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Does anyone out there know of anyone who would like to sell their shim kit?? If not, do you know a good place to order one with the special tool in the kit. I plan on sharing my kit with our members. I am also looking at setting up a maintenance day at my residence in the near future. We can all learn from each other and make new friends. DanC

OK after my success with installing new springs, with a lot of hand holding from Rick, I am feeling cocky enough to tackle a valve adjustmnet on my 05 RSTD. I have read V7Gooses's excellent write up and every other thread I could find regarding this procedure. My big question is why does this need to be done? What happens if it is not done? I know there are a few of you out there that think this is a big wasted effort. I would like to hear why? Not trying to start another war like over the Dyna Beads or over the car tires just would like some good feedback from everyone. 2nd part: Has anyone actually tried using the suzuki shim tool on their 2nd gen http://pitposse.com/povashto.html or [ame=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GTVOC8/ref=asc_df_B000GTVOC8956097/?tag=globa0a-20&creative=380333&creativeASIN=B000GTVOC8&linkCode=asn?tag=citofgamonlco-20]Amazon.com: MOTION PRO SUZ VALVE SHIM TOOL 08-0017: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ljmdffXzL.@@AMEPARAM@@31ljmdffXzL[/ame] ? Found shims at $5.17 ea http://www.z1enterprises.com/catalog.aspx?pid=YPEN1B. Considering buying a few from 2.55 to 2.85. Anyone know a source with better pricing? Are the sizes about what can be expected to replace? Might just borrow the kit from RandyR or another and restock theirs. Just looking at my options! Last but not least I want to wish everyone at this fine site a Blessed Merry Christmas. I am thankful that God has put all of you in my life and I am truly humbled by his signs of Love starting with his son!

Where's a good place to purchase a valve shim kit for a 2nd gen? Prices? extra shims? Thinking about doing mine in the next few months.

...are the shims the same between the first and second generation engines? I need a 265 shim for a first gen, if anyone has one in country.

Out of all of the maintenance/repair/mods that I've done to my MK11 (which includes just about all of them) I've always dreaded the Valve Shim adjustment Task. And now I know for good reason. To me this maintenance task requirement is one on the biggest negatives of the Yamaha V-4 engines. I've read all of the articles and manuals written about this task and had a good general understanding of the process. But, having studied up on the subject, the task really struck me as a major PITA for several reasons. My first reservations were about work space access to do tedious micro measurement task in a confined area with my ageing eyesight and fat clumsy arthretic fingers. (And my seemingly constant lack of suitable and locatable lighting source issues.) Visualizing the task, I just could not imagine it being physically possible to actually do. But, of course it is. In fact, as RandyR (who graciously agreed to help me) and I discovered my fears were unfounded and the factors I feared the most were actually quite easy. Thats not to say that the job was without it's obstacles and did in fact turn into a major PITA, as I first suspected but, for very different and unforeseeable reasons that I never would have imagined. The first problem that presented itself was a tool issue. The feeler gauges needed for the measurement of the valve/shim clearences needed to be within certain ranges for the intake and exhaust shim specs. We discovered early that the offset or bent gauges made access easier than the flat ones. Then of course the set I had on hand was not that type and had the measurement markings rubbed off...... Of Course. :doh:So we jumped on the bikes:7_6_3[1]: to ride around the corner to the nearest Advance auto parts store to remedy that situation. Four Hours, fifty miles and multiple stops at every,Auto Zone, Napa, Pep Boys and Northern Handyman retail locations we could find we eventually discovered that each of them sells several different type sets but no one set contained all of the gauges we needed in the exact sizes we needed..... Of Course.:doh: We finally settled for having to buy multiple sets which we adapted to satisfy our needs. At least it was a nice day for a ride. That problem solved, the next wrestling match was mental due to a counterintuative issue resulting from the tightening of the valve from wear rather than loosening (as Randy explained it to me and one might imagine). Or more specifically how that translates mathmatically (Not my long suit) for the proper replacement shim selection. Being somewhat mathmatically challenged at that stage of the day, I left all the mathmatical calculations, converstions and contemplations to Randy who seemed to be good at it and really getting into it. But evidently, it was a long day for both of us because after completing the clearence measurement for each valve, the out of spec shim removal and installation of the "correct" replacement shims we remeasured the valve/shim clearence on the replace shims to check our work. To our dismay the "corrected" clearences were ten times more out of spec then they were before we "Fixed" them. Apparently, when doing math calculations decimal point placement is critical. Who would have thunked it? After all, who really spends a lot of time mentally dealing with decimal points and metric converstions unless your like ah counting money. :mo money:There are probably a lot of people like Randy that are good at and get into that sort of thing. I myself, am more of a generalist. I know it, I admit it. Upon that realization, we decided to call it a day and regroup for the next. The next day, being armed with the mathematical truth of the error of our ways we jump into the appropiate corrective action with fresh minds and energy. Note to self: When things appear to be going smoothly, it would be prudent to pay extra special focused attention and proceed with extreme caution. I'm not sure if the foregoing concept is one of the reconized "Murphy's Laws" or not, but, if not it should be. Half way through the secondary corrective-corrective action shim replacement, we find for no explicable reason, a stubborn valve shim that refused to be removed from it's shim bucket....Of Course. After repeated failed attempts Randy gives up in frustration so that I get a chance take my shot at it. Being the adaptive,suedo-mechanical engineering master mind that I think that I am, I immediately decide that it is another tool issue and decide to apply a jeweler's screw driver to the problem. Finding the smaller blade more accessable to take purchase on the shim it apparently lacked the tinsel strength necessary to be used as a pry bar. As I soon found out. Suddenly there was a barely audible snap sound as I noticed the end of the screwdrive bit had broken off. But, where did it go? Could it have fallen down the open spark plug hole into the cylinder directly below? If so it has proven to be unretreavable thus far using a telescopic magnet. Or could it have flipped over and fallen down the space along side of the timing chain down into the dark oiley bowels of the engine inevitably destined to be the perverbal "monkey wrench in the machinery". If I ignore it's disappearence and relocation. So far it is nowhere visually or magnetically apparent within a six foot radius in all directions that I can tell.:bang head: The only recourse I can think of after days of searching is to start a disassembly process on the bike until I either find it or hear it hit the floor. Any suggestions?

