Rafterd Posted October 17, 2017 Share #1 Posted October 17, 2017 I normally do my own maintenance on everything I own. Always have. So I was thinking about doing a valve adjustment on the RSV, but I don't have the tool or the shims, and to tell the truth I really don't want to. Do I called a few dealers to get the price. $400 to start with!!!!!! Ok to hell with adjusting the valves!!! I had 3 gen ones all of which I put 150k or more miles on all of them, and never adjusted the valves and never had any problems. Let's try for number 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSky Posted October 17, 2017 Share #2 Posted October 17, 2017 Aww! Where is you spirit of adventure? Ha! I know what you mean though. My 05 Magnum's transmission needs a new electro-hydraulic conductor plate and it is located above the valve body inside the transmission. I'm not looking forward to replacing it but I intend to do it. Would be much easier to shell out the money and get a transmission shop to do it. I called two transmission shops and the dealer for quotes and one was $500, one was $900, and the dealer not to be outdone quoted $1600. I ordered a conductor plate from rockauto for $150. And from looking at the videos, it's about an hour job (for an experienced mechanic). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted October 17, 2017 Share #3 Posted October 17, 2017 Exploring in the unknown was one of my favorites til the last few years!! And I ain't skeered just a lot harder to handle!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterd Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted October 17, 2017 I've done hundreds of these type valve adjustments, the 80's model Honda 750,900, and CBX, which are done the same way. I just don't want to anymore. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kretz Posted October 17, 2017 Share #5 Posted October 17, 2017 I've done hundreds of these type valve adjustments, the 80's model Honda 750,900, and CBX, which are done the same way. I just don't want to anymore. 😀 Know exactly what you mean! I have done lots of things previously, but now just "don't want to" or "don't feel like it" I wonder if it's a part of the human make up, to lose interest in stuff after a while. But there are folks that become more "involved" as they get older so perhaps not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted October 17, 2017 Share #6 Posted October 17, 2017 Until you at least check the valve there is no way to know where you are starting from. On mine more than half of the valves were under the min and 2 were less than my thinnest feeler of 0.0015 inch (0.04mm). Had I not done the valves then I would probably have ruined a valve and/or head in the next 5K miles. I checked the valves at 60K Miles. I did not notice any issues in how the bike ran. Others have gone a quarter million miles with out ever checking the valves and not had an issue. Do You feel lucky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterd Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share #7 Posted October 17, 2017 Until you at least check the valve there is no way to know where you are starting from. On mine more than half of the valves were under the min and 2 were less than my thinnest feeler of 0.0015 inch (0.04mm). Had I not done the valves then I would probably have ruined a valve and/or head in the next 5K miles. I checked the valves at 60K Miles. I did not notice any issues in how the bike ran. Others have gone a quarter million miles with out ever checking the valves and not had an issue. Do You feel lucky? Im normally not very lucky, but I've done it 3 times, 150k each, never checked them, so I'm gonna try. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camos Posted October 17, 2017 Share #8 Posted October 17, 2017 Know exactly what you mean! I have done lots of things previously, but now just "don't want to" or "don't feel like it" I wonder if it's a part of the human make up, to lose interest in stuff after a while. But there are folks that become more "involved" as they get older so perhaps not.I'm thinking I should also do an adjustment. There is a tick or a slight knock on my 89 VR after a cold start that lasts until the engine gets half way warmed up. When I did the 90 VR, it took almost a week and a lot of cursing before it was done. Between going through recording clearances and replacing all of the shims to find which ones can be re-used then getting the 5 or 6 that had to be replaced and doing it all over again. The only good thing was the dealer had what I needed in stock so it wasn't necessary to wait for them to get shipped. These valve shim adjustments are a total PITA compared to the tappet arrangement on my 96 Virago. Even if you have all the necessary shims on hand it would likely take a day or more to do the job compared to the 20 to 40 minutes needed to adjust tappets. Not to mention the likelihood of fighting with placement or even replacement of the valve cover gaskets. Bike manufacturers seem determined to up the difficulty and the cost of maintenance and then after ten years say "You are on your own, we don't do old bikes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill1 Posted October 17, 2017 Share #9 Posted October 17, 2017 I'm a firm believer that a person must know their limitations or know someone with good experience. With that said beer and pizza goes a long way around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterd Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share #10 Posted October 17, 2017 I'm thinking I should also do an adjustment. There is a tick or a slight knock on my 89 VR after a cold start that lasts until the engine gets half way warmed up. Im not 100% sure, but