Ballpark cost of getting valve clearances checked/shimmed

[littlerestraint]

Hi chaps,

As above really - If I took my Storm in to get clearances checked (and potentially shimmed), what sort of money should I expect to pay?

And am I right in thinking that the interval is 16,000 miles?

Thanks for your help

[lloydie]

At a garage you'll be looking at £200+

[bigtwinthing]

At a garage you'll be looking at £200+

i think they have to be done cold too, so at a garage you may have to take it there late and pick up the next day. I may be wrong though.

[MacV2]

Give Tony M a shout, depending where you are he can do it & will be cheaper than a dealer, you just have to put up with his cheezey banter...

[8541Hawk]

At a garage you'll be looking at £200+

i think they have to be done cold too, so at a garage you may have to take it there late and pick up the next day. I may be wrong though.

Yes the engine must be stone cold before you check the clearances, so the minimum would be letting it sit overnight before starting this job.

[littlerestraint]

Give Tony M a shout, depending where you are he can do it & will be cheaper than a dealer, you just have to put up with his cheezey banter...

Cheers all. I did wonder about doing it myself, as I managed the CCTs, but if they need shimming then I'm not so confident, as I presume you have to take off the cams and timing chain etc?

[sirch345]

Give Tony M a shout, depending where you are he can do it & will be cheaper than a dealer, you just have to put up with his cheezey banter...

Cheers all. I did wonder about doing it myself, as I managed the CCTs, but if they need shimming then I'm not so confident, as I presume you have to take off the cams and timing chain etc?

Yes, if any of the shims need replacing you will need to remove the camshaft(s) to do that.

You're right, 16,000 mile intervals is what's recommend for checking the valve clearances,

Chris.

[Stratman]

Give Tony M a shout, depending where you are he can do it & will be cheaper than a dealer, you just have to put up with his cheezey banter...

Cheers all. I did wonder about doing it myself, as I managed the CCTs, but if they need shimming then I'm not so confident, as I presume you have to take off the cams and timing chain etc?

Why not check them yourself and then if they are out, get someone to do the shimming. Nothing more annoying than paying £200 only to be told "they were spot on"!

[tony.mon]

If you can get to Sevenoaks, Kent, £120 including shims, ride-in, ride-out, same day.
The engine cools sufficiently by the time you have it ready to open up and the plastics are off, a cup of tea and some toast and shims included in that cost.
I'll also include the rest of the service if you bring oil, filters and plugs.

Ballpark enough for you?

[playerone]

If you can get to Sevenoaks, Kent, £120 including shims, ride-in, ride-out, same day.
The engine cools sufficiently by the time you have it ready to open up and the plastics are off, a cup of tea and some toast and shims included in that cost.
I'll also include the rest of the service if you bring oil, filters and plugs.

Ballpark enough for you?

I can definitely vouch for tony's ride in ride out service, changed my inlet for exhaust cams, fitted manual tensioners, checked clearances and included in the price was a taste of the legendary purple potatoes

[MacV2]

If you can get to Sevenoaks, Kent, £120 including shims, ride-in, ride-out, same day.
The engine cools sufficiently by the time you have it ready to open up and the plastics are off, a cup of tea and some toast and shims included in that cost.
I'll also include the rest of the service if you bring oil, filters and plugs.

Ballpark enough for you?

I can definitely vouch for tony's ride in ride out service, changed my inlet for exhaust cams, fitted manual tensioners, checked clearances and included in the price was a taste of the legendary purple potatoes

Is that a euphemism...

I know he talks a lot of general bollacks but thats taking it a bit far making you pay for the work & havings to taste his plums...

[playerone]

surprisingly they were actual potatoes

[StormingHonda]

If you can get to Sevenoaks, Kent, £120 including shims, ride-in, ride-out, same day.
The engine cools sufficiently by the time you have it ready to open up and the plastics are off, a cup of tea and some toast and shims included in that cost.
I'll also include the rest of the service if you bring oil, filters and plugs.

Ballpark enough for you?

Yeah your right Tony I was thinking myself, does an engine really have to sit overnight to get cold, nope a few hours is enough.

[bigtwinthing]

If you can get to Sevenoaks, Kent, £120 including shims, ride-in, ride-out, same day.
The engine cools sufficiently by the time you have it ready to open up and the plastics are off, a cup of tea and some toast and shims included in that cost.
I'll also include the rest of the service if you bring oil, filters and plugs.

Ballpark enough for you?

Yeah your right Tony I was thinking myself, does an engine really have to sit overnight to get cold, nope a few hours is enough.

really, iam not so sure. i was told cold!

[tony.mon]

The important factor is that the engine parts expand with heat, and the clearances close slightly.
At its hottest, the clearances still need to exceed zero, or the valves won't close and gases leak, losing you compression and the hot gases leaking through while burning can erode the valve seat. Then you get leaks even when the valves are reset properly.
What we want is to get the engine cool enough so that no expansion is occurring.
Considering the normal running temp, anything that's cold to the hand is ok.
Otherwise, you couldn't set clearances on a hot sunny day
So anything less that say 35 degrees C is fine.
As I said, by the time we've got some tools out, the bike on stands, the fairing off, and the inspection caps off so that you can set a tdc, it's cool enough to measure.
Try it, after a run leave the bike two hours, the engine will feel cold to the hand.