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Valve Shim Adjusting Conundrum

  • Thread starter Thread starter trickyasafox
  • Start date Start date
T

trickyasafox

Guest
My recently acquired GS is in need of valve shim adjustment. As I opened it up, I realized I am probably the first person to ever do this maintenance on this bike :(

It has 22k on it, and all the valve shims have ZERO clearance. This makes my adjustment ordering difficult, as I suspect some of the valve shims are not actually at zero clearance, but a slight negative clearance, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to accurately measure the gap I'll need to get valve shims that will be in spec.

If memory serves (i'll have to double check my manual) I think max spec is .008. My plan is to measure my current shims and order .009 smaller shims all the way around.

Does this sound like a reasonable plan, or is there a smarter way to do this?
 
First of all, you nned to brush up on the specs. The max clearance is .08 mm (just one zero in there). If you are using inches to measure, the max is .003" (two zeros in there).

To help your situation, I would recommend two things:
1. Get a very thin shim. You can buy one from Z1 Enterprises, but it will likely cost more to ship it than to buy it. You can also contact the GSR Shim Club for details on how they work. Contact user GhostGS1 for details. You will be looking for a shim in the 2.30 to 2.40 range.
2. Take advantage of the invitation in my sig. It will help you do any calculations to figure out what you will need next.

When you get that thin shim, remove one of your current shims, replace it with the thin shim. Measure your clearance, enter it into the spreadsheet. Remove the thin shim, put the original shim back in, move to the next valve. Continue until you have them all checked. DO NOT MOVE THE CRANK IF ANY SHIMS ARE REMOVED.

Yes, it's going to take a lot longer this time around, but next time, you will be able to do a complete valve check in less than an hour.

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I read in a post that if the buckets freely spin go down 1 size. If the buckets don't spin go down 2 sizes. More than likely you can reuse some of your shims on another cylinder. You need to inventory your shims to see what you have and what you need. There is a shim club on this site that can save you some cash.
By the way you need to put what bike you have in your signature before you get fussed at
icon7.gif
 
.08 MM iis the TOP end allowable tolerance. .03 MM is the lower end. I shoot for the middle at around .05

Take the very smallest METRIC feeler and see if it goes in..if so use the next size feeler guage up. Fit gauges till one isn't going in to find where its at.

If , say the .03 mm goes in but the .05 wont, then take that shim out and physically measure its thickness. NEVER trust them printed number because shims do wear.

Write down what shim is in that bucket and put it back in..then check the next one and so on till you have checked them all and recorded what is in each one.

SUPER IMPORTANT that you NEVER rotate the crank with an empty bucket.

Hers an example of how I track the shims...

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=204012&highlight=simplified+spreadsheet
 
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Oh..and when you install shims always place them printed side toward the valve stem. This protects them from having a cam lobe wear them off.
 
Lots of members here run clearance up to .10mm (.004"). The valves tighten with mileage, so running your valves on the loose side extends the safe running interval between adjustments.
 
Isn't there also a shim club here he could join and save some money by exchanging shims?
 
koolaid_kid said:
Isn't there also a shim club here he could join and save some money by exchanging shims?
Click to expand...
Already mentioned. :-\\\
Steve said:
To help your situation, I would recommend two things:
1. Get a very thin shim. You can buy one from Z1 Enterprises, but it will likely cost more to ship it than to buy it. You can also contact the GSR Shim Club for details on how they work. Contact user GhostGS1 for details. You will be looking for a shim in the 2.30 to 2.40 range.
Click to expand...


.
 
Maybe even put your location in your profile so it shows with your post and there just may be another member in your area that would borrow you a shim or two to find out what new shims you will need.
 
I don't know just why anyone would go .10 MM I say stay within factory specs always. They are specified for a reason.
 
Nessism said:
Lots of members here run clearance up to .10mm (.004"). The valves tighten with mileage, so running your valves on the loose side extends the safe running interval between adjustments.
Click to expand...

A BIG plus 1 on that!
 
chuck hahn said:
I don't know just why anyone would go .10 MM I say stay within factory specs always. They are specified for a reason.
Click to expand...
Chuck, are you saying that EVERYTHING on your bike is EXACTLY as specified by Suzuki? :-k




Nah, I didn't think so. :-\\\


One reason we go to larger clearances is to allow more cooling time for the valves on the seats. Yes, it does tend to reduce valve lift ever so slightly and also reduce the open duration, but all that does is move the torque peak down a bit, closer to where most of us actually run the bikes. If you are looking for the absolute maximum performance (for racing), yeah, you will want to have as much lift and duration as possible, but for those of us on the street that don't insist on getting to 60 mph in two seconds, a little extra clearance does OK. Because the valves run a bit cooler, they also tend to go longer between necessary adjustments, which is another benefit. :D

In the end, it's your bike, ride it and maintain it as you wish. You can even suggest to others that following manufacturer's specifications is recommended, but it's not necessarily the only way.

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Any day you wanna come and inspect ANY of my bikes bring it. I go by the factory service manual specs...PERIOD!!!

That goes for anyone out there...you wanna call me put..then come on by.
 
You need to clarify your "EVERYTHING" statement. As for service maintenance specs..yes they are to the manuals specs. Maybe not EXACTLY spot on as far as a mirror or something else missing ( like rear cowl trims).
 
Just wanted to say thank you everyone for the help! I ordered a shim as mentioned by Steve, and got in touch with Ghost about the Shim Club.
 
Before this thread gets too far derailed, I'd like to advise the OP to get a proper set of feeler gauges. You want ones that are metric, and go in 0.01 mm increments from 0.02 to 0.10 mm. These are $4 on eBay shipped from China, or $15 from a domestic source for the same thing and faster delivery. Let me know if you need help finding them.
 
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