I have been looking for the valve tool and dang they are expensive. Does anyone have one to sell me or rent one? I have seen some sell for 25$ and that is reasonable, but 75 is way out there. I know there has to be someone out there that has made their own tool. Please show me some more options on how you removed the shims. I seem to just miss all the good deals on the tool and shim kits. Can anyone help? Am I correct that the 1st gen Ventures use a 25mm valve shim?

Hello Folks, I am assuming from the picture I have attached that the previous owner must have done the grease zerk mod for the drive shaft. However I have know idea what type of grease to use. Also can someone tell me if the shim that the red arrow is pointing to in picture is stock for my 85 VR or is this some kind of MOD as well. Thank you [ATTACH]48702[/ATTACH]

Can anyone inform me about the Needle Shim Mod for a 1300 First Gen?

Is there a valve shim it floating around and needs some new shims? Seems my local dealer has decided that he's losing sales by swapping shims for free. Will be happy to pay shipping. (Both ways). tks chuck

with the help of the fantastic write-up by v7goose, everything went great and nary a leak! Did find I was able to remove the rear valve cover by sliding it back, after removing the side and middle battery covers. Used dingy's xcel sheets, and was able to reuse a few shims because of it. Also transferred all hand data to new sheet and saved as new file, so I have a record of what shims are in now. Buddyrich came through big-time, lending me the shim kit/tool. Put all my 272's and other odd ones in kit, but wanted to replenish the ever popular 270's. Went to http://www.albaaction.com , and talked to Paul there. They're no longer doing a 'shim swap', but asked him about Sudco since the Yammi's were so expensive. He called back and is now set up with Sudco, so I ordered some at $6.75ea. Will add them to the kit before I send it back. Thanks again to these members and this great site!! Between the valve adj and sync'ing the carbs, she's a new (scarry fast) ride, and good for another 50K miles.

Another glitch I am having during the bikes total over haul is my FJR rear end won't cooperate. I have a seemingly good condition rear end that came off of a 2004 FJR. On the bench it turns fine, no problems. I mount it on the bike and as the rear axle is torqued down the rear end binds up. It finally becomes almost impossible to turn by hand. I can hear no unusual noises as this is occurring. Prior to torquing axle and with drive shaft in, wheel turns just as it should. I have tried this with a shim in place of the thickness that Skydoc recommends and several thinner thicknesses of shim with exact same results. Also same with no shim in place. I even tried an experiment shown in first two attached pictures where I torqued wheel down without going through the right side of the swing arm. I felt this would eliminate the shim variation from the process. I used a piece of 5/8" threaded rod with a nut on left side of rear end and other nut up against wheel bearing. This also eliminated the brake arm from causing problem. Last picture shows axle in as it should be, with washer in up against swing arm. I am using an MKI swing arm. I currently have the stock rear end back in and it works perfectly. The one explanation I have thought of is as the axle is being torqued, the ring gear is being forced into the pinion gear just enough to cause binding. Skydoc didn't have an explanation for this. Any suggestions would be great. Gary

