How am I supposed to get my shims out?!!!

[nisom512]

No, just trying to avoid a future post that reads:

Hey, I just opened my valve cover and see that my cam lobes are all scored.
I used a magnet last time to pull my shims, but I don't think that's the problem."



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UMMMM...Why?

[Dogma]

hahaha



well the part where the lobe pushes the valve all the way open should be the only part that touches the shim. correct?

Well once I have the Ziptie in the correct spot (between the valve and the valve head) I turn the engine over until the lob is not pushing the valve down and on the middle of the part that is on top(when you look at the engine) or the "side of the lobe" it shows what I call wear there are no dings or nics in the lob at all. it just looks like light rubbing. like when you rub fine steel whool on stainless steel. I will get pics soon I am kicking my self for not last night cause I am not going home till saturday.

Thank you
Jake

I just want to make sure I'm reading this right... The intake and exhaust lobes are pointing directly away from each other, right?

The only reason I can think of that this would show wear is if someone ran the engine for a while with no clearance at all. Hopefully not long enough to damage valves, seats, etc. Apart from that, I wouldn't worry about it. If you have proper clearance, it won't matter if that part of the cam has a tattoo of your mother.

[nisom512]

I just want to make sure I'm reading this right... The intake and exhaust lobes are pointing directly away from each other, right?

The only reason I can think of that this would show wear is if someone ran the engine for a while with no clearance at all. Hopefully not long enough to damage valves, seats, etc. Apart from that, I wouldn't worry about it. If you have proper clearance, it won't matter if that part of the cam has a tattoo of your mother.

Yeah I know they dont touch when the clearances are right. but yeah the guy who ran it with no clearances was .........me

[ryonker]

That's ok Jake.

I've kind of wanted to do a top end anyway.

Now we can do yours .

Rick

[atchbo]

Mine showed wear on the lobes too, and were too tight to get any of the feelers in between as well. I figure it's par for the course... the cam lobe physically touches the shim every time it rotates, and maybe all the way around if the shims are too big/valve has worn down. It should only be a problem if the faces are scored or scratched, no?

[nisom512]

Mine showed wear on the lobes too, and were too tight to get any of the feelers in between as well. I figure it's par for the course... the cam lobe physically touches the shim every time it rotates, and maybe all the way around if the shims are too big/valve has worn down. It should only be a problem if the faces are scored or scratched, no?

no scores or scratches.

Jake

[zeebob]

feel sorry for me...

I spent the afternoon pulling shims out of a GS425 and a GS550.
I'm attempting to use the Suzuki tool for the first time and it's a bear! The 550 engine is out of frame (a future build) and it goes alot easier that way. On some I got the shim out and the tool stayed put, 180* from where it started. I got the numbers off the back, oiled it and returned it to it's proper tappet.
Others not so easy. The under side of the tool is getting kinda scored. It pops out alot!

point is:
Somebody should invent a new and better shim removal tool. My idea was a lever ( a cast lever, bent on one end, slot in middle, longish handle) using the existing cover bolts ( picture a threaded shaft with a ball on top) as a leverage point.
regards and good luck
Z

[nisom512]

So I got my shims out last night and used Steves handy dandy excel sheet. I ended up having to put the head of the ziptie between the valve head and valve.

But now I have aquestion.

When I have the lobes parallel to the engine(where the lobes are pointing away from each other) is the only time I can measure a clearance. other wise if I have the lobe say pointing strait up it has almost no clearance but once I turn the engine so the lobes are pointing away from eachother it has like a .08mm clearnace. What the crap? should I be confused?

Thank you
Jake

[zeebob]

i believe you

gotta measure your clearance when the cam lobe is perpendicular (straight up) to the heads. This means the shim isn't always directly under the lobe but off to the side somewhat. Find a manual and confirm this.

also... if the shims are so tight that you can't get a feeler in there you gotta get a smaller shim, put that one in, and measure from that one.
I'm going though that now.

I ordered a single 2.30 from Z1 and replaced the existing 2.65's ,one at a time, and took my measurements. Now I know what I need for new shims.

Hope this helped...

regards;
Z

[tkent02]

gotta measure your clearance when the cam lobe is perpendicular (straight up) to the heads.

Not true, this gives erroneous readings.
Do it like the service manual says.

[Steve]

gotta measure your clearance when the cam lobe is perpendicular (straight up) to the heads. This means the shim isn't always directly under the lobe but off to the side somewhat. Find a manual and confirm this.

Not true, this gives erroneous readings.
Do it like the service manual says.

And the service manual says that the lobes should only be in certain positions when clearances are checked. For the exhaust valves, the outer cylinder (1 or 4) will have its lobe pointing forward, the inner cylinders will have their lobes pointing up. For the intake cam, the outer cylinders will be pointing up and the inner ones will be pointing back.

The reasoning for this: In this position, neither cam lobe on that side of the engine is pressing on a valve. The cam is more likely to be in a neutral position for more consistant readings.

Very specifically, the manual makes it easy by starting with exhausts 1&2.
Rotate the engine so exhaust lobe #1 is pointing forward and #2 is pointing up.
Measure the clearances of both, exhaust 1&2.
Rotate the crankshaft 180 degrees, line up the intake cam lobes for 1&2 properly, check intakes 1&2.
Rotate the crank another 180 degrees, check exhausts 3&4.
Rotate the crank another 180 degrees, check intakes 3&4.

Amazing how simple it can be when we ... umm ... errr ... follow directions.

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