Valve clearances/ struggling badly.. :-(

[GS1000OZ]

Ok, I'm a reasonably good/competent home mechanic but i'm really struggling with holding down the buckets so I can remove and measure the shim. On the 4 outside valves( cylinders 1 & 4 ) no problem, easily done with the tool..
The 4 inside valves ( yep, 3 & 2) are a different matter, the tool ( motion pro) doesn't seem to want to push down the buckets, it just spins them and then slips off, it's the same on all 4 valves, just doesn't seem to want to work??

Anyone any ideas? yep i have persevered with it for over an hour but still no joy, it keeps slipping off the bucket...

thanks guys.

 

[tkent02]

Use a small screwdriver to keep the tool from popping off. Just kind of lever it from the side. I bet you got the tool used someplace? New ones are usually sharp and stay in place better, once they pop off a few times they get rounded on the sides and pop off easier.

 

[Brendan W]

I use the zip tie method.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/valve_tool_zip_tie.pdf

Opinions differ about the relative risks and benefits of the two systems ( what's new ). I never had one of the proper tools but I imagine like any tool it's just a matter of getting into the swing of it and then you wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[jsandidge]

I have the same problem with mine. Try rotating the crank until the lobe is depressing the shim you want to remove. Put the tool in place on the bucket, being careful that it is not also touching the shim. Hold the tool in place and rotate the crank again until the lobe is out of the way. It may take a few tries, nut it works.

 

[tom203]

I got the tool, but had same problem (even using a wedge to hold tool), so opted for ziptie route.
And make sure you spend the time to clean cover gasket surfaces thoroughly, so new gasket sits perfect.

 

[Nessism]

I do as Tom suggests and use a screwdriver from the side to keep the tool from popping off. You need to find the right screwdriver and practice but once you get the hang of it it's an easy process.

 

[1948man]

I have trouble too. I think some buckets have more bevel on the side than others. Will try the idea of having the lobe depressing the shim if the hive mind thinks it is a good idea. I would also like to get my hands on the original Suzuki tool instead of the Motion Pro tool to see if it is any better.

 

[Guest]

The inner ones can be a bit more difficult, the guys are right about having the correct tool. It's a matter of 'feeling' when it's in the right spot. If your tool won't work, just use the zip tie method for those ones.

 

[bwringer]

Some of these tools aren't cast all that well and have casting flash on the "rib", or the two halves aren't quite aligned. A few careful minutes with a file will quickly dress up the rib so it's level an smooth.

The other hint is that you have to pull the handle of the tool sideways a bit (towards the cam lobe) as you're pushing down to rotate it into place. This is a little counter-intuitive, but it helps keep the tool in the correct place. Once you figure this little trick out, using the correct tool is fast and easy -- much faster than poking around with zip-ties.

Thirdly, to get the tool started, it sometimes helps to push the tool into the camshaft with something blunt, like the ratchet end of a 3/8" socket extension. You can also just use your thumb.

 

[tkent02]

I have trouble too. I think some buckets have more bevel on the side than others. Will try the idea of having the lobe depressing the shim if the hive mind thinks it is a good idea. I would also like to get my hands on the original Suzuki tool instead of the Motion Pro tool to see if it is any better.

Some buckets are more square than others, the Motion Pro tool isn't nearly as good as the Suzuki, and rotating the engine with a valve held open sounds like a great way for a valve to contact a piston. Doing it right with proper tools is easy.

 

[GS1000OZ]

Thanks guys I'll give it another try, the tool is a new one 2nd one I bought, I got the first one and put it "somewhere safe" until I got the bike into the workshop.. Hahaha..That was the end of that one..

 

[Brendan W]

Third is the charm

 

[loud et]

I've only used the zip tie method. It is so easy I never figured to try any other way.
I didn't know there were possible "cons" to doing it that way.

 

[Grimly]

I've used the pukka Suzuki tool in the past, but it went walkabout (stolen) years ago, and I simply forged a screwdriver blade to do the same job, as pre-internet, such aftermarket tools were harder to come by and I grudged paying Suzuki dealer price for something I'd already bought. Anyway, fast-forward to a couple of years ago and I discovered I'd totally lost the knack of the screwdriver trick. I still had the cunningly-fashioned 'driver, but it wouldn't play ball.
Then I discovered the zip-tie method and the metaphorical Sun shines out of the butt of the guy who thought of that. Imagine, such a simple thing, and I hadn't thought of it myself. I was gob-smacked.
That was then. This is now.
Now I have a new bucket tool. Still not a genuine Suzuki one, but a M-Pro, iirc. It was easy and cheap to find one in the current era.
I'll see how it goes the next time - they'll be due for checking sometime reasonably soon.

 

[520eek]

I have used tool on other bikes...was fretting when I discovered the remaining 2 tools I still owned didn't work/fit...then the zip tie method was found and I will never go back! I just make sure I use a fresh pliable new one when I need to adjust the valves....

 

[8ball]

Yep. Zip tie method. End of story.

 

[Steve]

Whichever method you use (I prefer the zip-tie, too), feel free to take advantage of the offer in my sig.

.

 

[jsandidge]

Some buckets are more square than others, the Motion Pro tool isn't nearly as good as the Suzuki, and rotating the engine with a valve held open sounds like a great way for a valve to contact a piston. Doing it right with proper tools is easy.

Isn't that what is done using the zip tie method also? Never heard of anyone having a valve contact a piston during a shim change regardless of the method used.

 

[Steve]

Isn't that what is done using the zip tie method also? ...

To some extent, ... yes. However, the valve is not being held open far enough to cause any contact.

I lost track LONG time ago how many valve adjustments I have done with the zip-tie method and have had no problems.

I do have a Motion Pro tool, but have never been shown how to properly use it, and have never managed to use it successfully on my own, so I continue to use the zip-ties. I really don't know what all the fuss is about with people thinking the zip-tie method is too "fiddly" or requiring too much time, with all that crank-turning, but you really only have to do all that crank turning ONE time, to do your shim inventory. After that, you only need to adjust one or two shims, so the difference in time will be very minimal.

And personally, I will continue to use the SECURITY of the zip-tie method to prevent this from happening again:

That happened on my Kawasaki Voyager 1300 when the tool slipped off the side of the bucket and the shim was not quite in place. After considerable time fishing through the oil pools with a magnet and more time re-assembling the shim to the state that you see here, I felt comfortable that the few missing pieces were not going to cause any problems.

There is simply no way that the zip-tie will be bumped out of place, allowing the valve to slam closed. :-\\\

.