Accurately measuring thickness of shim

[hcritz]

I bought one of the digital mics from H.F. Checked it against a high dollar one and it's pretty spot on. It will do inches and MM...so that's nice.
Even came in a nice case with a spare battery.
Was on sale for $39 i think.

[mike_of_bbg]

Well, it's really all a matter of personal opinion and analysis in the end, IMO. How accurate do you need and expect it to be, and how OFTEN are you going to use it? I have my $20 digital calipers, and the $10 metric micrometer linked below. Both seem as accurate as anything I've used in the past. The calipers are 6 months old so I can't speak to the battery life yet. But my local dollar store also sells all sorts of button cells including 2032s, 2016s, and LR44s (which IIRC the calipers take) in multi-packs for $1. I'd have to go through a LOT of batteries to reach $130. Not too worried about the battery dying in the micrometer

I bought both tools and used them several times over a 1-week span solely for the purpose of examining my GS550 motor internals, and they've been in a drawer since. If I used calipers/micrometers daily, year-round in my hobbies or work I might well feel differently. But they did very well and I trust them to be accurate. For occasional use I can't imagine a better buy. Maybe I just got lucky, but I'm glad looking back to have the extra $$$ in my pocket.

Having two different measurement tools to compare each other to is also very helpful in developing trust. When micometer measurement = caliper measurement = printed shim or feeler stack size, dead on, every time, that will truly increase confidence more than just shelling out a lot of bucks. No matter what you pay for a measuring tool, compare it to a known control every time you use it!

[posplayr]

Well, it's really all a matter of personal opinion and analysis in the end, IMO. How accurate do you need and expect it to be, and how OFTEN are you going to use it? I have my $20 digital calipers, and the $10 metric micrometer linked below. Both seem as accurate as anything I've used in the past. The calipers are 6 months old so I can't speak to the battery life yet. But my local dollar store also sells all sorts of button cells including 2032s, 2016s, and LR44s (which IIRC the calipers take) in multi-packs for $1. I'd have to go through a LOT of batteries to reach $130. Not too worried about the battery dying in the micrometer

I bought both tools and used them several times over a 1-week span solely for the purpose of examining my GS550 motor internals, and they've been in a drawer since. If I used calipers/micrometers daily, year-round in my hobbies or work I might well feel differently. But they did very well and I trust them to be accurate. For occasional use I can't imagine a better buy. Maybe I just got lucky, but I'm glad looking back to have the extra $$$ in my pocket.

Having two different measurement tools to compare each other to is also very helpful in developing trust. When micometer measurement = caliper measurement = printed shim or feeler stack size, dead on, every time, that will truly increase confidence more than just shelling out a lot of bucks. No matter what you pay for a measuring tool, compare it to a known control every time you use it!

A Digital Micrometer that switches inches to mm has been indispensable for me working on these old GS's in the last two years. I dont have one but the HF units while inexpensive seem to fill the bill.

[Agemax]

you are all getting way too deep here. if a shim is 2.65mm and your top of the range calipers measure it exactly then fair play, but if your $30 calipers measure it at 2.643mm then so what? you are still gonna be well within the tolerances of the suzuki recommendations. lets face it some racers set their valve clearances wide as a benchmark anyway, some set em tight!
a few hundredths of a mm aint gonna change the way your bike runs

[makr]

you are all getting way too deep here. if a shim is 2.65mm and your top of the range calipers measure it exactly then fair play, but if your $30 calipers measure it at 2.643mm then so what? you are still gonna be well within the tolerances of the suzuki recommendations. lets face it some racers set their valve clearances wide as a benchmark anyway, some set em tight!
a few hundredths of a mm aint gonna change the way your bike runs

Dude, please dont take the fun out of a bunch of geeks talking tools. Geez


Personally am a micrometer fan. Olde school vernier, not digital. I have both, just like the olde school way.

[feelergaugephil]

You know you can actually put the shim in question in the bucket under the camshaft and measure it with a feelergauge, if too tight you know it's higher than the shim you took out, or if its way loose its lower than the shim you took out.
Eventually you'll work out exactly what size it is and put in a safe place with a piece of paper with it's size.........
just my 2cents worth..............

(I used to use this method years ago when I couldn't afford all those fancy tools)

[gggGary]

VXB bearings sells a cheapie digital caliper for $7.77 and has lots of wheel bearings in stock, the caliper helps make freight.

http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/CTGY/MotorcycleBearings

The site is a pain to navigate but they keep working on it.

[posplayr]

Dude, please dont take the fun out of a bunch of geeks talking tools. Geez


Personally am a micrometer fan. Olde school vernier, not digital. I have both, just like the olde school way.

Yea, shim whats a shim ; never heard of em? Now did I ever explain the little rest buttom on the digital caliper and what you can do with it.....?

[Johnny K]

I have the digital caliper and have measured each shim and extras, but I guess i am just a little finicky and want to know the exact size but it varies with a light squeeze and and firm squeeze of the caliper and just wanted other opinions.

[Redman]

...
....My question is when I am measuring the thickness of the shim with my caliper, should i make a real good snug fit or just a light fit on the shim. ....
....

I am not a machinest, nor a big gearhead. But I do work with various instrumentation.

My answer as to "real good snug fit or just a light fit" would be : how ever hard you "fit it" when you zeroed it.

... Or run it back to where the calipers are almost close to being closed together with nothing in it, then operate it with the little thumbwheel and see how hard you have to "fit it" to get it to read zero. Then when measuring something "fit it" that same amount.

... Or rezero it, and notice how tight you did that.

Actaully, you dont want to "fit it" too hard because that might wear on the calliper tips surfaces.

.

[posplayr]

I have the digital caliper and have measured each shim and extras, but I guess i am just a little finicky and want to know the exact size but it varies with a light squeeze and and firm squeeze of the caliper and just wanted other opinions.

The only answer was already given. You have to calibrate your own feel using a standard such as a feeler guage. Nobody can more accurately describe to you what you will feel by measuring a calibrated standard.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showpost.php?p=1149982&postcount=5

[Johnny K]

Okay, thanks for clearing things up. I have a better understanding now.

[Detroit Diesel Man]

I agree with Posplyr...its all in the feel...when we do overheads at work..setting valves/injectors and jake brakes we always make a point to have 1 person set everything..everyone has a different feel for using feeler gauges and calipers or micrometers too..books say a "slight drag" well what i consider a slight drag is diff than what you might...select a shim or set one valve and use that as a base for how everything else should feel..once you do it a few times it comes naturally.


John

[posplayr]

I agree with Posplyr...its all in the feel...when we do overheads at work..setting valves/injectors and jake brakes we always make a point to have 1 person set everything..everyone has a different feel for using feeler gauges and calipers or micrometers too..books say a "slight drag" well what i consider a slight drag is diff than what you might...select a shim or set one valve and use that as a base for how everything else should feel..once you do it a few times it comes naturally.


John

With some limited success we can describe sounds; " it went Knock Knock ClankClankBunk". Difficult I know

I might get hot and bothered trying to describe how it "feeeeelsss"