I could use a little good advice about a situation I have. I was checking my valve clearances on my 89 Venturer. Things were going pretty well. I bought the special tool and after struggling with it I was able to make a map of all the pads and their numbers. Out of 16 I had 10 that needed attention as some were minimum. I had no shims so I ordered some from Sudco at $6.55 each. I got antsy and decided to move a couple around to fix the clearances. It worked fine when it was on a pair of exhaust or intake. I repaired one and then looked for more. I had no spare shim but I thought I could take one exhaust shim out and then put it in where the intake shim needed replacing. When I rotated the crank I heard a metallic crunch. Not good. The exhaust cam chipped a piece from the lifter where the shim was removed. I was able to put the shim back in but the lifter doesn't rotate like it is supposed too. It will move up and down. I ordered a new lifter. I was trying to confirm my course of action to remedy the situation. If I take the cam out I should be able to replace the lifter. If it works then and spins like it should all should be well. If it doesn't I would use a compressor and check the springs and anything that didn't look right. If that didn't work I would pull the head and check the valve and cylinder. Am I on the right track with this? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Sam

83 xvz-1200 replaced head gaskets due to low compression #2 & #3 q1, reinstalling cams, rear head #1 tdc#1 with small holes on edge of cam rail up, lines with cam cap mark. #1 I&E lobes up and face toward each other at about 45deg. front head #2 tdc#2 with large holes on edge of cam rail up, lines with cam cap mark. #2 I&E lobes up and face away from each other at about 45deg. does not appear both setups are correct. should the large holes be the ones in the end of the cam on front head? q2, still low compression #2, checked valve shim gap, believe problem, valves to tight in #2, including all measurments compression #1=120, #2=90, #3=90, #4=120 all measurments L-R, T-B looking at each exhaust side rear head #1 #1 #3 current shim I 270 275 278 272 gap mm I .102 .102 .102 .152 rounded shim I 270 275 280 270 sugg new shim I 265 270 275 ok current shim E 278 272 272 272 gap mm E .127 .151 .051 .152 rounded shim E 280 270 270 270 sugg new shim E 275 265 255 265 front head #2 & #4 #4 #2 current shim I 275 275 270 270 gap mm I .127 .102 .025 .102 rounded shim I 275 275 270 270 sugg new shim I ok 270 260 265 current shim E 268 268 270 270 gap mm E .178 .152 .127 .127 rounded shim E 270 270 270 270 sugg new shim E ok 265 265 265 I believe red shims are to tight and opening to soon, blowing some of the compression. Is it agreed? Have I figured suggested new shims correctly? Where can I get new shims and shim adjusting tool, think I figured out shim tool locks around cam like an open end wrench, swinging around to edge of lifters, pushing lifters down, allowing shims to be pried out. Is this correct? I may make a tool. Thanks for any and all info. Brian

Hi there, I am in need of the "roving" valve shim/tool kit... does anyone know where it might be and how I might get in line to use it?? Thanks very much Gary

Here's the company that makes the Yamaha special tools. http://www.klsupply.com/COMPANYINFO/tabid/58/Default.aspx They use different part numbers than Yamaha, and only sell wholesale. For instance, the 1stGen/2ndGen valve shim tool is part # K&L Supply 35-3462, which is the same as YM-33961 or 90890-04105 Here's a web site that sells the valve shim tool. http://www.motorcyclecarbs.com/VALVE_SHIM_TOOL_YAMAHA_XVZ13__P11156.cfm At $75, I think its a rip off. A little more research may show up a tool at a more reasonable price, say $15. I don't know what a Yamaha Dealer would charge, and the online parts sources I've looked at didn't list this part. btw, I found an Adobe .pdf document with pictures of various Yamaha special tools .

Last summer I bought a Shim kit with about 32 shims and the special tool needed to change shims. I'll be done with it this week. Anybody wanting to use it can, if they will pay shipping to and from my place. If you have to buy shims please add your old ones to the kit so we can all benefit from its use. Just PM me with your address and when you would want it and we can go from there.

If anyone is going to need a valve shim kit and tool in the next week or so, let me know. Dingy has borrowed mine and he could ship it to someone else as easy as he could send it back to me. Its good for 1st gens and 2nd gens.

