Feeler gauge question .03 mm vs 0.001

[Anonymous]

.03 mm converts to 0.0012 inches (0.001181099 for the really anal)
.038 mm converts to 0.0015

.025 mm converts to .001 inches

.08 mm converst to .003 inches

All I can find locally are .038 mm feelers. SnapOn has discontinued their metric set that contained the .03 mm. The McMaster-Carr set that includes the .03mm feeler is $34.00. The local Suzuki guys can't get the tool. Dennis Kirk doesn't have anything that small.

The .001 feeler is too thin -- yet I've seen several references to people using it.

The .038 is too thick to fit under 6 of my 8 lobes. I applied a sander to another .038 I had and was able to slip it under the couple I tried -- of course, I have no idea how much surface I removed. I was just curious about whether or not it could be done.

I've seen it suggested that a wider gap is better than a too narrow gap and that over time things tighten up.

I am going to continue the quest for the .03 mm gauge (a sub- $34.00 one) -- but I need to know: Is it acceptable to use a .001 gauge instead of the .0012 guage.

The difference is small, but as they say, ".0001 here ... .0001 there; pretty soon you're talking about some real distance."

[daveo]

Hi Delmer, you're adding an extra '0' to your specs,(.0001) ten-thous. instead of thousands (.001) the gap you're shooting for is .004" or 4 thousandths of an in., see if you can borrow a micrometer to measure what you have, a cigarette cellophane wrapper is about .001 (1 thousandth of an in. thick) I'd just skip the metric equivalent and do the adjustment in inches

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply.

The ten-thousandth is the part I'm curious about.

The spec calls for .03 mm or .0012 inches. I've seen reference to people using .001 feeler stock, which is .025 mm and out of spec.

I've had more success finding .03 mm gauges than .0012 inch - but the .03 I found is $34.00.

So, how critical is the .0002? That is a very small difference, but at some point it has to make a difference.

I forgot to mention, the GS850 I have has fewer than 14K miles on it. I'm would like to believe that the valves are all within spec, but that I just don't have a guage small enough to fit the gap.

[daveo]

.0012" seems awful tight? mine calls for between .003"-.005", 82 1100

[Guy]

Here's what you do: Get a set of metric guages. Forget about a 0.03mm blade. You need a 0.05mm and a 0.10mm blade. If you can slide in the 0.05mm blade but not the 0.10mm one, then your clearances are within spec. Another thing, if you have to swap or replace any shims, it's worth measuring them with a micrometer, rather than relying on the stamped numbers. This can save a lot of head scratching, swearing, kicking the motorcycle etc. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

That might get me on the road fastest.

I should probably use the feelers I have and replace whatever falls outside of .038 -- it would get me on the road the fastest. As it is I've spent too much time trying to find the smaller gauges.

FWIW, I was on the phone today with the Snap-on OEM looking for the .03 metric set. They don't have it anymore either. I told the rep my tale of woe as she checked their inventory; the rep I spoke with is going to send me -- gratis -- a .001" blade in the mail.

[wizard]

If you want to do the work with metric measurements, find a tool dealer who carries or can order KD Tool #2274. That is a set of metric valve gauges. I always use them so I can use the table in the repair manual to change shims. It's easier working in metric than to convert back and forth.