Valve shims

[Guest]

Hey guys, Quick question, Checking my valve clearances and wondering if it is O.K. to remove all the shims? Can I install two shims and turn the motor over with out hurting anything? Will the clearances be the same with just two shims in Versus all of them? Thanks.

[Burque73]

You can use quarters in place of the shims. It's really bad to rotate the crank without a shim on the bucket. Damaged cam lobe will result.

[workonwood]

Perfect, I need to swap four shims and my exhaust will be good, tomorrow I am going to the dealer to get the rest of the shims. Thanks!!!

[Steve]

First, measure your clearances, but be sure to follow the factory procedure for positioning the cams. Yes, it's important. Strike that, it's CRITICAL.

After recording your clearancesRemove your shims ONE AT A TIME. Record the size, put it back in place, move to the next one. When you have all your sizes recorded, take the thinnest one out, put a quarter in its place. Move that shim to other places that did not have enough clearance to see if that thinner size shim is enough of a change. If that shim is too thin, you will merely measure some extra clearance, then it's easy to figure out what size shim you need. If the clearance is still too small, you will at least know that you need something smaller than that shim, rather than the shim that was in there.
For a handy calculator that will help you figure out what shim you need, take a look at the offer in my signature.

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[workonwood]

Just moved the thinest one..math all added up!! Thanks again.

[workonwood]

This is where Iam at. Any advise?

Exhaust #1 2.75 shim .08mm #2 2.70 shim .11mm #3 2.65 shim .11mm #4 2.70 shim .11mm


Intake #1 2.60 shim .09mm #2 2.65 Shim .08mm #3 need a 2.55 #4 2.65 shim .09mm


To big of a clearance? Should I go with 2.65 and 2.60 on the exhaust? I have read that a litte big is better.

[hannibal]

Exhaust 1 is good but I'd be concerned about the other exhaust valves. 0.011mm is too tight unless you mean 0.11mm. If they are the smaller you wrote, I'd definitely go down to 260 and 265. Some folks may even recommend going down 2 sizes on those 3 valves.

[workonwood]

Yes .11mm my bad. What I dont under stand is #3 exhaust started at 2.80 and .002 I have a 2.65 now and .11mm I will put a 2.70 in and see where Iam at.

[bwringer]

Yes .11mm my bad. What I dont under stand is #3 exhaust started at 2.80 and .002 I have a 2.65 now and .11mm I will put a 2.70 in and see where Iam at.

Is .002 an inch measurement? That's .05mm.

If you meant .02mm, I don't believe feeler gauges exist that thin.



It's fine to go to .09mm and .11mm. Don't close these up. These are TINY TINY clearances compared to most motorcycles and cars, and a teensy bit extra won't hurt a thing. No one is really quite sure why Suzuki specified such itsy bitsy valve clearances.

Just for perspective the KLR650 uses a nearly identical shim-over-bucket system and the proper valve clearances are .10mm - .20mm intake, .15mm to .25mm exhaust.


It's not clear to me what's going on with #3 intake. What was the actual clearance where you put "#3 need a 2.55"?

[workonwood]

Smallest gauge I have is 0.04mm and it would not fit in all but #1 exhaust. #3 had a 2.60 with smaller than 0.04mm measurement. I will run them like this and put a 2.55 in #3.

[sharpy]

My advice is get a manual if u havent one already