Attached is a Microsoft Excel 2003 spreadsheet that can be used as an aid in selecting replacement valve shims. This should work for 1983 through 2009 models, I did not see any variances in the sizing charts in the service manuals. 1st sheet in file is in Metric format. 2nd sheet in file is in Inch format. I expanded upon the valve clearance charts that are in the service manuals to include the shims end in 2 and 8. The reason for this is that these shims can be reused in the bike if available. I don't believe you can buy the --2 and --8 sizes. Screen shot below shows cylinder 2 area. The only cells that are selectable are the "Shim in Now" & "Measured Clearance" data fields. The "Shim in Now" field will only accept valid shim sizes. There is a pull down menu for valid sizes or size can be keyed in. The only other value that is accepted as input is a zero. I included this to set chart to neutral setting. The "Measured Clearance" field has no error checking built in. Use millimeters on Metric sheet or inches on Inch sheet. The decimal point needs to be entered, the "mm" or "in" does not need to be entered. Below the "Measured Clearance" field is a calculated field for "Shim Needed". This field will display the correct shim size to set valve clearance to the high end of acceptable range. Next is "Expected Clearance" field. This is a calculated field to show what valve clearance should be with the shim size shown in "Shim Needed" field. Next is "2nd Choice Shim" field. This field will display the next larger size shim that will work. This shim may be selected due to "Shim Needed" is an odd size or not available. This shim will set valve clearance to the low end of acceptable range. Next is another "Expected Clearance" field. This is a calculated field to show what valve clearance should be with the shim size shown in "2nd Choice Shim" field. In the upper right hand example, the lower "Expected Clearance" field is highlighted in Red. This will happen when any of the calculated sizes fall outside of acceptable range. If value cannot be calculated the "Shim Needed" field will be blank and error will display in "Second Choice Shim" field. This will happen if an out of range clearance value is entered. The two right hand charts in screen shot do not have data entered in so there are errors shown. This should print out on 8 1/2" x 11" paper very readable. This is just an aid for shim selection. Verify Clearances if you use this after shims are installed. Gary http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/gdingy101/valvechartclip1.jpg 39118.xls

Attached is a Microsoft Excel 2003 spreadsheet that can be used as an aid in selecting replacement valve shims. This should work for 1983 through 2009 models, I did not see any variances in the sizing charts in the service manuals. 1st sheet in file is in Metric format. 2nd sheet in file is in Inch format. I expanded upon the valve clearance charts that are in the service manuals to include the shims end in 2 and 8. The reason for this is that these shims can be reused in the bike if available. I don't believe you can buy the --2 and --8 sizes. Screen shot below shows cylinder 2 area. The only cells that are selectable are the "Shim in Now" & "Measured Clearance" data fields. The "Shim in Now" field will only accept valid shim sizes. There is a pull down menu for valid sizes or size can be keyed in. The only other value that is accepted as input is a zero. I included this to set chart to neutral setting. The "Measured Clearance" field has no error checking built in. Use millimeters on Metric sheet or inches on Inch sheet. The decimal point needs to be entered, the "mm" or "in" does not need to be entered. Below the "Measured Clearance" field is a calculated field for "Shim Needed". This field will display the correct shim size to set valve clearance to the high end of acceptable range. Next is "Expected Clearance" field. This is a calculated field to show what valve clearance should be with the shim size shown in "Shim Needed" field. Next is "2nd Choice Shim" field. This field will display the next larger size shim that will work. This shim may be selected due to "Shim Needed" is an odd size or not available. This shim will set valve clearance to the low end of acceptable range. Next is another "Expected Clearance" field. This is a calculated field to show what valve clearance should be with the shim size shown in "2nd Choice Shim" field. In the upper right hand example, the lower "Expected Clearance" field is highlighted in Red. This will happen when any of the calculated sizes fall outside of acceptable range. If value cannot be calculated the "Shim Needed" field will be blank and error will display in "Second Choice Shim" field. This will happen if an out of range clearance value is entered. The two right hand charts in screen shot do not have data entered in so there are errors shown. This should print out on 8 1/2" x 11" paper very readable. This is just an aid for shim selection. Verify Clearances if you use this after shims are installed. Gary http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/gdingy101/valvechartclip1.jpg 39120.xls

Getting the bikes ready for the ride to Daytona. We replaced Redbeards 99 RSV front pads. When we took off the old pads, both copper/brass shims were mising from both sides? Did this shim come on a 99? I know I have them on my 2001. What purpose do the shims serve? We simply replaced the pads, leaving out the shim, but what effect does this have on the brakes?

I'll be starting some winter maintenance soon and I though others might be as well. Does anyone have a Morgan Carbtune and/or Colortune for loan in Greater Vancouver? If not then I'll order these and make them available for loan. http://www.ekmpowershop1.com/ekmps/shops/carbtune/carbtune-pro-4-column-and-toolpouch-24-p.asp I also have a valve shim kit available with most sizes from 2-30 to 3-10. I have not bought the tool yet though.

Is there a 'Canadian' travel shim kit available to be shared? If there is....does it include the special tool? I would be very interested to use it and would also make a contribution to it if necessary. I called a local shop (non-dealer) and they carry shims....he charges $5.00 exchange.

