Valve adjustment discrepancy

[diante]

I have a 83 GS850GL. Decided to adjust valves today using my Clymer repair manual. It says and illistrates the cam lobes perpindicular (not parallel) to head when checking clearences. I remember on a members site here that it said they needed to be parallel. Which is correct? Is the Clymer manual wrong? Manual number is M376. Going by the manual clearances are as follows

1 intake less than .o2 1 exhaust .08
2 intake .08 2 exhaust less than .02
3 intake .06 3 exhaust less than .02
4 intake less than .02 4 exhaust .12

Again, all clearances where taken with EACH cam lobe checked in the perpindicular position.

[Marine36]

I asked this question before of BassCliff's tutorial and the answer I received was that his tutorial was based on an actual Suzuki Service manual and that was the correct method.

[Marine36]

Sorry forgot this. I also found that the differencebetween the two methods was not significant on my 1100.

[eddiev]

It probably doesn't matter. As long as the valves being measured are totally closed and they are likely closed in either case.
Eddie V

[Nessism]

It does matter. The Suzuki method puts both adjacent valves on the base circle so neither is pushing up on the cam and skewing it in the journal clearance. The factory method is also easier since you only need to move the cams four times for all the valves.

[bwringer]

You're measuring mm, right?

I've never seen a .02mm feeler gauge -- seems like it would be dang near transparent.

[Marine36]

This set goes down to .02mm

http://www.sourcingmap.com/steel-metric-thickness-feeler-gage-gauge-002100mm-p-21339.html

[mike_of_bbg]

I have that set and, indeed, the .02mm is quite thin. You must be very careful not to buckle it. My micrometer says the set is pretty accurate though. And the micrometer agreed very well with my shims - albeit they were 2 orders of magnitude thicker...

[Suzuki_Don]

It says and illistrates the cam lobes perpindicular (not parallel) to head when checking clearences. I remember on a members site here that it said they needed to be parallel. Which is correct? Is the Clymer manual wrong? Manual number is M376.

When you are doing the measurements as Ed has said you need to follow the correct procedure. You don't have all the cam lobes parallel or perpendicular. If you read the manual or Cliff's tutorial then you have an arrangement where two of the setting have the lobe parallel to the head and the other two setting are with the cam lobe perpendicular. Which totals four settings as Ed has said.

Looking at your clearance readings which are probably wrong. You have four that are too tight and one that is really loose. Redo the measurements.

Go to this website if you have not already discovered it.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/gs850valve_adjust.pdf

[Steve]

... my Clymer repair manual. It says and illistrates the cam lobes perpindicular (not parallel) to head when checking clearences. I remember on a members site here that it said they needed to be parallel. Which is correct? ...

If you read the correct procedure carefully, you will see that you will have BOTH, one perpendicular and one parallel to the head. In this position, neither one on that side of the cam is pushing on a valve, so the cam will be centered in the bearings.

The firing order goes from the outer cylinder to the inner one, so line up the exhaust cam with the outer lobe pointing FORWARD and the inner lobe pointing UP. Line up the intake cam with the outer lobe pointing UP and the inner lobe pointing REARWARD. After checking BOTH valves on that side of the engine, use the 19mm nut on the right end of the crank to turn the crank 180 degrees to check the next pair of valves. When you get the system down, it actually goes rather easily and quickly.

[Skateguy50]

It goes quick if you dont have to pull the shim to put a measuring shim in, then repeat, do the math, and adjust as needed.

I really should get on of them thin feeler gauge sets, as I was using a 2.30 shim to measure and adjust. Oh and thanks Steve for the excel sheet helped on that part at least.

[MERC_DoD]

I was helping diante on this project in preparation for my gs450. Thanks for all the response. bwringer if you want a .02 feeler pm me with your address. I have a roll of it. as well as .03, .04, .05. Anyone have a 2.55 shim I can HAVE (or buy) as a tool to check the clearances that are less than .02. Thanks.