Valve Clearance Equipment List

[Guest]

Hi folks

Never done a valve adjustment before. Looking forward to giving it a go. So please have patience with my questions. I'm a newbie to this.

I'm trying to work out what equipment I need before I begin. From the guides on BassCliff's site it looks like it may be as follows. Please let me know if I'm missing something.

wrenches for general disassembly and for turning the engine
torque wrench
'some' valve shims
Shim Tool or zip ties
valve cover and breather gaskets (if replacement is needed)
spark plug tool
set of feeler guages
heavy tweezers or long nose pliers
some oil for coating the shims
Calipers for measuring shim sizes
A set of cam end plugs - aka half moons (if replacement is needed)

Is that it?


Also:
Regarding the shims. What shims should I buy? Do they come in a set? Is it something I can't know until I actually measure the clearances?
So is this job a 2 stage process? Check the clearances; then replace the shims later once the right ones have been purchased?

Is there some kind of set I could buy that will give me a good chance of getting the job done first time?


Lastly:
If I make a mistake and leave the clearance to large or too small, is my motor at risk? ie being a newbie I am worried about f***ing my bike up.

many thanks as always.
Assaf

[Steve]

Regarding the shims. What shims should I buy? Do they come in a set? Is it something I can't know until I actually measure the clearances?

You will not know what you need until you measure your clearances and inspect your shims to see what you actually have in there.

You already have a copy of my spreadsheet, that will help you determine what shims you need.

So is this job a 2 stage process? Check the clearances; then replace the shims later once the right ones have been purchased?

Yes, that is correct. The good part is that, if your bike is running OK right now, you can put it back together and continue riding while waiting for your new shims.

Is there some kind of set I could buy that will give me a good chance of getting the job done first time?

There are sets available, but they usually have two of most of the sizes, not necessarily all of the sizes.

If your luck is anything like mine, you will need three of one size, so will have to order and wait, anyway.

If I make a mistake and leave the clearance to large or too small, is my motor at risk? ie being a newbie I am worried about f***ing my bike up.

If you leave the clearances too large, the engine will make a little more noise and make a little less power, but no damage unless you leave they clearances WAY too large (not likely).

If you leave them too small, there is a chance of burning a valve, which will require disassembly of the engine to repair.

It is better to go on the larger side for the clearances. Specs call for .03-.08 mm, some have been known to leave them at .10 mm.
Note that changing one shim size will span the entire range. That is, if your clearance is .03 mm (the minimum clearance), going down one shim size will take it to .08 mm (the maximum clearance). There are some "X" shims, which are half-sizes. You can not order them, so if you have any in the engine, you will have a prized find.

.

[d_sal]

Assaf, as a fellow newbie I look to the forum as well for answers to my many questions. I'll be looking to do the valve adjustment with the aid of the tutorial off of BassCliff's site in the near future. For the sake of having a complete thread that others can benefit from, keep us posted as to how it went. Oh, and good luck.

-Daniel

[Assaf]

Ok daniel.
I've not yet collected the tools and parts.

Folks, i need to buy a torque wrench for this job, right? Or can i do without?
What range?
Thanks.

[MisterCinders]

You shouldn't need a torque wrench for adjusting the valves. The valve cover doesn't need to be torqued down when you button it back up.

If you were pulling the head off, that would be a different thing.

[Steve]

Technically speaking, yes, you need a torque wrench.

However, if you have an experienced mechanic's hand attached to your arm, you can guess the low torque value necessary to re-attach the cover. The caps on the cam bearings take a similarly low torque, in case you want to check them, too. You are looking for 6 to 7.5 lbs/ft on the 6mm bolts (the ones that need a 10mm wrench).

.

[7981GS]

Ok daniel.
I've not yet collected the tools and parts.

Folks, i need to buy a torque wrench for this job, right? Or can i do without?
What range?
Thanks.

1/4" drive/ inch pounds...

[Nessism]

Nothing wrong with using a torque wrench of course, but I don't normally bother on the valve cover. One caveat to this though: if you use one of those silicone Real Gaskets, you must be very careful tightening the bolts otherwise the gasket will squirm out of place. Torque recommendation for the Real Gasket is really low too so pay attention.

I've often read here that using a magnet to extract the shims is a no-no, but I'm shameful to admit I've done so a time or three. I'm struggling to understand what could go wrong from such hamfistery? Maybe the shim will become slightly magnetized and attract metal shavings grit? Yes, I'm a hack. Oh well.

[tkent02]

I've often read here that using a magnet to extract the shims is a no-no, but I'm shameful to admit I've done so a time or three. I'm struggling to understand what could go wrong from such hamfistery? Maybe the shim will become slightly magnetized and attract metal shavings grit? Yes, I'm a hack. Oh well.

That's it, your'e now officially a hack!
(Better post a pic of one of your masterpieces.)

[tkent02]

A torque wrench will strip it, unless you know what you are doing. It's easy to miss the click on such a low torque setting. And it's not necessary.
I twist the socket extension in by hand with no wrench, get them all tight that way and then go just a tad more with a wrench with a very short handle, or preferably a 1/4 drive screwdriver handle. The screwdriver handle gives a better feel for me. Check them a week or so later to see if they have loosened up, they usually don't.
Anti seize should be used, as always with steel bolts into aluminum holes.
Too loose and you have to retighten it one day, to tight and you have serious problems and a heck of a lot of work to do...