I've never heard one of the "shim type" adjusters make any noise. They don't get loose like the screw types. Just MHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted October 18, 2017 Share #11 Posted October 18, 2017 The biggest part of the PIA is pulling the coal and parts to gain access. Took me 6 hr or more. To get parts off. The actual adjustment was an hour or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camos Posted October 18, 2017 Share #12 Posted October 18, 2017 I'm thinking I should also do an adjustment. There is a tick or a slight knock on my 89 VR after a cold start that lasts until the engine gets half way warmed up. Im not 100% sure, but I've never heard one of the "shim type" adjusters make any noise. They don't get loose like the screw types. Just MHO.I don't know that the noise is coming from the valves, just suspect that it might be. As the shims wear, the valve clearances get tighter and tighter which could possibly end up damaging the valve or the head. I have no real knowledge in this area, mostly just repeating what I have heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterd Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share #13 Posted October 18, 2017 I don't know that the noise is coming from the valves, just suspect that it might be. As the shims wear, the valve clearances get tighter and tighter which could possibly end up damaging the valve or the head. well sorry but as the shims wear, they get loose not tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterd Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share #14 Posted October 18, 2017 I'm thinking I should also do an adjustment. There is a tick or a slight knock on my 89 VR after a cold start that lasts until the engine gets half way warmed up. I don't know that the noise is coming from the valves, just suspect that it might be. As the shims wear, the valve clearances get tighter and tighter which could possibly end up damaging the valve or the head. I have no real knowledge in this area, mostly just repeating what I have heard. Sorry, but as the shims wear, they get loose, not tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted October 18, 2017 Share #15 Posted October 18, 2017 I don't think that is true on these bikes. They get tighter as the shims wear. It's not exactly a walk in the park but it can generally be done in 3 or 4 hours. Not fun but not terrible either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted October 18, 2017 Share #16 Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) Sorry, but as the shims wear, they get loose, not tight. On these bike it is not the shim that wears, it is actually the valve seat and the head that wears, this allows the valve to seat deeper into the head as it wears and this is why the clearance gets smaller over time, the valve is moving closer to the cam. When you take out a shim and measure its thickness at different points from the edge to the center you will find that the amount of wear on the shim is really really small compared to the amount the valve clearance is out of spec. If you let it go long enough for the clearance to reach zero then the valve can no longer seal because it is being held open all the time and will leak hot gasses past burning up the valve. This is why the exhaust valves usually wear faster than the intakes, the cool intake air helps to cool the intakes so the exhaust seats wear faster cuz they are hotter. Edited October 18, 2017 by Flyinfool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubsie Posted October 18, 2017 Share #17 Posted October 18, 2017 I didn't have the tool or shims last year when I wanted to check the valves on my '02 with 47K on it, nor did I really feel like doing the job, so I set up an appointment with my local dealer. The night before the appointment, I put the bike on my single bike trailer and stripped everything off the bike right down to exposing the rockers. Covered the engine with a clean rag and drove it to the dealer the next morning and dropped the bike off, trailer and all. Got a call that afternoon that the job was done. Picked up the bike and paid $100.00. The mechanic told me that he did the adjustments with the bike still on the trailer. Said he wished every valve adjustment was that easy. I put everything back on that night and had the bike running again. Best $100.00 I ever spent on that bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterd Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share #18 Posted October 18, 2017 I don't think that is true on these bikes. They get tighter as the shims wear. It's not exactly a walk in the park but it can generally be done in 3 or 4 hours. Not fun but not terrible either. The only way the valve can can get tighter, is if the valve face and or vale seat wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted October 19, 2017 Share #19 Posted October 19, 2017 The only way the valve can can get tighter, is if the valve face and or vale seat wear. That is exactly what happens in every case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSky Posted October 19, 2017 Share #20 Posted October 19, 2017 And the higher the rpms the more the seat/valve will wear. In other words, if you like to beat on it, you need to check the valve clearances more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted October 20, 2017 Share #21 Posted October 20, 2017 Seems bazz akwards but yea clearances go down. The spring is always pulling valve closed, and when it snaps closed it hammers against the seat. Took me a good amount of time to take lot stuff to get to what I needed. I took my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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