Valve Adjustment question

[ameen]

I have a 82 GS550 with a little over 18k miles on it. I recently bought it and am trying to get it running properly.

So while measuring the valve clearances, the intake valve on cylinder 1 was .115. What could cause this? Shouldn't it get smaller over time? the only thing i can think of is the last person messed up.

Also, how often are valves to be adjusted? I doubt that it has ben done before now.


Thanks

[Steve]

So while measuring the valve clearances, the intake valve on cylinder 1 was .115.

.115 ... WHAT?
Days?
Miles?
Quarts?

Gotta have the units, too, but either way, it's too large. Substitute a larger shim to bring the clearance down.

While you are doing this, please allow me to offer to you my Excel spreadsheet that will help you calculate what shim to use and will also help keep track of your adjustments from one time to the next. Just send me an e-mail request and I will send you a copy.

.

[Don-lo]

Sounds way too loose. A bent valve will do that. Check compression.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. ameen,

That Steve, he's a stickler for details. I knew you meant inches, or was it millimeters?

Visit my website and download a manual for your bike. Get yourself a set of metric feeler gauges and a digital caliper. Read up on all of the guides and info I've collected to help you maintain your bike. Valve checks are recommended every 4000 miles. Now I'll do my "welcome thing".

Here is your magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

That Steve, he's a stickler for details. I knew you meant inches, or was it millimeters?

Just to show you what a difference it makes, if it's .115 millimeters, then you are only one shim size off.
Changing one shim size will take you down to .065 mm, right in the sweet spot.
However, if it's .115 inch, you will need to change the shim by four sizes.

Now, if that measurement was in quarts, all bets are off.

.

[ameen]

Thanks guys. I meant mm.

Well here is my story for tonight. In an effort to check my compression, i managed to get the compression tester stuck in my engine and proceed to snap it off . Now i got to figure out how im going to drill it out and install a heli coil in there or something.

On the bright side cylinder 1 holds 120 psi cold....and that was as far as i got.