Valve Clearance, when do I have/need to check??

[Guest]

I have an 82 GS450 that I am rebuilding and now have the engine out of the frame. I want to go through it and check for wear and replace gaskets and parts as needed. I have been using the video series below as a guide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X0VwcdZq7M

I ordered a feeler gauge set to check the valve clearances, but it is not here yet. Does it matter if I check valve clearance as soon as I open the valve cover or could I wait to check clearance after I reassemble the engine?

[Mekanix]

Does it matter if I check valve clearance as soon as I open the valve cover or could I wait to check clearance after I reassemble the engine?

Depends on what you will be doing!

If you are going to replace the valve seal's and lap the valves your going to have a tighter clearance in the end and each one won't be the same amount as the other.

You'll need to measure what size shim's you have and then wait until you rebuilt it to figure out what shim's you will need to get by installing them again and measuring the gap then.
You might get lucky and only have to move the shim's around.

Measuring them now will tell you if you have a tight valve and possibly a burnt valve.

Do you have any service manual's ?
If not, they are available here:

[ruler7171]

I honestly don't know what I am doing This is my first build and I am learning as I go. My thought was to go down to the cylinder base and check for issues as I go and replace gaskets.

[Steve]

Have you taken the engine apart yet?

Have you run the engine at all (I am assuming this is a 'new' bike to you)?

Just wondering, as these engines don't often need to be 'rebuilt'.

.

[ruler7171]

I have only taken the cylinder head cover off. This is a new to me bike and it came with very little info. The engine was never run by me because there were some odds and ends pieces that I still needed to order. I wanted to go through the engine first because I had never done so and I would like to learn. Secondly, I just assumed with a 31 year old bike, that if I planned on keeping it, I should go through the engine and check for issues now while the engine was out of the frame. Maybe I misspoke when I said rebuild. Maybe freshen up fits better. I figured replace all gaskets, oil seals, check valves, check pistons, check cylinder walls, check valve clearances. If I left something out, please let me know. I am a complete noob to working on bikes so please bear with me.

[tkent02]

I have only taken the cylinder head cover off. This is a new to me bike and it came with very little info. The engine was never run by me because there were some odds and ends pieces that I still needed to order. I wanted to go through the engine first because I had never done so and I would like to learn. Secondly, I just assumed with a 31 year old bike, that if I planned on keeping it, I should go through the engine and check for issues now while the engine was out of the frame. Maybe I misspoke when I said rebuild. Maybe freshen up fits better. I figured replace all gaskets, oil seals, check valves, check pistons, check cylinder walls, check valve clearances. If I left something out, please let me know. I am a complete noob to working on bikes so please bear with me.

Sounds like a bunch of unnecessary work to me. Is it leaking a lot of oil? Smoking? Making funny noises? Got 120,000 or so miles on it? Even if you need to open it up to fix leaks or whatever, it's far better to run it a while so you know how well it works beforehand. It would be a shame to do a top end rebuild only to find out it needs transmission work..

[ruler7171]

Sounds like a bunch of unnecessary work to me. Is it leaking a lot of oil? Smoking? Making funny noises? Got 120,000 or so miles on it? Even if you need to open it up to fix leaks or whatever, it's far better to run it a while so you know how well it works beforehand. It would be a shame to do a top end rebuild only to find out it needs transmission work..

I have never ran the bike. So your thought would be not to do anything to the top end now and see what she does once the bike is assembled?

[tkent02]

Absolutely. These are bulletproof engines, they really do last a long time in most cases. Running it out of oil or getting it way too hot can ruin anything, but mostly they go and go. Energizer bunny with an attitude. Even if it shows huge leaks and runs like crap I'd try to ride it first to get an idea what's inside..

Is there old oil all over it, around the cylinders? Does it have 100,000 plus miles?
If not it's probably fine.

[ruler7171]

Absolutely. These are bulletproof engines, they really do last a long time in most cases. Running it out of oil or getting it way too hot can ruin anything, but mostly they go and go. Energizer bunny with an attitude. Even if it shows huge leaks and runs like crap I'd try to ride it first to get an idea what's inside..

Is there old oil all over it, around the cylinders? Does it have 100,000 plus miles?
If not it's probably fine.

I don't see signs of oil leaking. I know the bike has not been registered since 1988 and the odometer only reads 8k and change, but I am not sure if that has rolled over or not.

[tkent02]

I don't see signs of oil leaking. I know the bike has not been registered since 1988 and the odometer only reads 8k and change, but I am not sure if that has rolled over or not.

8,000 is a lot more likely than 108,000. At 108 everything would be shot, footpeg rubbers, frame paint where you boot rubs the frame, little pits from rocks and sand flying up from the road. Worn out levers, worn out grips. Hardley anyone rides these bikes that far, especially the little ones. The bikes are willing, most people are not. Especially a 1982 bike parked in 1988. Almost no one rides a 450 that much in six years.

At 8,000 miles the engine should be almost brand new inside.

OK, is the engine siezed or does it turn freely?

[ruler7171]

8,000 is a lot more likely than 108,000. At 108 everything would be shot, footpeg rubbers, frame paint where you boot rubs the frame, little pits from rocks and sand flying up from the road. Worn out levers, worn out grips. Hardley anyone rides these bikes that far, especially the little ones. The bikes are willing, most people are not. Especially a 1982 bike parked in 1988. Almost no one rides a 450 that much in six years.



At 8,000 miles the engine should be almost brand new inside.

OK, is the engine siezed or does it turn freely?

Turns freely.

[tkent02]

Tell you what. You have the valve cover off, adjust the valves and button it up. Might need a new gasket for that. Then go here, and do the other maintenance on his list:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

Do it all, it will be a great bike.

[ruler7171]

Tell you what. You have the valve cover off, adjust the valves and button it up. Might need a new gasket for that. Then go here, and do the other maintenance on his list:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

Do it all, it will be a great bike.

I really appreciate all of the help tkent02

[tkent02]

Post your location, there are probably members on here willing to help you more.

[ruler7171]

Valley, AL