For anyone contemplating buying or putting together a valve shim kit, you won't BELIEVE this buy! I'm sure the web site is a mistake, but I ordered one anyway and got it for a total of $12.90 ($5.95+shipping)! I expected them to call me and say "no way", but it arrived today! :cool10: And now they have even LOWERED that price! Better get your order in before they change it. Order the starter kit from this page: http://www.preferredpowersports.com/eshopprod_cat_5347-19112-30104_product_736199_keyword_25mm+AND+shims.KL_HONDAYAMAHA_SHIMS.htm Goose

WARNING - this is LONG, so unless you are actually going to adjust your valves, or just like to read mechanical cookbooks, you probably should just stop here! There is a LOT involved in this job. It needs to be done, but it is probably worth whatever you local shop is charging. I'd certainly pay $200 for it if I trusted the shop, and I'm very comfortable doing the job myself (but you are probably not going to get it done that cheap). If you don't trust your shop, or don't have the money, then read on! We periodically have questions and discussions here on valve adjustments, like how often? (26,600 miles), is it really needed? (yes), how to? (read on), etc. And the tech manual, along with several other members, indicate it is a BIG job. So Ponch and I decided to organize a training session to see first-hand what was involved and find out about any surprises before we attempted to help any other members on this. And I want to really emphasize how thankful we are to BuddyRich for his wonderful loan of a shim kit and special tool, along with his selfless help of an entire day of hot sweaty work! Without him, what follows would probably never have happened: Background info: My 2005 RSV had the first valve check/adjustment done on schedule around 27,000 miles through the initial maintenance contract I purchased with the bike. Since the shop did it, I have no idea if any shim changes were actually needed, but since I saw evidence the valve cover gaskets were changed, I will assume that at the end of that service, all 16 valves were within spec. My bike now has 70,000 miles on it, putting it about 15,000 miles overdue for the second valve check. I found about half the valves either right at minimum tolerance or too tight (and three of them were significantly too tight). You get to decide how often you want to do your own bike, but I'll be doing this one by 30,000 miles each time now. Planning: 1. Order your gaskets and find tools and shims first. The valve cover gasket is 4NK-11193-00-00, and the best price I found was at www.carolinacycle.com for about $18 ea. I wouldn't want to do this job without a valve shim kit unless I was willing to leave the bike torn down for several days to go find the right shims after measuring all the clearances. In addition, there are different ways to hold down the valve buckets to change the shims, but the only "right" way (and certainly the easiest) is to have the special tool; therefore, find or buy one before you start. We have several members who have the tool and a shim kit (just a selection of various sizes) who may be willing to loan them. BuddyRich and Mother are two you might ask (if anyone else wants their name listed or removed here, please contact me so I can edit this post!). If you find someone to loan a shim kit, PLEASE ask them ahead of time to look at the current collection of shims, particularly the 265 and 270 sizes, to see if any common sizes are in short supply. The shims don't cost much, and in return for the loan, you really should buy at least two new shims in needed sizes before you start the job. Not only will this make it more likely you have the ones you need for your own bike, but it will make the kit better for the next use. It is hard to say ahead of time what sizes might be most needed, since every bike will change the mix. When we did four bikes on the same day, it was very interesting to see that. After the first two bikes, we had a ton of 270 shims, but not many 265 or 275. But after the next bike, there were only a couple 270s left but a big stack of 275. 2. This is a perfect time to change your coolant, so if you need it, have that on hand too. Even if you don't need to change it, you WILL need to drain about a quart, so have an appropriate clean tray and funnel that will allow you to do this and then add it back later. 3. This is also the perfect time to change your plugs, so have them on hand too. 4. Get a can of spray carb and choke cleaner. You are gonna want to pull those carbs (perfect time to set the floats too), and the #1 and #2 carbs are gonna be NASTY with oil residue and dirt. Legend has it that you can do this job without pulling the carbs, but no way I would want to try it. And besides, once you have all the other stuff off, pulling the carbs just isn't that hard. 5. You will really want to have your bike straight up for this job, so a center stand or maintenance jack is good to have on hand. This isn't required, but will be a lot easier and cleaner! On the side stand, you get some oil dumping off the left corner of the heads when you crack the valve cover loose, and more that comes out the covers in the left crank case. The oil mess is much worse if you have Leveling Links and you try this on the side stand! 6. Misc. tools: A good set of feeler gauges are obvious, but you will also need a torque wrench that goes down to 7.2 ft lbs (10 Nm or 86 in lbs), and a magnetic retrieving tool, tweezers or hemostats, and a good quality very small screwdriver (like a mid-size jeweler's driver, but stronger) will be necessary to remove the shims. I also recommend a tube of high temperature RTV 'gasket goo' to use on certain points of the new gaskets. On those feeler gauges, most sets have both inch and mm numbers, but the primary (or even increments) that it uses will be either inch or metric. You will have a much easier time of measuring and selecting shims if you have a metric set. And make certain you have a very bright flashlight - I prefer one of the new small LED ones because of the birghtness and color of the light. 