Valve Clearance Adjustment Writeup

[Guest]

I documented my valve adjustment procedure and findings. YAG - Yet Another Guide, to supplement all the other ones out there. Feel free to give me feedback/corrections/advice/etc.

http://guglielmo.us/mc/valve_clearances.html

[azr]

Pretty clear guide, well done. I like you website as well, had a couple of other relative tutorials. Sure appreciate you taking the time. I looked through your computer page....what language were you talking in there?? seriously though there looks to be some interesting stuff 'duckduckgo' and your freebsd, just wish I understood it.

[tkent02]

Very good, couple comments.

Some models the breather cover doesn't need to come off to remove the valve cover. Can't remember which models do and which don't.

Too tight won't heat up the shim, the valves can sure burn but that heat won't make it up the valve stem, through the bucket and into the shim. The blue tempered color is just how they look sometimes.

The new shim you show is not a Suzuki one, it is something aftermarket, which is fine as long as the diameter is correct. The only original Suzuki shim is the third one you show with the heat discoloration.

Still a very nice job, that will surely help someone.

[mrbill5491]

Might want to add, DO NOT TURN MOTOR OVER without a shim in place.

[ShadowFocus603]

Great write up. Thank you. Will be doing this soon and it removed a lot of the obfuscation surrounding terms and procedure.

[TeamDar]

It's nice to see that he uses the proper tool to remove the shim rather than stick a wire tie in the spark plug hole.

[srg]

I looked through your computer page....what language were you talking in there?? seriously though there looks to be some interesting stuff 'duckduckgo' and your freebsd, just wish I understood it.

Haha, no worries. Computers were my first passion. FreeBSD is a server operating system, DuckDuckGo is just another search engine like Google, except they don't track you like Google does. It's just for those privacy-crazy people like myself, haha.

Some models the breather cover doesn't need to come off to remove the valve cover.
...
The blue tempered color is just how they look sometimes.
...
The new shim you show is not a Suzuki one, it is something aftermarket, which is fine as long as the diameter is correct.

I made a few changes for the three things you mentioned, thanks!

Might want to add, DO NOT TURN MOTOR OVER without a shim in place.

I did have a warning at the bottom of the page. But you're right, so I added another warning before the process as well to make sure people read it.



Thanks for the feedback guys!

[mrbill5491]

This needs to be added to Basscliff's website no?

[Nessism]

Nice write up. Not sure why you did this because Basscliff already has a tutorial, not to mention the factory service manual. At any rate, you might want to consider converting it to PDF because websites come and go, but if you make a PDF it will be easier to save.

[srg]

This needs to be added to Basscliff's website no?

I wouldn't mind a link to my article from his site at all. However, I don't want my page to just be copied over. If I make any changes, it would be difficult to make sure every other site that copied my article makes the changes as well. If it's all in one place that I maintain, it's easy.

Not sure why you did this because Basscliff already has a tutorial, not to mention the factory service manual. At any rate, you might want to consider converting it to PDF because websites come and go, but if you make a PDF it will be easier to save.

Like I said, it's YAG - Yet Another Guide. I wanted to document it for myself, but figured why not throw it up on my site as well. Maybe my guide covers something Basscliff's doesn't, and vise-versa. If it helps just a single other person working on a bike, than it did its job.

It actually drives me nuts that everything on BassCliff's site is PDF. My cell phone doesn't have a PDF reader (or my locked-down work computer, actually), so I'm forced to print everything out in order to bring it with me to work on my bike. I do realize that PDFs are more convenient for the majority of people though - easier to save and share and whatnot.

[nejeff]

I really like your guide, good job indeed

[jbthomp]

I think it is well written and easy to follow. You did a good job. The only thing for me that you may add is how to calculate what size shim you need as that seems to be tough for some people to understand. But other than that great job! I'll be bookmarking that for sure. Also who cares if someone else has done it and posted on some other website. There isn't such a thing as too much information IMO.....

[Ghostgs1]

Really nice write up and your illustrations are top notch. Thanks for putting this together, you are a true asset to the group. Many questions come my way about this process when members are trying to do this for the first time. I'll be sure to mention reading your tutorial to any new shim club members. Thanks again. Ray

[Larry D]

Valve adjustments must be done with the engine stone cold.

[Bustedknuckles]

Great write up. I just did a valve job for the first time and used your write up as my guide. Clear and concise instructions accompanied by great pictures so you don't end up second guessing yourself at every move (what I was doing when trying to follow my Clymer.) - Thank you!

~Nate