Valve shim placeholder

[Guest]

I've searched this forum high and low and found some posts specifying that coins can be used as placeholders for shims while the engine is off. I need to remove 4 shims and exchange them with a local shop and move the other 4 to other locations. Can I really use a quarter in place of a shim while rotating the motor with a wrench? I'm not feeling great about trying without some reassurance. Thanks.

1982 Suzuki gs1100gl for those who want to know.

[tkent02]

It just keeps the edge of the cam lobe from scraping on the edge of the bucket. I haven't tried it because I have a huge selection of shims but people say it's fine.

[Tim Tom]

Probably easier just to buy the shims from the shop. They shouldn't be much more than $1-$2 per shim. Then you can start your own collection of them. You will need more in the future anyways. Hell the one time I had to get a shim (that I didn't already have in my drawer) from the bike shop, they just gave it to me for free. They had a giant box of em in their shop, and very few bikes that they work on use them anymore.

[raygun]

Good point. I'll try that first

[phydeauxmutt]

Not sure where Tim Tom is finding shims that cheap, but I want to shop there.

Yes, you can use a quarter. Don't plan on dropping the coin into a machine any time in the future, but it will spend OK over the counter.
Yeah, they get messed up a bit, but it's better to mess up a coin than your cam.

Usually, the best deal on shims is about $6 each at Z1, unless you go for the virtually free shim swap at the GSR Shim Club.

[raygun]

The local guy here sold me 4 for 10 bucks after I was there for half an hour with a pair of calipers. Those numbers were rubbed off on most of them. But I'm glad I asked anyway, good to know I can use a quarter just in case.

[tkent02]

Suzuki dealers used to swap them with you for free. Some still do, although others will try to charge $25 apiece for them.

[seanarthurmachado]

When mine were done a quarter was used during the swap.

A couple minor scratches on the quarter but no issues. (I believe I used it a few days later in the soda machine at work.)

Sean