7. Instructions - the shop manual is generally pretty good here, so I suggest you print out pages 3-9 through 3-13. The Job: Start by removing the basic stuff: seat, tank, lower cowlings, air filters. Since you WILL need to drain some coolant, just go ahead and pull those lower cowlings now and make taking off the air filters easier. Remove the "dog bones" connecting the front cylinder heads to the frame. Remove the air intake tract, including the rubber tubes where the air filters attach, the top air plenums, and the rubber T between the air filters (it is held on by one 10mm bolt on the right side of the frame). To get the air plenums off, you will need to first remove the metal straps on top (four screws each), and the two screws holding the crank case vent hose in the middle, then pull the hoses and wire bundles off to the side. After the clamps on top of each carb and the front clamp are loose, each plenum will just pull straight up. When taking off the metal straps, note that the inside front screw on each is longer than the other three, and be CAREFUL when putting all of those screws back at the end of this job - they will strip very easily! When you pull the crankcase breather connection loose from between the two air plenums, be careful of the little foam rings, most of them are stretched and falling apart - unfortunately they don't seem to be available in the parts breakdown. When you lift off each air plenum, there is a vent hose connected on the rear that will just pop off (watch out for the little wire spring clip - they aren't really necessary, but you don't want to have one pop off and get stuck in a carb or something). Pull all four plugs (necessary to turn the engine over while checking the valves). Drain the coolant - if not changing it, you will still need to drain a quart or so to allow the removal of the water hose from the rear head. CAUTION! The 12mm drain plug on the bottom left of the radiator is just plastic (as is the radiator), so when putting the plug back in, DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN!!!! The correct tightness is about what you can put on a clean, dry 3/8" socket extension with your bare hand. Pull the carb assembly. Start by disconnecting the fuel line behind the right rear carb and open the two clips on top of the carbs to release the fuel line that goes to the tank. Then disconnect the two overflow hoses that connect on top between the carbs and run forward to the front of the air filters. Go ahead and remove those overflow hoses completely, just pay attention to how they are routed and watch for the little plastic clip that holds them together between the carbs. At this point, all you need to do is loosen the hose clamp beneath each carb (but see the caution below) and disconnect the two electric plugs for the wires connected near the left front carb. You will find both of these plugs right up next to the frame under the large main wire bundle. The white two-wire plug is for the carb heaters, and the black triangular three-wire plug is the throttle position sensor. With the hose clamps below all four carbs loose, you can pull straight up on the assembly on each side to "pop" them loose from the intake manifolds (and this usually takes a lot of force!). With the carb assembly loose it slides straight out the left side. I generally wait until this point when the carbs are part way out to disconnect the throttle cables - access is much easier. Just loosen the long nut on each cable to allow it to slip off the bracket - as long as you don't move the small nut, the cables adjustment will not change. CAUTION! The screws on the hose clamps on the bottom of each carb are VERY soft metal. In addition, those clamps each have a metal collar to prevent you from over tightening them on the rubber boot. On most of the bikes I have worked on, at least one of those screws has been frozen so hard that the head stripped out, requiring me to drill it off to remove the clamp. If you have this same problem, stuff a rag under the clamp before you drill it off so you don't loose that little collar. The screw can then be replaced with any standard 4mm screw from the hardware store. With the carbs out, you probably should stuff a paper towel in each intake manifold to prevent anything from accidentally disappearing down there while you are working on the bike. Remove the chrome covers on the cylinder heads. Remove the plastic wire tray under the frame in front of the battery cover. This is held on by one 10mm bolt on the left side of the frame and a screw under all those hoses in front of the battery. Once that tray is off, pull the disconnected vent hoses out the back to get some needed working room above the rear valve cover. Finally, the last thing to take off before you can actually remove the valve covers is the rubber hose for the water line to the rear cylinder head (no need to take the front one off). You will need to remove the two plugs/covers in the center of the left crankcase cover to turn the engine, so now is a good time to do that. The two #3 philips-head screws are generally REAL tight, so make sure you use the correct size screwdriver to not bugger them. With the screws out, just use a very small screwdriver to work the cover back and forth on the O-ring to get it to pop off. There is a thin metal plate that will fall out as soon as the cover comes loose - it just goes back in with the ridge facing the crank, and you usually will not need to replace the O-rings on the covers. And now for the valve covers! Four flat allen-head bolts on each and they will pop off without too much effort. The gaskets are thick rubber, and they overlap a hollow cavity at the corner of each head. Just use your finger to pull of that rubber corner and then you can put a small screwdriver under there and catch the edge of the valve cover to pry it up. The rear cover will be difficult to get off, even after everything you have already removed! But just raise it as high as you can against the fuel line or other wire bundles still hanging below the frame and kinda