Valve adjustments for different GS's. Locknut or shims?

[Anonymous]

I was just curious if most of the GS's use shims to adjust the valves or are some of them screw and locknut like the older air cooled GSX-R/Bandit engines?

[lhanscom]

The 83 - 85 GS750(700) are lock nut style. I would guess the 85 550 and 1150 would be the same. 8 valve motors are bucket and shim, TSCC 16 valve locknut.

[SqDancerLynn1]

The two valve engines are all shim adjustment, the 4 valve motore have the screw/nut adjustment

[Anonymous]

All shaft-driven GS bikes have 8-valve engines.

All 8-valve engines have shims.

Therefore, all GS shafties have shims.

When I bought my GK four years ago, it had 25,000 miles on the odometer. My mechanic replaced five of the eight shims at that time. I've taken the bike back to him for its annual end-of-the-year tuneup, and the last four annual services he replaced a total of four shims. This year he didn't replace any. The bike now has 75,000 miles.

I suspect the previous owner(s) had never replaced any shims.

Nick

[SqDancerLynn1]

I have some extra 2.75 shims if anyone needs that size

[Anonymous]

where is a good place to get these shims?...i assume they are cheap?

Ian

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The local Suzuki dealer wants about $10/each, new or used. Another dealer a little further away, will give you the shim(s) for free if you give them the ones you no longer need. If you go to a dealer that sells both Kawasaki and Suzuki, be sure the shims are Suzuki. Suzuki shims are 29.5mm across, the Kawasaki's are only 29mm across.

[Anonymous]

thanks KEITH
Ian

[mdole]

The 83 - 85 GS750(700) are lock nut style. I would guess the 85 550 and 1150 would be the same. 8 valve motors are bucket and shim, TSCC 16 valve locknut.

The 81 GS750 TSCC engine is the same.

Mike

[Anonymous]

Not all shafties are 8 valvers, don't forget the ultimate shaftie the GSX1100G has the GSXR engine.

[Anonymous]

I knew my GS1100 had the screw/locknut adjuster because I have done the valves on it but I had noticed several other threads in the past where everyone was talking about shim under bucktet valve adjustments so my curiosity finally got the best of me and I had to ask. I assume that all the 8 valve engines are SOHC and the 16 valves are DOHC. If my assumption is correct, could we conclude that all SOHC heads use the shim under bucket adjusment.

[lhanscom]

Actually all the GS engines are DOHC. At least I think I'm correct?

[Anonymous]

Not all shafties are 8 valvers, don't forget the ultimate shaftie the GSX1100G has the GSXR engine.

GSTaylor:

This is what I said:

"All shaft-driven GS bikes have 8-valve engines.

All 8-valve engines have shims.

Therefore, all GS shafties have shims."

Notice I said GS bikes. I know about the GSX1100G, but that is not a GS bike, but a somewhat detuned GSXR with a shaft.

The GSX1100G is not an air-cooled GS bike from the late 70's/early 80's. By definition, a GS bike has a four-stroke, air-cooled DOHC engine.

Actually all the GS engines are DOHC. At least I think I'm correct?

That is correct. All GS bikes have two overhead cams, DOHC. The original Honda CB750 had the single overhead cam.

Nick

[martin]

by the way, the GS models are shim on top of the bucket, unlike on my other bikes - Kawasaki z650's. they have the shim under the bucket, which means you have to take the cams out to check and change the shims.
at least on the GS you can use a bucket depresser and pick out the shim.
I would prefer screw and locknut though...

Martin
Melbourne, Australia
GS1000G, z650, z650SR