Adjusting clearances on all four intake valves by removing cam shaft?

[salty_monk]

When we rebuilt my 1100 engine the cams were out. We put them in to measure the clearances & left them well alone and swapped out shims the traditional way. The less you mess with them the better in my opinion. The threads are somewhat delicate there.....

 

[1948man]

Just my humble opinion, but I think pulling the cam is more work than just checking clearances the traditional way. Not to mention pulling the cam opens up the possibilities of something going wrong because it's unnecessary additional steps.

I have the suzuki special tool and it's really quick and easy to use. Some on the forum prefer the zip tie method, but for $15 I think the tool is cheap and easy enough to use, no sense in fiddling around with zip ties. Some say the tool is finicky to use, but I've never had an issue.

Some buckets have more bevel on the lip of the bucket which means less surface for the tool to ride on making it prone to slip off.

 

[sacruickshank]

To close out the thread, I was able to get the shims adjusted and the gasket surface cleaned without touching the camshafts or tensioner. A few small spots left to clean up, but generally in good shape. Thanks for all the advice none the less.

As some have mentioned, for whatever reason the Suzi tool worked better on the intake buckets than on the exhaust. Maybe due to the bucket edge as some have mentioned.

Also, a carbide gasket scraper works great, used in conjunction with an exacto knife with a 3/8" flat blade. I know some recommend using only plastic to avoid gouging, but in my experience that is not strong enough to remove 40 year old petrified gaskets and scotchbrite is dangerous near open engines.

 

[1948man]

The MotionPro version of the Suzuki tool has some sloppy casting. There is a tiny raised stripe around the center of the perimeter. Gently filing that down some makes it a little less prone to slip sideways.

 

[93Bandit]

Some buckets have more bevel on the lip of the bucket which means less surface for the tool to ride on making it prone to slip off.

Ah, that makes sense. Fortunately I haven't ran into that yet. To be clear, I have had it slip off the bucket before, but it had to do with the angle I was pushing down on the handle. Once I learned the correct way to push the handle, it's been trouble free thus far.