rotate it forward to clear the cam chain. The front cover has lots of top clearance, but you need to take it out the right side to clear the water hose you left in place. FINALLY - ready to actually start checking valve clearance! MEASURING THE VALVE CLEARANCE: You can approach the measurement of the valve clearance two ways - some folks prefer to just turn the engine until they see the cam lobe pointing up for whatever valve they are checking, but I prefer to follow the more common practice of setting a piston at TDC on the compression stroke, then checking all valves for that cylinder (this is also the method from the service manual). But here is a little clue - don't get too hung up on believing everything in the service manual! There is a note in several places that tells you "TDC on the compression stroke can be found when the camshaft lobes are turned away from each other." NOT SO!!! While true for the front two cylinders, the cam lobes on the rear two cylinders will NEVER point away from each other! Seems weird to me, as I really expected the valve timing to show the identical relationship between the cams on all the cylinders for the same engine, but the facts show different. And before anyone asks, I did check my valve timing according to the manual and the index marks on the cams, and all four cams were correct. Anyway, back to the measurement. Start by turning the engine counterclockwise until you see the valves on #1 cylinder (left rear) all closed, then watch for the timing mark on the generator rotor through the observation hole to align with the mark on the crankcase cover. It is not necessary for it to be exactly perfect to measure the valves. Now you can check the clearance on both intake and both exhaust valves for #1. Since you are dealing with four valves at a time, it is helpful to write down the clearance you measure so you don't have to re-check them over and over again! If any valves need to be adjusted, I explain this in the next section. After completing the measurement and/or adjustment for #1, if you turn the crank 180 degrees, cylinder #3 (right rear) will be at TDC and ready to check (just put the socket on the crankshaft with the handle pointing to the rear and turn it counterclockwise until the handle points forward - can't get much easier than that!). When you are done with #3, turn the crank 180 degrees again, then start watching for a second timing mark to line up on the generator rotor 70 degrees later (a little less than 1/4 of a turn), now #2 is at TDC and ready to check. Finally, after checking/adjusting #2, just turn the crank 180 degrees one more time and #4 will be at TDC and ready to check. When you are done with #4, turning the crank just 110 degrees (slightly more than 1/4 turn) puts #1 back at TDC to start over. After you have made adjustments to any valve, I strongly recommend you turn the engine through several turns to ensure the valve shims are fully seated and measure them again to see if the final clearance is what you want. I found I needed to change the shims several times on some valves to get it right. By going through the 1, 3, 2, 4 sequence several times you get the chance to double-check all your measurements, as well as re-check the ones you changed. CHANGING THE VALVE CLEARANCE: Note: You will find a second person to help turn the engine VERY helpful here, especially when working on #3 and #4! To adjust the clearance you need to remove the existing shim and replace it with one of a more appropriate thickness. The majority of changes will be to a thinner shim, but you won't have any idea what the needed size will be until you get the existing shim out. Getting the tappet adjusting tool inserted the first time can be a little tricky. It can be inserted from either side of the cam, depending on which side you want to pull the shim from. The first thing you do is turn the crank in either direction so that the cam lobe is pointing AWAY from the side where you plan to insert the tool. Next, before you insert the tool, use your fingertip to turn both shim buckets until one of the open notches is where you can reach it with your small screwdriver - this is where you will need to pry up the old shim to break the suction of the oil film (and that can be tough to do). To insert the tool, try to rotate the short end under the cam to depress the buckets. You won't get it very far just with your fingers, so slowly turn the crank in the proper direction to let the cam finish turning the tool into place (while keeping some pressure on the long arm of the tool to make it move). You will want to make sure the tool is turned all the way until the long arm touches the side of the head or you won't have enough clearance to pull out the old shim. Now that the tool is in place, reach in with that little screwdriver and pry up on the bottom edge of the shim - the suction of the oil film will be STRONG, so don't be surprised if you have a tough time getting each shim to pop up. Once it does pop up, you can either grab it with tweezers or a magnet to pull it out. Turn it over and note the number on the bottom (they should always be installed with the number down). Replacement shims are only available in .05mm increments (such as 260, 265, and 270), but the ones you pull out might be be anything (such as 269 or 272). That is why you will find some odd numbers in the shim kit - they came out of someone else's bike. To decide what shim to put back in, you need to know what the clearance was before you removed it (remember, I said to write it down)! The shop manual has a really neat chart that lets you just look along one axis to find the number on your current shim, then just look down the side to find the clearance you measured - where the two lines intersect, that is the new shim number you need. It works pretty good, but make sure you look at the right chart (they are different for intake and exhaust)! If you try and do this job without having a shim kit, those charts are really the best way to decide which shims you need to buy. A less formal but more natural way is to just