Oh boy, I did I mess up my valve adjustment.

[schroedingersbaby]

After fiddling with the bike for about two months now, following this forum's recommendations on how to get a bike running nicely and safely. I finally got to the part where I had to adjust my valves. I went with the zip-tie method, it being the consensus way to do it and I subsequently made a boo-boo.

When I tried to to put the zip tie in, thought I had it in the right place and rotated the engine forward. The shim didn't move, so I tried take out the zip-tie to reseat it, and only half the zip tie came up. After using the search function, it seems the only fix is to remove the head, and my Clymer manual isn't clear enough for me to feel comfortable doing that quite yet.

So how 'bout it? Where do I go from here?

[tkent02]

That's not the consensus. It's only the consensus of those who don't have the proper tool.

Don't pull the head. There is another way. Not sure what it is yet, someone will think of something. Is the zip tie piece stuck where you can see it? If it's just laying on the piston it will be fairly easy to get it out.

[Nessism]

Is the chunk of zip tie stuck between the valve and the seat or is it laying on top of the piston? If it's loose on the piston it shouldn't be too hard to fish it out though the spark plug hole. If it's stuck on the valve or seat you need to get the valve open and then pull it free. Worst case is remove the carbs or exhaust first. One caution, if the piece is stuck under the valve you need to be careful to not cause the valve to hit the piston while rotating the engine. Rotate the engine carefully with the plugs removed and stop turning if any resistance is felt.

Keep your head up. You can fix this.

[schroedingersbaby]

Well that figures, I can't even see it. I removed the carbs already to see if it was on that side, but no dice. I can try the exhaust side when I have more light to work with. It turned freely afterwards, so that's a good sign, unless it snapped anything that easily.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. schroedingersbaby,

Fear not! All is not lost. No need to remove the head. It's just a little piece of plastic in the cylinder. Hopefully it will drop away from the valve as you rotate the engine. Then use another zip tie with some tape to get it out, or tweezers, hemostats, a long q-tip dipped in something sticky (like RTV), whatever. Pull it out of the spark plug hole. It shouldn't be a big deal. I know the zip tie method works for a lot of folks, and I could probably do it that way too. But I've gotten pretty good with the tappet tool so that's what I use. Have you seen the valve adjustment guide on my little website?

Anyway, let me dump a TON if information on you and share some GS lovin'.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...



Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Suzuki_Don]

First of all which bike are you working on.

Second, under normal circumstances when using the zip tie method the engine is turned until the valve is fully open and then the doubled over zip tie is inserted. Then the crank is rotated one revolution to put the cam lobe facing away from the valve & shim, then you remove & replace shim or whatever you need to do. When this is done you rotate the engine another full revolution of the crank and the cam lobe holds the valve open again so you can remove the zip tie. So you have turned the crankshaft two complete revolutions and the camshaft one complete revolution and the valves have not come into contact with the piston.

So I don't see any reason why the valve would contact the piston under these circumstances either. But as Ed (Nessism) says take it carefully to be on the safe side.

I would rotate the engine a couple of revolutions and see if the part of the zip tie drops down onto the crown of the piston. Just shine a torch down the plug hole and see what you can find.

I am puzzled why the zip tie broke. Did you use a double thickness as instructed in the article on this. Or did you use an extremely thin/small zip tie. And if the zip tie was cut off by the valve closing on the seat and you retrieved one part of it from the cylinder, it would make sense the other part of the zip tie is on the other side of the valve.

Which valve did you insert the zip tie into and which cylinder?

I have used this method about six times with the same zip tie and it has not broken or shown any unnecessary wear. So thats 8 x 6 = 48 valves held open this way.

Let us know what you find.

[schroedingersbaby]

So I got it out pretty easily, I just took off the carb boot and there it was on the intake side. I had to turn the engine until the valve was open, then it let go and I was able to pull it out with some needle nose pliers.

I think what happened is that I used the wrong zip tie. It's definitely long enough, but it doesn't look quite as thick as the one used in the write-up. That coupled with that I did the complete opposite of what Suzuki Don explained, about where the cam lobe should be when it's opened. I thought backwards, so it got pinched off.

BassCliff, I am more than familiar with your website, since it's what's guided me through getting this bike getting this bike ready for the road.

Suzuki Don, I have a 1981 GS650GLX

.

I broke it off in the 4th cylinder, so at least it was easy to see through that carb boot.

Thanks all!

[chef1366]

Bubble gum and a stick

[BassCliff]

So I got it out pretty easily, I just took off the carb boot and there it was on the intake side. I had to turn the engine until the valve was open, then it let go and I was able to pull it out with some needle nose pliers.


.

Hi,

Nice work. Your bike looks really good. Are you riding yet?



Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[hampshirehog]

I was going to say turn the bike upside down and give it a good shake (it's been done).

Nice when you get a real easy result like you have.

[tkent02]

It's good when someone listens and thinks, instead of panicking and tearing the engine apart first thing. Way to go.

[schroedingersbaby]

Not riding quite yet, no one in Columbus seems to carry valve shims, so I'm waiting on a reply from the shim club so I can get the right ones in sometime soon.

That and I have an electrical gremlin that seems to like killing off ignition coils (I'm thinking a short somewhere), so I took out the wire harness and I'm rechecking, re-soldering, and re-wrapping my previous clean-up job.

I had a pretty bad hanging idle, thus prompting the valve adjustment and sealing the airbox with weatherstripping.

hampshirehog,
That was my first instinct, but possibly not with the intention of fixing it in mind.

Thanks all, you rock!

[chef1366]

Not riding quite yet, no one in Columbus seems to carry valve shims, so I'm waiting on a reply from the shim club so I can get the right ones in sometime soon.

That and I have an electrical gremlin that seem to like killing off ignition coils (I'm thinking a short somewhere), so I took out the wire harness and I'm rechecking, re-soldering, and re-wrapping my previous clean-up job.

I had a pretty bad hanging idle, thus prompting the valve adjustment and sealing the airbox with weatherstripping.

hampshirehog,
That was my first instinct, but possibly not with the intention of fixing it in mind.

Thanks all, you rock!

I'd start at the kill switch for the short.

[tom203]

Not riding quite yet, no one in Columbus seems to carry valve shims, so I'm waiting on a reply from the shim club so I can get the right ones in sometime soon.

That and I have an electrical gremlin that seem to like killing off ignition coils (I'm thinking a short somewhere), so I took out the wire harness and I'm rechecking, re-soldering, and re-wrapping my previous clean-up job.

I had a pretty bad hanging idle, thus prompting the valve adjustment and sealing the airbox with weatherstripping.

hampshirehog,
That was my first instinct, but possibly not with the intention of fixing it in mind.

Thanks all, you rock!

Nice work diving into valve adjustment! "killing off ignition coils" ? When you feel like it , please explain. fine looking bike!

[schroedingersbaby]

When you feel like it , please explain. fine looking bike!

Oh I will, soon as I get it back together.