valve clearance check guide?

[Diabolus]

Have we got a guide for doing a valve clearance check front and rear pots ?

[lloydie]

why do you want to do one
if not it will be in the service manual in the workshop knowledge sticky base ,,, needs downloading tho

[VTRDark]

What sort of mileage have you got on your bike? No guides on here as far as I know. As Lloydie said it's all in the manual. If you capable of doing cct's then it's not much more to do a valve check. Make sure you have an angled feeler gauge to check the gap with and work out whether you need any shims and what size they need to be. It's also a good idea to have a magnet to remove shims out the bucket and to not drop any

(:-})

[Diabolus]

Its on 23k and was going to check I've got cct tension right whilst at it. I've got the pdf manual its in there is it ?

[benny hedges]

the clearances are in the manual.

to do the job you will need to remove both cam covers (front is an butt as you will have to drop the oil cooler - easiest way to get at it is between the mudguard and bottom yoke with an 8mm socket on a long extension, undo the 2 8mm bolts and let it drop down, take the plugs out, remove the 2 timing plugs on the l/h casing then time up the cams as though you are replacing tensioners.

when each cylinder is at top dead just slip your feeler underneath the cam- it should be a sliding fit.
6thou inlet, 12 thou exhaust +/- 1thou
.16mm inlet, .31mm exhaust +/- 0.05mm

camchain tension - if you have manual tensioners fitted - it shoud be looser than you would expect.
you want to be able to move the chain up & down in the centre by 10mm or so.
this feels too slack, but it cant jump the gears!

if you do need to replace any shims (which i doubt tbh) as carl suggested, use a magnet on a stick to lift off the buckets with the shim stuck inside. saves a lot of messing about.

be sure to put some bogroll down the camchain tunnel before removing the centre bolt from the camchain guide!
and you need a medium bond threadlock to refit the bolts, tightening down evenly - make sure the cap is sat down right before applying any force lol (seb!)

this is the main check on the 16k service and a dealer will bill you £300 for the job, so considering you will probably not need to change any shims, its worth doing this yourself!

[Diabolus]

Thanks Benny, I've no service history with the bike so I thought it is best to check them. I changed the ccts a year ago so a proper check would be good as I set them at the time by finger tight and back off but also backed them off whilst bike running as I kept thinking they were too tight. Measuring the deflection is the only way to be confident there right.

[VTRDark]

Measuring the deflection is the only way to be confident there right.

Totally agree and it's not too much hassle to remove the front cam cover. Airbox and carbs off, remove plastic cowl under the carbs, remove mirrors and fairing, undo the two bolts on oil cooler bracket and lower the cooler. You now have access to everything. Cam cover lifts off and pulled down through the front of the bike. Put the top bolts back in the cover before sliding the cover back on as those bolts are a tight fit to get back in as the tops of them catch on the bar that goes across the frame.

(:-})

[tony.mon]

Don't agree, I'm afraid. Easiest way is to undo locknut, hold onto bolt and start engine. Then undo the tensioner slowly and listen for a little ticking noise. When you can hear it, tighten until noise just goes away. That's the tension set, make sure that you don't turn the adjuster bolt when tightening the locknut up again.
In case you're a bit deaf, don't undo the bolt more than one complete turn.

The bike has to be warm when doing this, btw.

It's safe, you can easily hold the bolt in place just with your finger and thumb without gripping it like a madman, it won't just unwind as long as you don't let go.

To get a decent grip if you haven't done it before, take the tank off and you can see what you're doing much easier. But for the front one I can go in from the side with a pair of 13mm ring spanners without taking anything off, it only takes a few seconds to do. Do the rear one first, using the same method, adn you'll have a good feel for it when you do the trickier to get at front one.

But it's a good idea to check clearances, and as you say, if you're looking at the top chain run anyway you might as well adjust at the same time.

[Diabolus]

Don't agree, I'm afraid. Easiest way is to undo locknut, hold onto bolt and start engine. Then undo the tensioner slowly and listen for a little ticking noise. When you can hear it, tighten until noise just goes away. That's the tension set, make sure that you don't turn the adjuster bolt when tightening the locknut up again.
In case you're a bit deaf, don't undo the bolt more than one complete turn.

The bike has to be warm when doing this, btw.

It's safe, you can easily hold the bolt in place just with your finger and thumb without gripping it like a madman, it won't just unwind as long as you don't let go.

To get a decent grip if you haven't done it before, take the tank off and you can see what you're doing much easier. But for the front one I can go in from the side with a pair of 13mm ring spanners without taking anything off, it only takes a few seconds to do. Do the rear one first, using the same method, adn you'll have a good feel for it when you do the trickier to get at front one.

But it's a good idea to check clearances, and as you say, if you're looking at the top chain run anyway you might as well adjust at the same time.

I set mine this way earlier in the year after not being confident with my finger tight and back off method but they were pretty much right any way, do i definatly need angled feeler gauge for valve clearence? as i have a normal set

[sirch345]

do i definatly need angled feeler gauge for valve clearence? as i have a normal set

I found using cranked/angled feeler gauges a lot easier to use for this job than using straight ones for checking the valve clearances,

Chris.

[Diabolus]

do i definatly need angled feeler gauge for valve clearence? as i have a normal set

I found using cranked/angled feeler gauges a lot easier to use for this job than using straight ones for checking the valve clearances,

Chris.

okay ill get some, im just a tight butt and rather spend a £5 on the bike than a tool rarely used

[AMCQ46]

i have never had any problem using the normal feeler gauges, but perhaps it is because I have angled wrists

[bazza696]

Thanks Benny, I've no service history with the bike so I thought it is best to check them. I changed the ccts a year ago so a proper check would be good as I set them at the time by finger tight and back off but also backed them off whilst bike running as I kept thinking they were too tight. Measuring the deflection is the only way to be confident there right.

If it's anything like mine the rear clearances will be spot on the fronts will be tighter than a ducks butt, cause no one bothers with the front cause there a pain to do, so even if the bike has service history would be interested to see if they actually both with them.

[benny hedges]

do i definatly need angled feeler gauge for valve clearence? as i have a normal set

bend them. simples.

if you are not sure what to do you could send me your straight feeler gauges and i wil angle them for you for £25 per blade.

[Diabolus]

Removing the front cam cover is a wombles nightmare, after using a combination of sockets, adapters and extension finally got the top 2 bolts undone. The exhaust cams on the front pot are -1 thou but within tollerance and cct tension spot on and both pots. Not looking forward to putting cam covers back on ! But not doing that till I've re-sprayed the cam covers, do I need to remove all the old paint of just the flakey loose areas?? I'm planing too etch primer and then simonzi tough black same as what I'm using for front forks, is this okay or is a paint that's for higher temps required ??.