look at the number of the current shim, think about how much you need to change it (was that valve just a little tight, or a lot tight?), and then choose a slightly thinner or thicker shim that you think might be in the ballpark. For example, if you pull out a 273 shim and the valve was just a tad too tight, you might want to try a 270, but if it seemed quite a bit lower than the minimum spec, better go straight to the 265. No matter how you selected the new shim size, it is very important to turn the engine over several times and then re-check the clearance to see if your guess was correct - even using the charts leaves room for error. Putting it all back Together: Just a few notes here on reassembling the bike - most everything will just be a reverse of the disassembly process, but there are a few pointers to help you. Valve Cover Gaskets: These are very thick rubber with big half-circle "lumps" at the ends of each camshaft. They only go on ONE way. They are flat on the bottom, and the top has a ridge that fits into the groove on the valve cover. But it does not fit tight enough in the groove to hold it in place while you put the cover back. No matter, though, since there is not enough clearance to get the cover back on the rear cylinders with it attached - your only choice is to place the gasket on the head and then maneuver the cover in place. The original gasket seems to have been held to the cover by several spots of rubber cement in the groove, but there was no sign that a gasket sealant was used all the way around. Other than those glue spots on the cover, there was no sign that the original factory gasket had any RTV type gasket sealant used at all during assembly. However, when the shop did my valves the first time, they DID use a bit of RTV, but only on the lumps, and neither gasket ever leaked in 40,000 miles. For comparison, one person who had replaced the gasket without using any sealant did develop a slight leak at one of those lumps over time. For these reasons, I personally recommend applying just a thin coat of high temperature RTV to the depression in the head where those lumps fit before putting the gasket in place. Now look closely at the parts of the gasket where it is next to the spark plugs - on the exhaust side only you will see a slight squiggle or wave in the gasket, and on the cylinder head you will see a matching wave. Make sure you position the gasket with those points matching. Then look at the cover - notice the same wave? Guess where it goes . . . When you lower the cover down on the gasket, the challenge is to get the ridge on the gasket to smoothly fit up into the groove on the cover all the way around. If you even have a hint that the cover is not completely smooth and flush on the head, then the gasket is NOT completely seated in that groove. Take your time and trace the entire edge with a bright flashlight to get it right. Remember how much work it was to get that cover off; you don't want to have to do it again! When putting the front gasket and cover in place, remember they must go in from the right side to fit around that water pipe. The torque on the cover bolts is only 7.2 ft lbs., and that is not much. Make sure you have a wrench that has a setting that low, and use it. These are not the kind of gaskets where you can go back later and tighten them a little more if you get a leak. In fact, over tightening the cover on that thick rubber will just distort it and make the leak worse. Although the manual does not say to tighten the bolts from the inside out in a cross pattern like you would the head bolts, that is still the method I recommend. Air Intake Parts: Make sure you get that front T in place before you put the carbs in, same with the rubber Y that connects the air plenums to the T. The only thing to remember about the T is that it has a locating lug sticking out the front that MUST fit in the rubber grommet in the frame. The hose clamp on that rubber Y is located on the left side of the bike, with the head facing up. Initially it seems impossible to access, but just use a long screwdriver behind the wire bundles next to the frame. Putting the carbs back in: After making sure the hose clamps are still properly positioned on the top of the intake manifolds, slide the carbs in from the left side, but leave them just far enough out to make it easy to attach the throttle cables. Then after making sure all the carbs are centered on the manifolds, you need to push down on them pretty hard to pop them back in place. Try to put the base of your hand on top of the carb throats, not on the plastic diaphragm covers. Re-route all the fuel lines and vent hoses appropriately, and don't forget to re-connect the two plugs. Putting on the air plenums: Some people have had real trouble getting the air plenums to fit properly back on top of the carbs (and stay there when they tighten the clamps). In every single case I have seen, this has been caused by the rubber neck on the plenum being caught on the edge of the carb and buckled under the clamp - usually behind the carb where it is impossible to see. Make sure the clamps are plenty loose and rock the plenum a bit when putting it on. If the rubber is not buckled in there, the plenum will fit fully down on the carbs and not spring back up at all. Unlike the lower hose clamps, those on top of the carbs do not have a metal collar to prevent them from being over tightened, so just make sure they are properly set in the grooves on the plenum and snug them up pretty good instead of trying to play Magilla. I think that is about it. Let me know if you think I have missed something or you have any questions! Goose

Can anyone verify for me where the shim placement is for the needle valve modification. I want to make this mod. I read the article in the tech section but it is not clear to me where to move or add the shim. I think it goes under the plastic piece on the needle but want to be sure before I do this. I also was hoping to hear from some people who have made this mod without jetting the carbs. Is it worth the effort? thanks for the help