82 GS1100L * valve adjustment

[JustRide]

So how difficult is adjusting the valves on the 8v engine. I am fairly competent with tools and like to do all my own maintenance and repairs but I also don't mind saying something is over my head and take it to someone who does know. Also should I go ahead and just replace the shims while I'm in there. Bike has 2700 miles on it. Yes 2700.


Jay

[tkent02]

It's easy, the hardest part is scraping the gasket surface clean. With 2700 you probably won't have to replace any shims, but it's good to check. I just did them on my 550 with 9,000 miles, I'm sure it's never been opened up before. Two valves were slightly tight, the others were all within limits.

Once in a while they move quicker than that I guess.

[JustRide]

Cool. I will attempt on my own as the dealer wants $400 just in labor.

[Steve]

That is one of the reasons we don't take our bikes to dealers.

Another major reason is because they would probably botch the job.

Can't imagine why they would charge that much. For a skilled mechanic with all the tools available, it won't take over an hour.

.

[Paul]

I had the same thoughts as you, I opted not to use the zip tie method, and the tool is tricky to use but after a few nasty whacks from not inserting it at 90 degrees properly you soon be proficient....follow the tutorial , also a couple of tips that need hightlighting it once you put a shim back in , spin the bucket, if it rotates freely that means the shim is seated properly and is unlikely to pop out and cause a major problem, and make sure you plug the engine with something so you don't loose anything into the motor....Trust me it happens!!

[Guest]

82 GS1100L with 2700 miles "Lucky You" Yip go ahead, if i can do it, sounds like You wont have a problim.

[Guest]

My goodness, 2700 miles on a 31 year old bike!! By the time you need shims, I doubt I'll be around. Maybe someone else will become the keeper of the shims by then. Ray

[tkent02]

No Ray, you have to live forever. We need good people like you.

[mcycle-nut]

Easy? It's a pain in the ass! Dicking around with shims, (math IS involved!), special tools, gasket scraping, it's a time consuming job. My old 650 Yam twin was a lot easier. Had a some bolt on covers with O-rings and had screw and nut adjusters. I'm glad the 16V motors went to screw and nut, but you're still dealing with a large, expensive gasket.

[Nessism]

Easy? It's a pain in the ass! Dicking around with shims, (math IS involved!), special tools, gasket scraping, it's a time consuming job. My old 650 Yam twin was a lot easier. Had a some bolt on covers with O-rings and had screw and nut adjusters. I'm glad the 16V motors went to screw and nut, but you're still dealing with a large, expensive gasket.

Boo hoo.

Sucks to be you.!

Buy a Toyota.

[tkent02]

You want easy valve adjustments, get a Beemer. These GSes aren't so bad. An hour, maybe two if you haven't done it before. No big deal.

[Steve]

No, you want EASY valve adjustments?

Ride a GoldWing 1500.

Hydraulic adjusters, just start the engine, they adjust themselves.

.

[tkent02]

My car does that.

[Steve]

Interestingly enough, both of my cars use shims.

.

[jsandidge]

Not hard at all

I'm a newbie and had no problem with the valve adjustment. A little trick I used with the bucket depression tool was to hook it under the cam while the lobe is pushing the shim down. Then rotate the motor while holding the tool in place. Make sure the tool isn't resting on the shim, only on the bucket. Did them all this way, no problem. Before figuring this out, the tool kept wanting to slide off the edge of the bucket. The bucket and shim would pop back up. I heard of guys busting shims that way.