Valve shims

[mike10]

I'm adjusting the valves on my 1980 GS1000. I'm still kind of scary about it. Can someone smarter than me check this out, please.
EX Valve/ Cylinder 1 .10mm clearance/ shim size 2.75 / need a 2.80
2 .10mm 2.65 need 2.70
3 .04mm 2.75 need 2.70
4 .10mm 2.70 need 2.75

INTAKE 1 .04mm 2.70 need 2.65
2.10mm 2.60 need 2.65
3 .04mm 2.75 need 2.70
4 .04mm 2.70 need 2.65
If this is right I only need 1/ 2.80 and 2/ 2.65,s. I don't have a .03mm feeler gauge. but a .015 wouldn't slip though either. .10mm had plenty of room but my next bigger .15 wouldn't slide through. Will the sizes in my need column bring it into tolerance?

[Nessism]

I'd button it up as is. .10mm is fine, as is .04. Just make sure you have the shims needed to adjust those .04mm clearance valves at your next check.

[7981GS]

Do you have a Suzuki dealer near you that will exchange shims with you?
Sears sells the feeler gauge set that you need.

Daniel

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Do you mean 0.10mm or 0.01mm?

As Mr. Nessism said, a little loose (.10mm) is OK but .03mm or less is asking for trouble.

And if I could ask another stupid question, you are using metic measurements and not inches, right?


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

I will also toss an invite your way to get a copy of my spreadsheet to help you determine your shim sizes.

Details are in my sig.

.

[mike10]

Feeler Gauges

I have (2). One in inchs and metric. And one just metric from MacTools the smallest it gos is .04mm then .06,.09,.10mm then jumps to .15. I used the Metric gauge. So I took the .015 from the inch set which I think is smaller than.04mm and it would not fit through the tight ones. So I better do something with them. Thanks Guys

[gert du prez]

Use the valve adjustment spreadsheet as Steve is suggesting. While in the garage you think you will remember what you have measured and changed as it only concerns 8 valves...but believe me...after a couple of days you have lost your little notes and have no clue anymore what one valve still needed adjustment or was on the tight end...

I'm one shim away from a complete first valve adjustment job and have discovered the importance of Mr. Steve's free tool.

- I use the 'Summary' sheet to keep track of what I ordered online (as I don't have a Suzuki dealer that can deliver shims)
- I add a note per valve (on the service sheets) of what shim I can re-use in what other valve (as most of the shims will be re-usable for other valves I hope)

[lurch12_2000]

If .10mm easily slides through and .15mm doesn't, since you don't have a .12mm feeler gauge, I would use your .005in (.127mm) to see if that slides through. You can also carefully double up the .04mm and .09mm feeler gauges to get .13mm and check. If together they slide through then your gaps are too sloppy and then you can juggle some of your tighter gapped shims around.
Acceptable clearances are .03mm-.08mm but most of us accept up to .10mm as ok, but less than .04mm we bump down a shim size.

PS....and you meant .0015in (.038mm) wouldn't slip through, right? Don't go back and forth with in. or mm otherwise you'll get confused along with everyone else, eh?

[Steve]

A lot of the confusion stems from the fact that there is a "3" in both sets, but one is minimum, the other is maximum.

In metric, the clarance range is 0.03 - 0.08 mm.

In inches, the clearance range is 0.0012" - 0.0031".

My spreadsheet does not care whether you use inch or metric measurements.

.

[bwringer]

A set of Bikemaster metric feeler gauges that goes down to .03mm is about $10 at just about any bike shop.

There's simply no excuse nowadays to not have the proper tool for this project.

I've seen even experienced GS mechanics get quite confustimacated when trying to deal with inch feelers.

[cowboyup3371]

Use the valve adjustment spreadsheet as Steve is suggesting. While in the garage you think you will remember what you have measured and changed as it only concerns 8 valves...but believe me...after a couple of days you have lost your little notes and have no clue anymore what one valve still needed adjustment or was on the tight end...

I'm one shim away from a complete first valve adjustment job and have discovered the importance of Mr. Steve's free tool.

- I use the 'Summary' sheet to keep track of what I ordered online (as I don't have a Suzuki dealer that can deliver shims)
- I add a note per valve (on the service sheets) of what shim I can re-use in what other valve (as most of the shims will be re-usable for other valves I hope)

+1 on this one. I did my valve adjustment in July and wrote everything down or so I thought. When I went back to look at things a couple of months ago, I couldn't find the sizes for two valves. I just redid everything this weekend and slapped it in the spreadsheet. I'm good to go until next time now.

[mike10]

If .10mm easily slides through and .15mm doesn't, since you don't have a .12mm feeler gauge, I would use your .005in (.127mm) to see if that slides through. You can also carefully double up the .04mm and .09mm feeler gauges to get .13mm and check. If together they slide through then your gaps are too sloppy and then you can juggle some of your tighter gapped shims around.
Acceptable clearances are .03mm-.08mm but most of us accept up to .10mm as ok, but less than .04mm we bump down a shim size.

PS....and you meant .0015in (.038mm) wouldn't slip through, right? Don't go back and forth with in. or mm otherwise you'll get confused along with everyone else, eh?

Yes .0015 is what I ment. Thank You for the I will do it. Mike

[Steve]

... confustimacated ...

Brian, I want to borrow your thesaurus some time, if you don't mind.

.

[mike10]

My Hand On The Bible

A set of Bikemaster metric feeler gauges that goes down to .03mm is about $10 at just about any bike shop.

There's simply no excuse nowadays to not have the proper tool for this project.

I've seen even experienced GS mechanics get quite confustimacated when trying to deal with inch feelers.

I have looked everywhere around here and no bike shop, sears, or auto parts store carries a straight metric feeler gauge with all those sizes. A co-worker from Canada who's brother sells tools up there offered to check with him for one. Not much better luck looking on line. I'm starting to think the government or something is trying to keep this tool out of my hands.

[Steve]

In spite of all the hooplah about metric feeler gauges (and I'm not downplaying them), I have two sets of INCH feelers that have metric equivalents on them. The smallest is 0.0015", which is ever so slightly larger than the minimum clearance of 0.0012". But, I figure that by the time the valve gets tight enough to not pass the 0.0015" feeler, it's too tight anyway, so I change the shim.

I am also in the group that feels that slightly larger clearances are good. Instead of using .03 to .08mm as my range, I tend to keep them between .04 and .10mm. I also have a selection of "X" shims that allow me to fine-tune my clearances into the upper half of the range.

Looking at it in a very practical manner, the only time it helps to know the exact measurement is when you work on a bike for the first time. After that, you know that they started in good shape. Our valves tend to tighten up with use, so pass the thinnest feeler through. If it passes, you are above the minimum. Now try the largest feeler. If it stops, you are less than the maximum. As long as you are 'in the window', you are good to go.

.