How do I know which shims go where?

[humblepie]

A set of metric feeler gauges is about $5 at any auto parts store.

If you don't have $5 to spare, you have no business fooling with old motorycles. Get a(nother) job! :-D

You don't need a lot of money, but geez, you need to invest a little.

The proper shim tool is less than $20 from Z1 Enterprises, CRC2, or Dennis Kirk. Shims are about $5 each if you need different sizes.

Manuals are about $20 - $25 each at http://repairmanuals.com .

yeah, as soon as I understood what I needed to do and the costs.I realized this may be a cakewalk..I hope so anyway. 8-[

[earlfor]

Yeah, those things too..if it runs. LOL

E.

If the clearance is too much the shim can spit out thus leading to cam and bucket destruction. If there is not enough clearance the valves will not close all the way which will result in burned valves.

[N56629]

What you should have done before taking it apart is now obvious. However, it is no nearly the disaster some of these guys make it out to be. The max difference between the smallest shim and largest shim is .006 of an inch. That is only twice the maximum allowable clearance.

You could put them in without the feeler gages to get an exact check but that would be foolish to save a couple of bucks on a cheap feeler gage. The only lifters you would have to worry about are the ones that would be too tight. On those you would have less than zero clearance. You can tell when you don't have clearance because you won't be able to rotate the shim in the bucket. If you can rotate all the shims easily with your fingers than you at least have some clearance.

You don't need metric shims. A .04mm shim is almost exactly .001 inches, actually ever so slightly more. Shims of .001, .002 and .003 should be more than adequate.

There is absolutely no way you are ever going to "spit" a shim.

I'm one of those cheap guys and I've been known to slip a one or two thousandths shim underneath rather than taking the time and money to go get a shim that I don't have. I know I have one or two in this bike and they have been there for over twenty years.

I guess I can expect it to self-destruct any day now.

[Nessism]

There is absolutely no way you are ever going to "spit" a shim.

You sure about this? Sure enough to bet someone else's engine?

Actually, I don't think there is much risk unless running the engine up to redline; Valve springs get weak, and missed shifts can cause crazy over reving. Not worth the risk.

[N56629]

It's not a question of my wanting to risk someone else's engine because the risk is ZERO. You would have to have at least ten times his worst case senario to have a shim come out of the bucket and if you manage to somehow achieve that much valve float he would more likely have a valve slamming into a piston. I don't recall how deep the buckets are but I'm thinking some where near 2mm. It is simply a physical impossibility.

[Nessism]

It's not a question of my wanting to risk someone else's engine because the risk is ZERO. You would have to have at least ten times his worst case senario to have a shim come out of the bucket and if you manage to somehow achieve that much valve float he would more likely have a valve slamming into a piston. I don't recall how deep the buckets are but I'm thinking some where near 2mm. It is simply a physical impossibility.

Don't tell MissFabulous (Shirley), she has a 550 that spit a shim and punched a hole in the head. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...highlight=weld

[N56629]

I don't see the cause of the hole in that post. It must have been a different one. To spit out a shim you have to develop a least 2mm clearance between the cam and shim or break the wall of the bucket. Getting that much clearance is difficult to do but I have seen chipped buckets caused by using makeshift tappet depressors.

[Nessism]

To spit out a shim you have to develop a least 2mm clearance between the cam and shim or break the wall of the bucket.

...or a missed shift under high rpm conditions where the valve floated thus easily creating the clearance you note. It happens, plain and simple, although I agree it is a rare occurrence.