[Steve]

Valve check and shim adjustments are a two-hour job your first time around and it's all pretty basic mechanics.

Yep, the first time through, you will be reading and re-reading directions, then removing every shim ONE AT A TIME, PLEASE to see what size it is. After your third or fourth time, you won't have to be doing any inventory and the process will be familiar, you will have it down to about 45 minutes.

AND, ... while you are doing this, it is SO much easier if you have a convenient way to record your clearances and shim sizes.
This is when you need to take advantage of the offer in my sig.

.

 

[Guest]

Would love to know what they based the $356 on.... how many freaking hours of labor?

Any shop that would have to think about it I'd do a pass on not matter what the job is

4 hrs at $89 = $356

 

[Guest]

Their quote was four hours at $89/hr.
I'm not worried about doing the work, just wanted to shop around on the price. Earlier in the spring I did the valve adjustment on the 82 GS1100 L that I sold. It went fine. The zip tie method worked like a charm. After tearing into another bike I noticed what one member said about the carbon build up possibly being dislodged under a valve and giving an inaccurate reading though. I know the tool is less than 20 bucks on ebay, maybe I'll spring for one.

Any thoughts on weather or not the valve will eventually displace the carbon?

Roger

Buy the tool, much easier than the zip tie. I know people have issues with the tool but always worked fine for me

You must have full fairing on your bike and all that jazz or what?

 

[Burque73]

Yeah, here's the bike in question.

 

[Guest]

Incompetent, or intentionally priced themselves out of the job.

The hours maybe, but $89 is cheaper than the dealerships down here. $89 is what my boss charges and I wouldn't doubt he would try to sell it as a 4 hour job also. I charge $35 an hour since I have no overhead yet and would bill it at a 2 hour job minimum unless adjustment is needed, then maybe another 1/2 hour. It may take me less time, but you have to try and make a minimum to make it worth the while. Modern bikes like R6 or Ninjas are even more, since it is a more labor intensive job, removing fairings, tank, airbox, and in some instances PAIR system and throttle bodies and maybe even moving the radiator for more clearance like on some V twin and V four motors. and if adjustment is needed the cam tensioner and cams have to come out.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, here's the bike in question.

Hard to see from that angle, but the fairing may have to be removed if it protrudes down where the valve cover needs to come out. Beautiful bike.:encouragement:

 

[Burque73]

The fairing bracket has a crack in it and I'll need to weld it back together anyways so taking it off was something I already planned on (I was not trying to set the mechanic up for that one). Who knows, maybe the previous owner actually did check and adjust the valves as needed and this will be just a gasket change. He couldn't tell me for sure so I'm checking. Kind of odd as he claimed to be a mechanic and owned this bike since 86. Well, I'll know soon enough. The gasket just got here today.

 

[Guest]

I don't think that pricing is out of line. Had the valves adjusted on my FZ1 once in 150K miles and it cost me $300 at the dealer, mainly because they were still in tolerance and the cams didn't need to be removed. Had they needed to take the cams out and replace shims it would have been $425. Of course the FZ1 does have 20 valves.

Everyone's tolerance for financial pain is different. That was a job I could have done in maybe 10 hours, however with the potential to destroy the engine.

I was considering buying 4 truck tires on line and getting them mounted locally. The shop I use for bike tires also works on cars. He said that would be $85 for one hours work. That's tire monkey work. See if you can beat it.